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University  of  North  Carolina  at  Chapel  Hill 


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THE 


REBEL'S  DAUGHTER 


A  STORY  OF  LOVE,  POLITICS 
AND  WAR 


B  Y 

J.    G.    WOERNER 


Illustrated  by  E    G    Witter. 


BOSTON,   MASS.: 

LITTLE,   BROWN    &    CO. 

PUBLISHERS. 

1899. 


Copyright,  1899, 
By  J.  G.  WOERNER. 


Press  of 

Nixon  ■  JoHi's  Printing  Co., 

St.   Louis. 


To  Mrs.   Rust]  Canqpbell  Owen,  of  Springfield,  Mis- 
souri—wl^o  sf^ares  tf|e  aiitfior's  recollecttoris 
of    May    Meadows  -  tf|is    volUrr\e    is 
respectfully   dedicated. 

Sf.  Loin's.  Noremher,  ISUU. 


5;24199 


CONTENTS. 


PART  FIRST. 
LOVE'S  YOUNG   DREAM. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

I.  A  Lesson  in  Woodcraft 1 

II,  One  of  the  F.  F.  V.  out  West       ....  17 

III.  A  Western  Town  and  its  Rival  Stores     .      .  36 

IV".  Bunkum:   Mercantile  and  Literary     ...  50 

V.  A  Peep  at  the  "  Peculiar  "  Institution    .      .  66 

VI.  Literary  Culture  in  the  Backwoods     ...  83 

VII.  A  Candidate  in  a  Quandary *J9 

VIII.  Barbecue  and  Spread  Eagle 118 

IX.  Post-Prandial  Plotting 140 

X.  Before  the  C4rand  Inquest 156 

XI.  -Justice  Seasoned  with  Politics 168 

XII.  The  Genesis  of  Public  Opinion     .     .      ,      .  181 

XIII.  Sovereigns  in  Primordial  Quale     ....  193 

XIV.  A  New  Departure 212 

XV.  Awakening  from  Love's  Young  Dream    .      .  229 


PART  SECOND. 
DEMOCRACY   DIVIDED  AGAINST   ITSELF. 

XVI.  Gambrinus  Under  a  Cloud 250 

XVII.  From  our  Washington  Correspondent      .      .     267 


CONTENTS. 

CHAPTER  PAGE 

XVIII.  The  Philosophy  of  Carving 276 

XIX.  The  Ever  New  Old  Story 21)4 

XX.   Shadows  of  Coming  Events  in  a  Sanctum     .  314 

XXI.   How  the  Machine  is  Worked 323 

XXII.   Deniocracv  in   Convention 340 

XX III.  Too  Late 357 

XXIV.  Private  and  Confidential 377 

XXV.   Storm-clouds  in  the  Horizon 4H'.» 

XXVI.   Magnetism — Repellant  and  Attractional     .  403 

XXVII.   Philosophers  at  Tea 420 

XXVIII.    "  The  Demos  Krateo  Principle  "         .      .      .  431 

XXIX.  The  fiat  of  King  Caucus 447 

XXX.   Cruel  Conscience  tricking  Cupid    ....  4fi7 


PART   THIRD. 

DEMOCRACY    RUN    WILD. 

XXXI.  A  Cataleptic  Government 481 

XXXII.   The  Torpor  Broken 494 

XXXIII.  The  War  Fever  in  a  Western  Town    .      .      .  513 

XXXIV.  After  the  Battle 530 

XXXV.   Friends  and  Foes 555 

XXXVI.  A  Study  in  Black  and  White      ....  5(;it 

XXXVII.   Confessions  and  Confidings 5H4 

XXXVIII.  Judge  and  Advocate 5!»7 

XXXIX.  Justice  at  the  Drum-head •■'12 

XL.   A  Wooer's  Wile <i'^l 

XLI.  The  Tester  Tested     .      .      .• <>41» 

XLII.   Cupid's  Counter  Coup *'*>'^ 


CONTENTS.  vii 

t'HAPTKH  PA(iK 

XLIII.  Glimpses  of  War (ii»0 

XLIV.  A  Rebel  Doctor 710 

XLV.  Sisters    and  Brothers I'^tl 

XLVI.   Before  the  Dawn       .      .      .      .      .      .      .  '   .  74H 

XLVII.  After  the    War 757 


LIST  OF   ILLUSTRATIONS. 


Opposite  Pagk 

So  he  stepped  boldly  forward  and  seized  the  dainty  fingers  14 

There  stood  Victor  with  downcast  eyes 74 

"  Yoii  are  a  liar!  "  Victor  hurled  back 95 

' '  Apologize  —  to  him  ?     To  this  greenhorn  Dutchman  ?  "  113 

"  You  think  you  can  leave  my  pony  behind?  "     .     .     .  124 

The  speech  of  the  colonel  created  the  wildest  enthusiasm.  137 
' '  I  trust  that  your  Honor  may  excuse  my  unceremonious 

intrusion  here." 177 

"Whither  bound,  gentlemen  both?  " 188 

"Faithful  fiddlesticks!  "  Leslie  spoke  up  ....  244 
"  Do  you  know,  Mr.  May,  that  you  are  hardly  a  stranger 

to  me?  " 257 

Prof.  Rauhenfels  favored  the  company  with  a  loquacious 

dissertation  on  the  art  of  carving 282 

Leslie  closely  watching  her,  she  placed  the  paper  on  the 

rack,  and  began  to  sing 311 

"  There!  "  he  said,  holding  out  the  paper  to  his  visitor, 

"  What  do  you  say  to  that  ?  " 344 

He  gazed  into  her  face  with  unfeigned  tenderness     .      .  367 

"  But  what  are  we  going  to  do  with  these  bouquets?  "    .  41!> 

The  venerable  senator  bowed  with  courtly  grace  .  .  .  442 
"Well,  my  young  friend,"  said  the  colonel  to  Victor, 

"  you  have  not  answered  my  question  "  .  .  .  .  4(il 
Nellie  saw  what  for  a  moment  filled  her  with  superstitious 

fear 548 

And  before  the  word  ' '  fire  ' '  was  uttered  she  stood  in  front 

of  the  muskets  leveled  at  her  brother 560 

"Cressie!  Is  that  the  young  lady's  name?  "  .  .  .  576 
Victor  had  addressed  the  last  few  remarks  singly  to  Col. 

Scheffel 630 

Pauline,  kneeling  by  the  bedside,  took  one  of  his  hands 

in  both  her  own 72i* 

"  Soul  of  my  life,  why  grudge  me  the  sweetness  of  the 

admission?  " 740 


THE 

REBEL'S     DAUGHTER 

A  Story  of  Love,  Politics  and  War. 


PART    FIRST: 
LOVE'S     YOUNG     DREAM. 


J. 
A   LESSON    IN   WOODCRAFT. 

IfN  ante-belluui  days  a  heavily-laden  t'reight-wagon  rolled 
I     along  the  great  State-road  api)roaching  Brookfield  from 

■  the  East.  The  road  over  the  mountains  was  rough  in 
mountainous  parts,  not  without  steep  acclivities  ;  and  in  the 
valleys,  after  rains,  and  during  heavy  thaws,  the  mud,  both 
deep  and  tenacious,  at  times  offered  serious  impediment  to 
locomotion,  requiring  power  in  the  draft  animals  and  skill  in 
their  handhng  to  avoid  tedious  delays. 

On  that  bright  summer  day,  however,  the  stately  six  horses 
drew  the  wagon,  heavily  freighted  as  it  was,  with  perfect  ease 
along  the  level  stretch  of  road  across  Kickapoo  Prairie,  (xuided 
by  a  cunning  hand,  the  well-conditioned  animals  stepped 
nimbly  forward.  Equipped  with  whip  ;unl  line,  the  driver 
bestrode  the  saddle-horse,  not  without  a  boorish  dignity :  the 
consciousness  of  sovereign  sway  over  that  powerful,  thoroughly 
trained  team,  obeying  the  slightest  touch  of  the  line,  imparted 

(1) 


2  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

to  his  otherwise'  stolid  ft'aturcs  :i  oleaiii  of  iiiti'llii;eiHH'.  Nor 
woiihl  Ills  weathiT-taiuicMl  face  and  coinpact.  WL'U-kiiit  frame 
compare  unfavorably  with  the  lank,  gawky  youth  who  sat 
behind  him  on  the  waoon-board.  havino-  sought  shelter  there, 
undei'  the  wa^'on  cover,  from  the  fervid  rays  of  the  sun. 

The  ])aleness  of  the  latter's  Itoyish  face  betrayed  that  little 
of  sunshine  had  hitherto  fallen  to  his  lot.  llis  forehead  riv- 
alled in  whiteness  the  drillinii'  witii  which  the  wa^on  was  cov- 
ered and  which,  bleached  by  the  alternate  rain  and  shine  of 
byoone  years,  encompassed  him  like  an  aureole.  But  —  alas 
for  the  I'oinancel  —  the  picture  could  not  in  truth  be  calle(l  a 
charminu'  one:  to  a  supt-rlicial  oi)server  not  even  pathetic. 
What  it  mulely  |)roclaime(l  of  past  privation  and  unsatislied 
lonoing  miyht  be  uottMltoa  caicfiil  ol)S('r\-ei'  ol  human  nature; 
not  at  all,  lor  instance,  to  Ihe  uusophisticaled  It'anisler  on  \]\v 
saddle-horse. 

Hut  then  he  on  the  wayon-ltoard  posed  not  for  a  picture. 
He  revelled  in  bliss,  for  the  moment  unalloyed.  Care  and 
worry  he  had  left  behind  in  the  city  from  which  he  had  escaped. 
In  contrast  with  the  weariness  of  mind  and  Ixxly  lu'ousiiit  on 
by  incessant  toil,  the  sense  of  rest  and  peace  to  which  he  now 
abandoned  himself  ))e<'ame  douldy  deliijhtfnl.  .  Sweet  to  him 
was  the  fragrance  of  o-mss  and  the  perfume  of  llowei's  wafted 
on  the  soft  breeze  that  caressed  his  face.  The  profound  soli- 
tude was  enhanced  rather  than  disturbed  by  the  drowsy  creak- 
ing of  the  wagon-longue  ;  the  buzzing  of  insects,  and  the  rustling 
of  grass  :  the  scampering  of  a  timid  hare  aci'Oss  the  road,  or  the 
circling  of  a  hawk  in  dizzy  height  overhead  intensified  rather 
than  disturbed  the  restful,  silent  solitude. 

It  was  a  lovely  day.  ( )ne  of  those  perfect  days  of  Spring  or 
early  Summer,  of  which  the  climate  of  the  Southwest,  delight- 
ing to  rush  from  raw  wintry  blasts  into  enervating  Slimmer 
sultriness,  is  usually  so  sparing.  Densely  blue  the  sky  above, 
relieved  here  and  there  l)y  fleecy  clouds,  soft  and  white,  like 
cotton  bursting  from  its  boll;  bright  the  Kickapoo  Prairie  in 
festi\('  garb   below.      The   jiiicv  green   of  grass   and    herbs  liut 


m 


A   LESSON  IN    WOUDCBAFr.  3 

brighteued  the  glow  aud  color  of  tlie  wild  Uoweis  with  which 
the  prairie  was  studded.  A  playful  zephyr  teases  now  the 
laughiug  blossoms,  now  the  waving  grass,  until,  thrilled  with 
iiis  wanton  caresses,  the  verdant  blades  and  blushing  blossoms 
dance  in  merry  glee.  Swelling  anon  into  mischievous  mood, 
he  lashes  them  in  turn,  and  they  boAv  their  heads  and  toss 
about  coni2)lainingly,  changing  the  smiling  prairie  into  a  surg- 
ing ocean  of  verdure.  And  through  it  all  winds  the  dusty 
yellow  road,  not  unlike  a  gigantic  serpent  lazily  basking  in  the 
sun,  hiding  here  behind  some  tall  bush  or  shrub,  or  slinking 
away  there  out  of  sight  in  following  a  depression  in  the  ground  ; 
but  always  emerging  again  into  the  sunshine  until  it  finally 
disappears  in  the  distant  forest  that  closes  in  the  prairie. 

But  Yahkop,  the  autocrat  of  whip  and  line,  is  serenely  indif- 
ferent to  tlie  genial  mood  of  the  weather.  Tlie  charms  that 
deligiit  ills  young  friend  on  the  wagoH-))oar(I  have  a  soporific 
effect  upon  him  only.  'Die  landscape,  so  ciiarniiiig  in  its  love- 
liness to  his  young  companion,  is  to  liini  of  wearisome  monot- 
ony. The  hununing  of  insects  and  the  rustling  of  leaves  and 
grassblades  become  a  lullaby,  to  which  the  measured  pace  of 
the  horses  marks  time.  Unconsciously  he  nods  in  response  to 
the  step  of  his  saddle-horse,  as  if  the  two  held  mysterious  con- 
verse, betokening  wonderful  unanimity  by  continual  nodding 
of  tlieir  heads. 

Now  Victor,  the  young  man  in  the  wagon,  thought  highly  of 
the  capabilities  of  his  friend.  To  doubt  this  friend's  infalli- 
bility as  an  hostler  would  have  seemed  to  him  rank  treason. 
But  the  remarkable  uniformity  of  the  motion  of  the  respective 
heads  of  Yahko])  and  tiie  horse  he  was  riding  bi'ought  a  smile 
to  his  lips  ;  for,  as  the  former  bowed  lower  and  lower,  and  was 
then  suddenly  jerked  up,  only  to  repeat  the  l)obbing.  l)owing 
and  jerking,  again  aud  again,  he  could  not  ignore  the  convic- 
tion that  the  redoubtable  teamster  was  dozing  on  his  lofty 
saddle-throne.  But  i)resently  his  smile  of  amusement  gave 
way  to  an  expectant  mien.  Was  not  liere  the  opportunity  to 
uratifv  his  lonii-chci'ishcd  anibilion  to  drive  tliis  o]oi-i<nis  team 


4  THE  REBEL'S   DAUGHTER. 

of  six  all  bv  liiiiist'll'r  He  (k'tonniiu'd  lo  try  liis  luck:  Yahkop 
could  })ut  refuse  or  at  the  woi-st  lecture  liiui  for  his  audacity. 
So,  summouing  the  reiiuisite  couraue.  he  spoke  up  : 

''  Yahkop  I  "  {\\\  faultless  Kuolish  his  name  ought  to  have 
tteeu  Jacob  or  even  .Tanu's  ;  but  those  who  knew  liim  well  pre- 
ferred to  call  him,  in  deference  to  his  (German  nativity  and 
broad  brogue,  as  he  had  been  called  in  the  fatherland.) 
"  Yahko]) !  (4et  into  the  wagon  nnd  sleep!  Come:  let  me 
drive." 

At  the  U'-st  sound  ot  \'ictor"s  \<tici'.  Yahkop  suddenly 
assumed  a  bolt  upright  position  and  cracked  his  whij)  with  w 
vehemence  that  started  his  horses  into  a  lively  trot.  Then  he 
turned,  with  a  lyriskness  (juite  unusual  in  him.  toward  his  com- 
panion, and  laughed.  His  voice,  ordinarily  of  baritone  pitch, 
on  this  occasion  assumed  a  shrill  tre))le  calcidated  to  demon- 
strate the  a) (surdity  of  :tny  suspicion  that  he  might  have  l)een 
caught  napping.      ••  \'hat  r  ""  he  said.   ■•  yon  vill  drihfe?  " 

"  Yes,"  the  young  man  spoke  uj)  eagei'ly.  ••  You  get  into 
the  wagon  and  sleep.      I  will  drive  for  yon." 

A  pause.  The  teamster  pondered  deeply  the  singular  ])ropo- 
sition  of  his  young  friend.  Then.  "  Hut  you  don't  ken  drihfe," 
he  said. 

"  Oh,  yes,  1  can,"  the  youth  replied,  parading  a  confidence 
which  he  did  not  feel.  ''  1  have  seen  you  at  it  so  often,  that  it 
would  be  funny  if  I  could  not  do  it  too." 

Another  pause  and  a  dubious  shake  of  the  head.  "  I  dou't 
b'lief  you  ken  drihfe,"  he  grumbled,  rather  to  himself,  how- 
ever. Presently  a  cunning  expression  spread  over  his  physi- 
ognomy, as  he  turned  t<i  his  comrade  and  asked:  "  Veil,  how 
you  mek  tshee  ?  ' ' 

"  Gee?  "  Victor  repeated  in  blank  astonishment.  ••  What 
is  gee  ? ' ' 

Yahkop  enjoyed  the  success  of  his  shrewd  expedient  im- 
mensely. ''Ho  hoi  "  he  laughed,  ''you  vill  drihfe,  und 
don't  ken  mek  tshei' I  "  Then  he  continued  his  catechising  : 
"  I'ud  how  you  mek  hah? 


A    f.HSSO.V   I\    WOOlJChWFT.  ^ 

But  the  youth  was  auaiii  drivcu  to  coutess  his  io-norance.  and 
auain  the  cuiiiiiuii-  ti'anister  vojoicecl.  After  a  brief  pause  he 
inquired:    •■  \'ell,  how  you  mek  de  hosses  go  riji'ht?  " 

•■  I  know  I  "  was  tlie  eao-er  rejily.  -'You  give  two  jerks 
with  the  line,  and  tiie  lead  iiorsc  will  turn  to  the  I'iiiht." 

"  Hni  —  yahs.  ish  sol  "'  saiil  Yahkop.  nodding  oravely. 
••  Uud  how  you  mek  de  hosses  o-o  left? 

•'  This  way.'"  |)roni|)tly  responded  \'ietor.  ilhistratiuii-  the 
motion  with  arm  and  hand.  ••  Yon  pull  the  line  steadily  until 
the  leader  has  turned  as  far  to  the  left  as  you  want  him.'" 

"■  Hm,  yahs,"  with  much  nodding.  "  You  pull  mit  der 
line,  uud  dat  ish  tshee  :  uud  you  tsherk  mit  der  line,  uud  dat 
ish  hah."  And  the  ignoranee  of  Victor  as  to  so  simple  a 
matter  as  gee  and  hah  struck  him  as  so  funny,  that  he  gave 
vent  to  a  renewed  lit  of  laughter,  emphasizing  his  own  superior 
knowledge  by  adding:  "  Und  you  vill  drihfe  uud  don't  ken 
mek  tshee  und  hah  I  I'nd  yon  l)een  longer  in  dis  kundree 
OSS  1 !  " 

'•  But  one  does  not  learn  such  things  in  a  city,  at  least  not 
in  a  bake  shop."  The  answer  came  in  tones  of  regret,  as  if 
Victor  wished  to  apologize  for  his  lamentable  ignorance. 

'•  Uud  you  don't  ken  learn  it  in  der  shcool.  too."  said  Yah- 
kop. mollified  by  Victor's  apologetic  voice.  ••  Ven  you  will 
lern  somedings,  you  must  do  it.  Ven  you  lerus  it  in  der 
shcool,  you  don't  ken  do  it." 

'•  But  I  have  not  been  to  school  much,  either,"  Victor 
enlightened  his  friend.  "Three  or  four  years,  hardly:  and 
in  a  public  school,  at  that." 

••  Plenty  shcool  fur  der  packwoots."  was  Yahkop's  opinion, 
emphatically  expressed.  ••  Und  more  oss  der  packwoots 
beeple  got,  vhat  ve  vill  see."  With  this  he  vacated  his  saddle. 
and  said,  beckoning  the  young  man  to  mount.  •■  now  show  how 
you  ken  drihfe." 

Victor  complied  with  alacrity,  leaping  from  his  seat  to  the 
tongue  of  the  wagon,  and  climbing  thence  into  the  saddle.  He 
took   whip   and   line   in  either  hand,  and  prepared  to  show  off. 


b  THE    UEUKL'S    DAUL^UTEll. 

Nothing  could  be  easier ;  tlie  excellently  trained  animals 
obeyed  as  readily,  as  if  a  more  experienced  hand  had  hold  of 
the  line.  He  turned  to  the  right,  then  to  the  left;  he  brought 
the  horses  to  a  halt,  and  started  them  again  —  just  as  the 
skeptical  teamster  demanded.  The  latter  seemed  well  [)leased 
with  the  result  of  the  investigation,  and  prepared  to  retire 
into  the  interior  of  the  wagon,  to  seek  Avhat  comfort  he  might 
upon  the  boxes  and  barrels  composing  the  freight. 

P^irst,  however,  he  strictly  charged  the  iieAvly  installed  driver 
to  be  very  careful  in  the  handling  of  the  horses.  "  1  let  you 
drihfe,  now,"  he  said  in  a  soleniu  voice.  "  Und  you  teks 
care  —  uudershtand ^  Und  you  don't  mek  no  foolishness  mit 
der  bosses  —  undershtand?  You  drihfes  shteddy  :  und  you 
looks  on  der  road,  und  you  don't  vi})  der  bosses  —  under- 
shtand r  Und  ven,  in  'bout  a'  hour  odder  dree  quarter,  der 
hill  gums,  odder  veu  somedings  else  gums,  und  you  don't 
undershtand,  you  shtops,  und  lioUcr  nie  —  underslitand  ? 
Now,  drihfe  on  I  " 

Of  course,  A'ictor  readily  |)n)niisc<l  lull  conipliauce  witli  all 
that  was  (leuiandi'd  of  him.  for  he  burned  witli  anxiety  to  as- 
sume su|)reme  conunand  of  the  glorious  team.  All  went  well. 
Proud  as  a  king,  —  happier,  perchance  —  he  sat  on  his  leather 
throne,  flourishing  his  whip  for  a  scepter  and  ruling  his  ol)e- 
dient  subjects  by  means  of  the  line  with  sovereign  caprice. 
Well  might  the  sober  leader  be  puzzled,  why  he  was  not  per- 
mitted to  keep  eitlier  tlie  right  or  the  left,  or  yet  the  middle  of 
the  road,  but  nuist  descril)e  a  zigzag  between  the  two  sides: 
he  obeyed  with  stolid  indifference  each  contradictory  command 
as  conveyed  to  him  by  the  magic  line,  and  kept  his  peace,  as 
became  a  loyal  subject.  In  like,  manner  the  other  horses 
followed  their  leader;  and  even  Uncas,  the  faithful  watchdog, 
trotted  serenely  alongside,  with  lolling  tongue,  not  even  a  wag 
of  his  tail  betraying  astonishment  at  the  new  ruler  in  the 
saddle. 

When  the  team  had  reached  the  conttnes  of  the  prairie,  the 
road   became   narrower,   and  shorter  curves    appeared.     This 


.1  ij'jssox  /x  W()()/)(/:.\Fr.  / 

gave  \'ict()r  new  pli'iismr  ;  lor  wliiU'  he  li.-id  liitlicilo  loiiud  no 
oecasion  lo  use  citluT  line  or  \vhi|),  tlic  lioi'scs  now  must  1h' 
guided,  to  avoid  bad  pliuH's  in  the  road,  or  liciv  and  tlu'ic  a 
stump  projecting  into  it.  iciidi-ring  necessary  the  use  not  only 
of  the  line.  Imt  nlso  of  tiu'  bridle  of  tiie  horse  lu-  \v:is  liding. 
Yahkop  was  still  snoring  lustily,  when  \'ictor  peiceived  what 
appeared  to  him  tolte  si  stee])  declivity  of  the  road,  and  regret- 
fully prepared  to  alxlicMte  his  l»rief  authority.  Hut  he  soon 
discovered  that  the  descent  was  not  nearly  so  steej)  as  he  had 
at  first  imagined.  He  hesitnted :  the  road  was  in  good  con- 
dition: the  horses  had  hitherto  promptly  responded  to  every 
indication  given  with  the  line  —  Avhat  need  was  there  to  dis- 
tnrl)  his  comrade's  sAveet  sluml)er? 

While  he  was  still  hesitating,  the  horses  had  reached  the 
brow  of  the  declivity,  and  stood  suddenly  still,  of  their  OAvn 
accord.  What  did  this  mean?  ^'ictor  was  puzzled.  He  i"e- 
memliered  that  Yahkop  had  sometimes  permitted  the  horses  to 
rest  at  particularly  I'ough  places  of  the  road:  but  that  had 
always  l)een  when  traveling  np  hill,  and  the  horses,  just  now- 
seemed  hardlv  tired.  Again  he  was  nboiit  to  cnll  on  Yidikop. 
and  again  he  hesitated  and  timidly  signalled  the  animals  to 
start.  But  he  was  more  than  ever  surprised  by  the  promjjf- 
ness  with  which  tlu'v  olieved  and  the  vigor  with  which  they 
pulled.  The  im[)etus  they  imparted  to  the  wagon  wns  so  for- 
cible, that  the  rear  horses  were  jnished  into  a  brisk  trot,  and 
the  whole  team  accelerated  their  pace.  The  descent  was  gained 
in  a  brief  inoment,  and  \'ictor,  really  frighteneil  now.  called 
frantically  on  the  teamster  for  hel[). 

When  Yahkop.  I'oused  by  the  cries,  scraml)le(l  to  the  front 
of  the  wagon,  the  whole  team  was  rushing  down  hill  with  alarm- 
ing speed.  ••  Lick  der  ol'f-hoss^an  hart  lick  1  "'  he  cried  in  a 
voice  of  thnnder;  for  his  ex])erienced  eye  detected  dtinger  in  a 
direction  not  visible  to  Victoi'. 

So  impressive  and  urgent  weri'  Yahkop's  lone  and  manner. 
that  Victor  was  spurred  into  innnediate  action.  Unfortunately, 
he  had  not  the  remotest  idea  which  was  the  off-horse  :  but  it  was 


8  THE   EEBKL'S   DAI  UHTEH. 

evident   lo   him   that   lie   wns   expected  to  strike  a  blow,  and  so 
lie  sti'iiek  at  random,  and  il  lell  on  the  saddle-horse. 

Tile  effect  was  disastrous.  N'ictor  had  used  the  wliip  witli 
vio-or,  if  not  with  judgment,  and  caused  the  horse  wliich  he 
was  riding  to  make  a  sndcU'n  leap  forward,  which  Yahko])  liad 
intended  the  other  horse  to  make,  and  thus  precipitated  the 
catastrophe  which  the  teamster  had  meant  to  avert.  There 
was  a  crash.  The  wagon-tongue  was  hurled  to  the  right  with 
such  violence  as  to  dash  both  the  rear  horses  to  the  ground, 
and  Victor  was  flung  headlong  out  on  the  road. 

Yahkop  had  leaped  from  the  wagon  with  astonishing  celerity 
and  assisted  the  fallen  horses  to  regain  their  feet.  They  snorted 
and  tri'iiililed  with  fear:  hut  his  (juick  eye  soon  assured  him 
that  they  had  sustained  no  serious  injury.  A  few  caresses  and 
soothing  expressions  sufficed  to  quiet  them.  The  other  horses 
had  stood  still  of  their  own  accord,  and  neither  they  nor  the 
wagon  showed  any  indication  of  damage.  Having  satisfied 
himself  in  this  respect,  Yahkop  found  time  to  look  around  for 
the  unlucky  youth,  who  stood  there  the  picture  of  consterna- 
tion and  anxiety,  his  clothes  covered  with  dust,  surveying  the 
contusion  produced  Ity  his  imprudence.  For  him,  the  irate 
teamsti'r  had  neither  caresses  nor  sootiiing  words.  His  eyes 
l)lazed  with  wi'ath.  He  was  angered  l)eyond  measure  at  the 
thoughtlessness  of  the  boy,  and  at  the  flagrant  violation  of  the 
l)eremptory  orders  he  had  given  him :  his  wrath  heightened  not 
a  little  by  the  consciousness  of  his  own  imprudence  in  com- 
mitting the  team  to  the  inexperienced  hands  of  the  young  lad. 
He  sought  relief  for  his  overcharged  feelings  in  a  Ihxxl  of 
invectives  sucli  as  \'ictor  had  never  listened  to  before. 

'•  Vy  in  Dunder  you  lick  der  sattle-hoss  ven  I  tells  you  lick 
der  off-lioss.  hey?"  he  burst  out.  ••  You  don't  ken  der  off- 
hoss,  hey  r   und  you  don't  ken  der  sattle-hoss?  " 

Victor  was  disarmed.  He  stood  with  downcast  eyes,  saying 
not  a  word  in  defense  or  justification. 

"•  Und  vy  in  Dunder  you  don't  holler  me  ven  der  hill  gums. 
lie\- ?  "    he   continued  savagelv.      •■  Don't  I  tell  you,  holler  me 


A   A/;.S'6'0.V  IN    WOUDLHAFr.  'J 

veil  (lev  hill  onms,  hey?  I'lid  vy  in  DuikIcm-  you  don't  shtop. 
nnd  holler  ine  ven  der  hill  oiinis  ?  " 

A  olow  of  shame  eolored  Victor's  cheeks.  He  felt  the 
rebuke  to  be  just,  and  had  nothincr  to  say. 

••  I'nd  vy  in  Dunder  you  drihfe  down  der  hill  niit  a  owick- 
ness  like  you  vill  o()  to  der  hell,  hey?  Mit  six  hosses  und 
tiftig  huudert  pound  in  der  vaggen.  hey?  Und  vy  in  Dunder 
you  drihfe  down  der  hill  und  got  no  shoes  on,  hey?  " 

"  Shoes?  "  Victor  inquired  in  utter  bewilderment,  casting  a 
wondering  glance  at  the  covering  of  his  feet,  and  then  at  his 
interlocutor. 

"•  Yahs,  shoes!  "  thundered  the  teamster.  ''  Vy  you  don't 
put  der  shoes  on  ven  you  drihfe  down  der  hill  mit  fiftig  hundert 
pound  in  der  vaggen?  " 

"  But  I  had  my  shoes  on,"  said  Victor,  in  meek  astonish- 
ment at  this  strange  accusation. 

''  Your  shoes!  "  screamed  Yahkop,  a  curious  mingling  of 
anger,  sarcasm  and  amusement  working  in  his  features. 
•'Who  talks  'liout  yovr  shoes!  I  don't  talk  'bout  yovr 
shoes;  I  talk  'bout  der  vaggen  shoes,  der  lock-shoes  —  desf 
shoes!  "  And  he  pointed  to  the  irons  hanging  on  either  side 
of  the  wagon,  attached  to  strong  chains,  and  intended  to  serve 
as  drags  in  descending  steep  places,  at  the  same  time  locking  the 
hind  wheels  and  protecting  the  tires  against  ruinous  friction. 

A  sudden  gleam  of  light  burst  in  upon  the  bcAvildered  boy. 
This,  then,  was  the  secret  why  the  sagacious  animals  had 
halted  on  the  brow  of  the  descent, —they  had  meant  to  give 
him  time  t*)  lock  the  wheels  :  and  he  had  so  stupidly  failed  to 
understand  them.  This,  too,  explained  their  vigorous  pull  on 
starting  again  !  He  felt  deeply  humiliated.  But  he  must  not 
permit  Yahkop  to  believe  that  he  had  wantonly  invited  the 
danger.  "  I  did  not  believe  the  descent  to  be  either  steep  or 
long,"  he  said  meekly.  ••  And  I  forgot  about  locking  the 
wheels." 

"  Yahs!  "  growled  the  teamster,  ••  you  tingks  you  drihfe  a 
babv-vaggen  mit  ooats  f)n  :i  waxt  floor  I  " 


10  THE   llEHKi:^   DAUGIITEIL 

Presently  he  continued  in  a  nioie  moderate  voice,  "'  Now  you 
I'un  der  vag^en  in  der  mire,  now  you  j)ull  'iin  out  I  " 

Yahkop  examined  the  .situation.  The  waaou  had  l)een  run 
against  an  oak  of  consideral)k'  size,  hy  tliat  unlucky  lick  given 
to  tlic  wrong  liorsc.  and  \\\v  iiuestion  Mas  liow  to  get  clear  of 
it.  It  was  wedged  in  hi'twccii  the  right  lore-wheel  and  tiie 
tongue,  and  so  violent  liad  lieen  the  collision,  that  the  trace- 
chains  had  snapped  like  glass.  ■•  \'liat  ve  go  do  now  ?  "  he 
asked    witli  a  scowl. 

\'ictoi-  coidd  give  no  ini'orniation.  The  striking  I'esults  of 
his  skill  in  driving  had  quite  exhausted  his  scanty  stock  of 
self-assurance.  Nevertheless,  since  an  answer  was  evidently 
expected  of  him,  he  timidly  suggested  :  *•  Could  we  not  hitch 
the  horses  on  Itehind  and  haul  away  tlie  wagon?  " 

'"Vliatl  Putt  der  vaggen  liefore  der  hoss  ?  Ain't  you 
shmart  I  "  said  Vahko]),  with  profound  contempt.  But  lie 
nevei'theiess  walked  straightway  to  the  rear,  as  if  to  ascertain 
the  feasil)ility  of  the  plan  suggested.  An  emphatic  shaking  of 
the  head  soon  sliowed  liis  companion  that  it  found  no  favor  in 
Yahko|)'s  eyes.  ■•  Der  hosses  don't  ken  ])ull  l»ehind."  he 
announced,  and  walked  round  to  the  front  again,  wiiere  the 
pi'ospect  was  equally  unpromising. 

^'  Could  we  not  unload  the  goods,  and  then  draw  away  the 
empty  wagon?  "     Victor  once  more  ventured  to  intimate. 

The  answer  came  i)romi)tly,  and  quite  as  Victor  had  expected. 
"  Yaiis,"  the  teamster  sneered,  "  mehliy  ve  trow  out  der  goots. 
I'nd  who  go  trow  'em  in  again  den?  You  go  trow  a  hoxett  in 
der  vago'en  uiit  half  tousend  pound?  You  eat  moi'e  ]iacon 
und  corn-bret  fust,  ven  yon  do  dat." 

"  Some  people  may  ])ass.  wlio  will  he  willing  to  help  us," 
^'ictor  suggested. 

'•You  shust  vissle  fur  'em  1  "  Yahkoj)  gi'owled.  He  had 
not  yet  recovered  his  temper. 

Victor  ventiiretl  no  more  suggestions.  •■  If  only  that  tree 
were  out  of  the  way  I  "  lie  sighed,  in  hoj)eless  dejection. 

••  Dunderation  I  "   cried   Yahkop:   ''dat  ish  der  ting.     Ven 


^1    LESSON   IN    WOODCRAFT.  H 

(ler  vago\'ii  (.loii't  ou  out  dcr  tree's  vay.  den  der  tice  li'o  oiil  der 
vaggen's  vay.      Ken  aou  cliop  niit  der  axt  ? 

Yalikoj)".-;  voiee  had  sounded  so  much  less  aerinionious.  thai 
\'ietor  felt  orcntly  relievi-d.  Adniittinu' that  he  had  never  done 
any  work  in  tliat  line,  he  tliouiilil  that  he  could  easily  do  it. 
and  inquired  eauvrly  whether  lu-  was  to  chop  down  the   tree. 

A  curious  expression  llitte<l  across  Yahkop's  face.  II  was 
not  a  "■enuine  smile,  nor  even  a  i>rin.  that  found  lodi>inent  in 
it  :  hut  a  sly.  tliouoh  not  ill-natured  suo-oestion  of  triumph 
disj)laced  the  ano-ry  scowl  that  had  hitherto  dwelt  there. 
•■  Yahs,""  he  said.  ■•  <iit  dev  axt  and  choj)  down  der  dree.  I'nd 
don't  you  oo  do  it  too  ywick." 

Victor  went  to  work  Avith  great  alacrity.  Ilioh  he  swuiio; 
the  ax.  and  weiuhty  lilows  he  struck  the  doomed  oak.  Deep 
in  the  trunk  he  Imried  the  *ilitterino-  Idade,  so  that  it  cost  him 
quite  an  effort  to  dislodoe  it  after  every  hlow.  But  it  required 
many  strokes  l)efore  he  even  chipped  off  a  piece  of  l>ark  :  he- 
cause  he  never  struck  twice  at  the  same  place.  Pausino-.  pres- 
ently, to  wipe  the  persj)iration  from  his  face,  he  was  dismaye<l 
to  lind  what  little  in'ogress  hi'  had  made.  Yahkop  watched  him 
complacently.  Finally,  a  broad  grin  liohted  up  his  face  as  he 
said.  ••  (tuui.  Fictor.  let  me  try.  You  ken  drihfe  more  better 
OSS  chop  drees.  You  chop  so  o-wick,  oss  a  new  dree  grows  u[) 
before  dis  dree  falls  down." 

Ashamed  of  his  lack  of  skill  in  even  so  rude  an  accomjilish- 
ment  as  chopping  trees.  Victor  yielded  the  ax  as  readily  as  he 
had  taken  it  uj),  and  his  sturdy  comrade  went  to  work  with  a  will. 
He  had  better  success;  the  chips  tlew  merrily  in  all  directions. 
But  the  oak  against  which  he  essayed  his  power  was  a  stately 
tree.  More  than  a  hundred  snnnners  had  contributed  to  its 
groAvth  :  the  storms  of  more  than  a  hnntlred  winters  had  wrestled 
with  it,  achieving  no  greater  things  against  it,  than  to  despoil 
it  of  its  annual  cro[»  of  leaves  and  acorns.  And  very  soon 
Yahkop,  too,  ])ansed  in  his  work,  to  breathe  and  wipe  his  fore- 
head, and  to  look  with  dismay  upon  the  insignilicance  of  the 
work  he  had  accomplished. 


12  THK   REBEL'S  DAVGHTKU. 

Before  he  resumed,  the  rumlih^  of  an  approaching  vehick' 
was  heard,  which  soon  emerged  from  the  woods  and  proved  to 
be  a  light  and  elegant,  though  strongly  built  traveling  wagon, 
drawn  liy  a  span  of  line  horses.  The  reins  were  in  the  hands 
of  a  rather  tall,  somewhat  sparely  built  man  of  middle  age, 
who  occupied  the  front  seat.  Another  ligure  was  discernible 
in  the  interior  of  the  wagon,  but  so  deeply  shaded  by  the 
leather  covering  of  the  vehicle,  that  Victor  could  not  plainly 
make  it  out.  Having  reached  the  scene  of  Victor's  late  exploit, 
the  gentleman  halted  his  horses  and  exclaimed  : 

'"  Why  halloo,  friend  Yahkop  !  What  in  the  world  are  you 
doing  here?     You  don't  mean  to  camp  so  early  in  the  day?  " 

•*  No,  Kernel  May,"  said  Yahkop  laconically.  '' Not  ven 
I  not  must." 

''Aha  I  "  cried  the  stranger,  whom  Yahkop  addressed  as 
Colonel  May.  •■  1  see  what  is  up.  You  have  run  against  a 
tree?  " 

"  Y'ahs,"  the  teamster  admitted,  with  an  indifferent  attemjit 
at  a  smile.      '•  Ind  I  vish  it  vas  down." 

'•  A  thing  that  will  not  happen  very  soon  if  you  don't  do 
better  work  than  this."  the  gentleman  observed,  the  smile  upon 
his  face  giving  it,  as  Victor  thought,  a  very  winning  expression. 
"  But  how,  in  the  name  of  mischief,  could  such  a  thing  happen 
to  you,  who  are  known  as  the  best  driver  between  the  city  and 
Brook  field?  " 

"  So:  "  said  the  teamster,  his  face  aglow  with  pleasure  over 
the  compliment  to  his  skill;  "I  got  a  new  drihfer,  und  he 
found  a  new  vay  to  Brooktield,  und  der  new  vay  go  across  der 
dree."  A  slight  shrug  of  his  shoulder  in  the  direction  of 
Victor  sei'ved  to  indicate  who  the  new  drivei-  was.  and  a  cun- 
ning grin  accompanied  the  joke. 

Colonel  May  glanced  at  Victor,  who  blushed  with  pleasure. 
The  gentleman  in  the  carriage  possessed  a  strong  fascination 
for  him.  And  the  blush  deepened  when  the  stranger  asked 
Yahkop  to  introduce  him  to  the  young  man. 

"  Dis    ish    my   new  drihfer,"   said  Yahkop,   winking  slyly. 


A    LE,SSOy  m    WOODCRAFT.  13 

••  He  go  slitoi-ckipptT  tiirold  man  N'aii  HraakiMi  :  iiiid  liis  iiaiiic 
i.sh  Fictor  mil  liis  t'l-ont  name,  mid  W'aldhorst  mil  liis  name 
l)ehint.'" 

"  Well,  youug  man,"  saitl  the  straiioer.  with  a  gi-acious 
l»()\v  and  a  smile  that  completely  won  Vietor'.s  heart.  "  it  seems 
to  nie  that  1  have  heard  of  you  before.  My  friend,  the  Myn- 
heer Van  Braaken,  informed  me  that  he  expects  a  young  gen- 
tleman from  the  city  to  assist  him  as  salesman  in  his  extensive 
establishment.  I  trust  that  you  may  like  our  people  when 
you  get  to  know  them,  and  I  bid  you  welcome  as  a  new 
neighbor." 

The  friendly  greeting  delighted  Victor,  but  he  was  at  a  sad 
loss  to  know  what  to  do  or  say.  While  in  the  act  of  imitating 
the  bow  he  had  seen  Colonel  May  exe(nite.  a  lovely  head 
Imbbed  out  of  the  carriage  and  a  maiden's  silvery  voice 
resounded  in  merry  laughter. 

C'Olonel  May  regarded  the  young  lady  with  a  rebuking  glance. 
Luabashed,  however,  she  cHmbed  into  the  front  seat  by  his 
side,  and  said,  as  soon  as  her  fit  of  laughter  subsided,  ••  Oh. 
l)apa,  he  is  such  a  funny  gentleman  !  And  it  must  be  so  droll 
to  hear  him,  and  Yahkop,  and  Mr.  Van  Braaken  talk  gibberish 
in  the  Dutch  store  I  ' ' 

"  Do  not  mind  the  child's  silly  talk,  Mr.  Waldhorst,"  said 
the  Colonel.  •'  But  let  me  introduce  you  to  my  daughter 
Eleonora,  whom  we  call  Nellie  for  short.  You  have  probably 
heard  our  friend  Yahkop  call  me  May.  Xellie.  my  child,  this 
is  Mr.  Waldhorst,  who  is  to  be  our  neighbor  soon." 

Victor  had  never  lieen  introduced  to  a  lady  audAvas  painfully 
conscious  of  his  profound  ignorance  how  to  behave  on  the 
occasion.  To  be  sure.  Miss  Xellie  was  not  a  grown  up  lady  : 
l)ut  then  this  consideration  by  no  means  lessened  the  embar- 
rassment of  the  awkward  boy,  for  the  self-possession  of  the 
damsel  impressed  him  all  the  more,  perhaps,  on  that  account. 
Blushing  to  the  roots  of  his  hair,  he  mechanically  repeated  the 
motions  through  which  he  had  gone  in  imitation  of  the  Colonel's 
bow,  and  did  this  in  so  original  a  manner,  that  the  voung  ladv 


14  THE   BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

found  it  difficult  to  resist  a  new  outburst  of  merriment.  Mind- 
ful of  paj^a's  reproachful  glance,  however,  she  bravely  con- 
quered the  temptation  and  extended  her  hand  with  so  winning- 
a  smile,  that  \'ict<M'  was  charmed  out  of  what  little  presence  of 
mind  was  left  to  him.  There  was  no  misunderstanding  that 
inviting  gesture,  however ;  so  he  stepped  boldly  forward  and 
seized  the  dainty  lingers,  carrying  them,  on  an  unconscious 
impulse  of  galhintry,  to  his  lips. 

The  hand  was  (piickly  withdrawn.  IJut  she  said,  in  the 
sweetest  voice  tliat  ^'ictor  thought  he  had  ever  lieard.  ••  I  am 
very  glad,  Mr.  Waldhorst,  to  make  your  acipiaintauce,  and 
that  we  are  to  be  neighliors.  You  must  come  and  see  us  right 
soon." 

•'  May  I  ?  "  he  iiuiuired  with  an  eagerness  that  left  no  doubt 
as  to  the  sincerity  of  his  pleasure  on  receiving  the  invitation. 

••  Why  of  course,""  slu-  I'cpUcd.  looking  al  liim  as  if  wonder- 
ing :it  the  ([uestion.  and  then  ;id(le(I  :  ■•  And  you  pardon  my 
rudeness,  do  you  not  ? 

\'ietor  was  in  a  mood  in  which  he  would  gladly  have  |i:ii'- 
doned  any  crime  the  young  lady  could  have  connnitted,  and 
was  on  the  point  of  telling  her  so.  when  it  occurred  to  him, 
that  to  grant  a  ])ardon  presu])posed  an  offense,  and  he  could 
not  couscientiously  admit  that  he  had  been  offended,  (^nite 
the  contrary:  he  had  never  lieen  so  sweetly  charmed,  as  when 
he  heard  liis  fidl  name,  coupled  with  the  title  ••  iNIister  '"  pro- 
nounced by  her  rosy  lips.  So  he  answered,  with  a  diplomacy 
quite  foreign  to  his  nature:  •'  If  J  had  anything  to  forgive,  I 
would  gladly  do  so  for  the  pleasure  of  hearing  you  laugh  as 
you  did  a  while  ago." 

Victor  had  innnediate  reward  for  his  gallantry  :  for  she. 
1hu->  encouraged,  indulged  herself  in  an  unchecked  peal  of 
nuisical  merriment,  before  she  exclaimed,  ••Yon  aic  indeed  a 
droll  young  man,  JMr.  Waldhorst." 

'•  He  has  given  you  an  example  of  courtesy  worthy  of  imita- 
tion," said  the  Colonel.  Then  seeing  that  Yahko])  had  resumed 
his  laborious  task,  he  tnriiecl  to  him,  saying:    ••  Hut  our  friend 


c 


:iQ 


A  LESSON  IN    WOODCRAFT.  15 

here  needs  a  lesson  in  wood-em  ft.  This  is  an  ar(  upon  which 
we  in  the  t)!U'k-woo(ls  pride  ourselves."  ^^'ith  these  words  he 
threw  the  reins  to  his  daughter  and  leaped  to  the  ground. 
Divesting  himself  of  his  coat,  he  took  the  ax  from  Yahkop's 
hand.  '*  You  are  making  sorry  work  of  this,"  he  said.  •'  if 
you  go  on  in  this  way,  the  tree,  Avhen  you  get  it  down,  will 
(jbstruct  the  course  of  the  wagon.  IJesides,  you  must  do  bet- 
ter than  this  with  the  ax."  —  pointing  to  the  Jagged,  irregular 
opening  that  had  been  cut  into  the  trunk  of  the  tree —  ••  if 
you  don't  want  to  be  laughed  at  by  our  backwoodsmen." 

]ioth  \'ictor  and  Yalikop  were  astonished  to  see  with  what 
ease  and  dexterity  he  swung  the  ax ;  the  blows  fell  rajjidly  and 
with  a  precision  which  i)roduced  a  perfectly  even,  smooth  sur- 
face of  ))otli  edges  of  the  triangular  section  he  cut  into  the 
trunk.  Even  the  chips  which  his  swift  strokes  dislodged,  were 
larger  and  more  reguhir  than  those  that  Yahkop  had  ])rodiUK'd. 
Presently  hemotioniMl  his  daughter  to  drive  a  little  further 
down  the  hill,  so  as  to  l)e  out  of  danger  from  the  tailing  tree, 
ill  case  it  should  come  down  in  an  unforeseen  direction,  and 
induced  Yahko])  and  Victor  to  remove  the  wagon  horses  also, 
to  make  sure  against  an  accident. 

A  few  more  weighty  l)lows,  and  the  tree  swayed  slowly  from 
side  to  side,  as  if  making  ready  for  the  tumble  ;  then  the  crown 
inclined  majestically  toward  his  brethren  of  the  forest,  main- 
taining his  dignity  to  the  last.  A  loud  crash  now  spoke  his 
angry  protest  against  the  violence  done  him  :  then  accelerated 
downward  movement,  renewed  crashing,  a  hissing  of  the  leaves 
and  twigs  as  they  were  forced  through  the  air,  and  the  giant 
lay  prostrate.  It  had  fallen  precisely  as  indicated  by  the 
Colonel,  and  the  road  was  clear  for  the  wagon  to  pass  on. 

Yahkop  approached  the  Colonel,  who  leant  upon  the  ax  and 
complacently  regarded  the  result  of  his  Avork.  They  shook 
hands,  and  Yahko[)  was  al)0ut  to  say  something  in  acknowl- 
edgment of  the  valual)le  aid  received  from  him,  when  the 
Colonel  interrupted  : 

"Spare  your  words,  my  friend.     (Jim  neighbor  nuist  always 


16 


THE  BE  BEL'S   DAUGHTEE. 


be  ready  to  assist  another  l)y  any  such  trivial  service  as  this. 
Besides,  you  know,  1  am  a  candidate.  If  you  want  to  do  me 
a  particular  favor,  you  may  vote  for  me  for  Congress  at  the 
next  election,  if  it  don't  go  against  your  conscience." 

"I  bet  chew  I  "  the  teamster  exclaimed,  shaking  the  Colonel 
vigorously  by  the  hand.  •'  Und  I  licks  all  mine  friends  vhat 
don't  go  wote  fur  you,  ebery  times." 

Victor  looked  about  for  the  carriage  with  the  young  lady  : 
it  was  gone.  He  ran  out  into  the  road,  to  see:  there,  some 
distance  down,  where  there  was  a  curve  in  the  road,  he  saw  the 
vehicle,  the  horses  running  with  frantic  speed. 

"Colonel — your  daughter  I  "  he  cried,  turning  deadly 
pale.     Then  he  ran,  as  he  had  never  run  before. 


II. 

ONE    OF    THE    F.  F.  V.    OUT    WEST. 

IN  the  viilli'v  iipprotu-luMl  Ity  the  road  ran  a  creek  of  eon- 
siderable    size,   which,   after    the    heavy  rains  sometimes 

■  experienced  in  this  latitude,  assumed  the  proportions  of  a 
lively  river,  to  cros^  which  safely  it  was  necessary  to  And  some 
place  known  as  a  reliable  ford. 

To  reach  such  a  ford,  the  road  led  asi(,U'  from  its  direct 
course  up  the  creek  for  some  distance,  until  the  ford  was 
reacheil.  and  on  the  other  side  retracino-  its  course  alonu'  the 
creek  to  a  point  almost  opjjosite  the  ])lace  where  the  detonr 
beoan.  Much  of  the  l)cnd  so  descril)ed  was  visible  from  the 
elevation  where  the  travelers  had  met. 

Colonel  May,  the  moment  his  attention  had  l)een  called  to 
the  dauo-er  of  his  dauo-hter,  mounted  that  one  of  Yahkop's 
horses  which,  after  a  swift  glance  at  them  all,  he  judged  to  be 
the  fleetest,  and  dashed  down  the  road  at  the  top  of  his  speed. 
Victor  had  dashed  off  in  a  different  direction.  Surmising  that 
the  frightened  horses  would  in  their  flight  keep  to  the  road, 
he  plunged  through  the  woods  down  a  steep  descent,  making  a 
bee-line  for  the  nearest  part  of  the  road  on  the  other  side  of 
the  creek,  which  he  hoped  to  reach  lief  ore  the  horses,  because 
he  thus  cut  off  the  great  detour  described  by  the  road  in 
the  shape  of  a  horse-shoe.  To  l)e  sure,  the  declivity  Avas 
very  steep  on  the  line  in  which  he  ran,  and  dense  brush 
and  underwood  often  rendered  his  progress  difflcult  :  but 
he  was  swift  of  foot,  and  the  ol»stacles  in  his  way  only 
lired  his  zeal.  On  reaching  tlu'  valley,  the  road  again  be- 
came visil)le  and  the  sight  of  the  runaway  horses,  having 
l)y  this  time  crossed  the  creek,  and  tearing  down  the  road 
with    terrific    speed,    spurred    him   to    renewecl    cnergv.      Hav- 

(17) 


i'S  THE  BEBEL'S   DAUGHTER. 

ing  reachfd  the  creek,  he  plunged  iu  without  a  moment's 
hesitation.  The  water  was  deeper  than  he  had  calculated: 
after  pressing  forward  a  few  steps,  it  reached  to  his  armpits, 
and  the  strong  current  carried  him  a  considerable  distance 
down  stream.  But  he  did  not  lose  his  footing,  and  soon 
gained  the  other  shore.  On  dry  land  again,  he  rushed  onward, 
and  reached  the  I'oad  as  he  had  hoped,  before  the  runaways 
had  passed.  He  placed  himself  directly  in  their  way.  stretch- 
ing out  both  arms  to  intercept  them.  Of  course,  he  failed  to 
stop  them  ;  but  their  endeavor  to  avoid  him  —  one  of  them 
pulling  to  the  one,  the  other  to  the  other  side  of  him  —  lessened 
their  speed  considerably.  As  they  came  within  reach,  Victor 
seized  the  bridle  of  either  horse,  one  in  each  hand,  and  hung 
on  with  liis  whole  weight.  He  was  quickly  lifted  from  off  his 
feet  by  the  rcai'ing  animals,  and  dragged  along  by  them  ;  but 
as  he  held  on  with  iron  grip,  lie  })resently  regained  his  foot- 
hold. His  efforts  were  seconded  by  a  strong  pull  on  the  lines 
from  within  the  carriage  :  and  it  was  not  long  before  the  ani- 
mals were  conquered,  and  stood,  trembling  and  snorting  with 
fear,  but  reduced  to  obedience  once  more. 

Victor  likewise  stood  trembliDg  and  panting.  The  exertion 
liad  been  well-nigh  too  much  for  him.  His  heart  beat  in  violent 
throbs.  Ills  lnvast  heaved  with  a  vehemence  that  seemed  to 
shake  his  body  to  pieces.  But  a  triumphant  smile  lit  up  his 
features,  and  became  an  eloquent  substitute  for  the  words 
which  his  agitation  prevented  him  from  uttering,  as  he  stepped 
around  to  make  his  bow  before  the  young  lady.  She  sat 
quietly,  lier  little  hands  still  holding  the  reins  firmly;  her  face 
a  shade  paler  than  was  natural  to  her.  but  otherwise  cool  and 
self-possessed.  If  she  had  been  really  frightened  or  excited, 
Victor  could  see  no  trace  of  it. 

Great  was  his  astonishment  on  beholding  the  unparalleled 
courage  and  presence  of  mind  of  this  remarkable  little  lady. 
But  his  enthusiasm  received  a  sudden  check  when  a  hearty  peal 
of  laughter  greeted  him  from  those  beautiful  lips,  before  he 
liad  been  able  to  sav  a  word.     The  voice  was  clear  and  silvery. 


ONE    OF    THE   F.    F.    V.    OUT    WEST.  1!» 

as  it  was  wheu  he  bad  tirst  heard  and  found  it  so  sweetly 
melodious.  But  he  did  not  now  so  much  enjoy  it.  It  occurred 
to  him  tlial  her  hilarity  was.  under  the  circumstances,  a  trifle 
out  of  place.  He  had  expected  to  find  her  wild  with  excitement 
and  fear:  yet  there  she  sat,  as  unconcerned,  apparently,  as  if, 
since  he  had  seen  her  before,  a  life  bad  not  been  in  jeopardy, 
to  save  which  he  had  periled  bis  own  —  and  laughed  at  him 
for  his  pains. 

•*  Ob,  Mr.  Waldhorst!  "  she  said,  as  soon  as  she  recovered 
her  voice,  ''  if  you  knew  bow  you  do  look,  —  for  all  the  world 
just  like  the  scare-crow  papa  put  up  in  our  wbeat-lield !  " 

Victor  cast  a  glance  over  his  person,  and  became  aware  of 
the  cause  of  her  merriment.  She  Avas  right.  A  scare-crow 
coi;ld  not  present  a  more  comical  sight  than  be  did  at  this 
moment.  Both  sleeves  of  his  light  coat  bad  been  violenth' 
torn  and  buug  in  great  rags,  leaving  one  of  his  arms  quite  bare, 
and  the  other  visible  through  a  torn  shirt  sleeve.  The  coat- 
tails  bad  gained  in  leugth  what  they  bad  lost  in  breadth  and 
symmetry,  in  consequence  of  great  rents  sustained  by  them,  and 
his  pantaloons  gave  ocular  demonstration  that  their  fal)ric  bad 
l)een  unequal  to  tlie  strain  upon  them  by  the  briars  and  brush 
of  the  thickets  through  which  he  had  forced  bis  way.  Even 
his  shoes  proved  the  worse  for  their  rough  usage  in  Victor's 
encouuter  with  the  horses,  exposing  through  great  gaps  between 
their  soles  and  uppers  bis  toes,  innocent  of  covering  save  by  a 
layer  of  dust.  Dust  profusely  clung,  also,  to  the  remaining 
portions  of  his  garments,  which  the  soaking  they  had  received 
in  the  creek  rendered  peculiarly  adhesive. 

She  was  right.  This  was  not  a  plight  to  appear  before  any 
one.  least  of  all  before  the  sharp  eyes  of  the  mirthful  young 
maiden  who  sat  there  so  provokingly  self-possessed.  His  bumili- 
atiou  was  complete  ;  but  with  it  was  blended  a  keener  pain,  —  a 
sense  of  injury,  of  wrong  —  the  source  of  which  was  as  yet  a 
mystery  to  him.  Perhaps,  if  be  could  have  accounted  to  him- 
self for  the  huii;  to  his  feelings,  he  would  have  ascribed  it  to 
the  dimming  of  the  bright  image  that  h:id  won  for  itself  a  place 


20  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTEIi. 

in  his  heart.  He  sought  refuge  behind  the  carriage,  which 
served  him  at  once  to  hide  his  hidicrous  phght,  and  to  conceal 
the  chagrin  and  mortification  tliat  he  could  not  at  once  repress, 
from  those  keen,  sparkling  eyes. 

He  had  not  been  in  hiding  long,  however,  when  he  heard  a 
soft,  half  coaxing,  half  reproachful  vc^ice  })ronounce  his  name : 

"  Mr.  Waldhorst!  " 

The  voice  had  great  charm  for  Victor.  (Still  there  was  a 
trace  of  the  deep  disappointment  he  felt  audible  in  his  answer : 

"  Yes,  Ma'am?  " 

' '  You  are  not  going  to  run  away  ?  ' ' 

"  Indeed,  I  should  like  to." 

"  And  leave  me  to  the  mercy  of  these  wild  horses?  " 

"  You  do  not  seem  to  be  the  least  bit  afraid  oi  them." 

"■  Oh,  but  you  do  not  know  what  a  terrible  fi-ight  I  was  in," 
the  sweet  voice  continued  to  pU'ad,  ••  when  tlie  liorses  I'jin  with 
such  terrilic  speed  down  that  long  hill,  and  I  luul  great  trouble 
to  keep  them  in  the  middle  of  the  roatl,  and  I  feared  every 
moment,  that  they  might  dash  the  wagon  against  a  tree,  or 
upset  it !  And  then  what  courage  it  gave  me  to  see  you  fly  to 
my  rescue  —  yes,  literally  fly  —  for  then  I  knew  that  you 
would  save  me,  and  I  was  no  longer  afraid,  not  even  when  you 
threw  yourself  right  before  the  horses,  like  a  hero  of  olden 
time.  If  you  leave  me  now,  I  shall  just  jump  out,  and  let  the 
horses  run  away  again." 

How  eagerly  the  proud  boy  drank  in  the  delicious  flattery! 
What  a  glorious  thing  it  would  be,  to  accept  the  tempting 
situation  and  play  protector  to  the  pretty  child  I  WnX  lie 
remembered  that  she  had  shown  greater  skill  and  self-])Osses- 
sion  than  lu'.  in  tlie  management  of  the  i-unaways  :  nor  could 
he  forget  the  ringing  laugh  of  a  moment  ago  —  nothing  should 
induce  him  to  subject  himself  a  seconil  time  to  such  [)ainful 
humihation. 

"  Please  excuse  me,"  he  said  rather  reluctantly,  however. 
"  I  really  cannot  show  myself  in  the  presence  of  a  lady  in  the 
lix  I  am  in." 


ONE    OF    Till-:    F.    F.    I'.    OUT    WFST.  21 

"  Pshaw  I  I  ain  iiut  a  lady  at  all,"  Nellie  retorted,  a  little 
impatiently.  ''  I  am  only  a  school  girl  and  spoiled  with  too 
much  j)ettino;,  papa  says.  I  shouldn't  think  a  brave  hero  like 
you  would  mind  the  silliness  of  a  little  school  girl.  Do  come 
in  and  tiike  the  lines,  until  papa  comes  I  " 

\'ictor.  who  found  it  exceedingly  diHlcult  to  resist  the 
maiden's  entreaty,  was  saved  the  necessity  of  further  strug- 
gling against  his  own  inclination  Ity  the  appearance  of  Colonel 
May,  who  came  galloping  up  as  fast  as  the  borrowed  horse 
could  carry  him.  •'  Here  comes  your  father,"  said  Victor 
with  a  sigh  of  relief. 

Nellie,  hearing  her  father  mentioned,  leaped  from  the  car- 
riage and  ran  to  meet  him  with  outstretched  arms,  while 
Victor  stepped  to  the  front  to  hold  the  horses,  and  to  conceal 
his  deranged  toilet  from  the  eyes  of  father  and  daughter.  The 
Colonel  sprang  from  his  horse  and  embraced  the  girl. 

"Here  I  am.  dear  papal  "  she  exclaimed,  returning  tlie 
embrace  with  fervor.      ••  All  safe  and  sound!  " 

••  Thank  God  I  "  he  cried.  "  I  hold  you  in  my  arms,  unhurt 
and  safe  I      But  what  a  fright  yon  have  given  me  I  " 

"  I  was  frightened  too,  papal  "  she  said  with  a  sweet  smile. 
•'  But  you  see  all  is  well.  And  for  this  we  are  indebted  to  the 
mercy  of  God  and  the  courage  of  Mr.  Waldhorst." 

"Tell  me,  how  on  earth  did  it  nil  hapjien?  "  the  Colonel 
inquired  eagerly. 

"  The  horses  were  frightened  by  the  terrific  crash  of  the 
tree  as  it  fell,"  Nellie  related,  as  they  walked  leisurely  toward 
the  caiTiage,  the  Colonel  leading  his  horse  by  the  bridle.  ''  At 
first  it  was  only  Alec  that  shied  ;  but  I  never  saw  him  so  wildly 
excited.  For  a  little  while  Pompey  was  perfectly  quiet  and 
tractable:  but  Alec  dragged  him  along  down  the  hill,  and 
pretty  soon  Pompey  got  wild  also,  and  then  both  ran  with  all 
their  might.  It  was  impossible  to  check  them.  When  they 
got  to  the  creek,  I  was  awfully  afraid  that  they  would  upset 
and.  drown  me ;  but  you  see  we  got  through  all  right.  And 
then    I    caught    a   glimpse   of    Mr.    "Waldhorst  tearing  down 


22  THE   BE  BE  US   DAUGHTER. 

throuoh  the  brush  and  briers  :  and  1  knew  he  was  comiua;  to 
head  off  the  runaways.  I  was  perfectly  sure  that  he  would 
master  them.  And  oh,  you  just  ought  to  have  seen  him  — 
how  he  dashed  right  into  the  horses  while  they  were  running  at 
2.40  speed,  and  caught  them  by  the  bridles,  and  how  they  just 
lifted  him  up  from  his  feet,  and  how  he  held  on  to  them,  like 
/grim  death,  and  made  them  stop!  Oh,  he  was  just  like  a 
Roman  hero  I  ' ' 

"So  Mr,  Waldhorst  proved  a  readier  and  more  etticient 
champion  than  1 1  "  said  the  Colonel,  smiling  fondly  on  the 
enthusiastic  girl.  "  But  Avhere  is  the  young  hero,  that  T  may 
thank  him  for  his  chivalrous  exploit?  " 

''He  is  hiding  on  the  other  side  of  the  wagon,"  Nellie 
answered,  with  downcast  eyes.  Then,  raising  them  to  her 
father's  face  with  a  look  blending  humble  penitence  with 
roguish  assurance,  "  Only  think,"  she  said,  "  how  naughty  I 
have  been  !  But  he  looked  too  funny  for  anything !  In  tear- 
ing down  the  hill,  you  know,  and  rushing  right  through  densest 
brier-bushes  and  everything,  and  swimming  through  the  creek, 
and  swooping  down  on  the  horses  like  a  whirlwind,  he  muddied 
and  tore  liis  clothes,  and  looked  sucli  a  perfect  scarecrow, 
that  I  could  not,  to  save  my  life,  help  laughing  at  him." 

They  had  by  this  time  approached  so  near,  that  Victor  could 
not,  "without  silly  affectation,  avoid  meeting  them.  Nellie 
approached  with  beaming  face  and  offered  both  her  hands. 
''  Let  me  thank  you  for  your  brave  and  noble  deed,  as  I  ought 
to  have  done  long  ago!  "  she  said,  "  instead  of  laughing  at 
you  like  an  ungrateful  goose." 

"  She  is  a  child,"  said  the  Colonel,  uoav  also  stepping  for- 
ward and  shaking  him  heartily  by  the  hand.  "  A  very  much 
spoiled  child,  I  am  afraid.  But  don't  stand  there  and  blush, 
as  if  you  were  ashamed  of  the  heroic  deed  you  have  done. 
Truly,  I  count  it  high  honor  to  shake  your  hand,  and  hope 
that  you  will  permit  me  to  regard  you  as  my  friend.  That 
naughty  puss  there,  and  I,  we  are  both  too  deeply  indebted  to 
you  to  square  accounts  by  saying  I  thanlc  you . ' ' 


ONE    OF    THE   F.    F.    I'.    OIT    WEST.  28 

••  ludeed.  J  do  not  deserve  such  kindness  I  "  stannuered  the 
bashful  boy.  But  notwithstanding  his  depi-ecatory  words,  he 
revelled  in  an  ocean  of  bliss. 

"  And  may  I  now  further  trespass  upon  youi' good  nature  bv 
askino-  you  to  drive  our  wagon  back  to  the  place  where  we  left 
our  friend  Yalikop'r  "  said  the  Colonel.  ••  He  must  have  his 
horse  back  :  and  after  her  experience  just  now,  I  would  not  let 
my  hairbrained  girl  try  another  experiment  with  these  horses." 

'^  Oh.  Mr.  May."  said  Victor.  i)leading  with  evident  earnest- 
ness. •'  Miss  Xellie  would  surely  prefer  that  you  should  drive 
instead  of  me  :  and  I  can  return  the  horse  to  Yahkop  so  that 
you  need  not  be  at  the  trouble  to  turn  back."' 

••  Well."  said  the  Colonel,  after  a  brief  pause.  ••  if  you  insist 
on  it,  yon  may  oblige  us  in  this  respect  also.  I  only  fear  that. 
wearied  as  you  feel,  you  will  find  a  ride  witliout  a  saddle  rather 
trying." 

''  Not  in  the  least  I  "  Victor  asserted  eagerly.  ''I  am 
quite  accustomed  to  riding  bare-back."  Saying  this,  he  led 
the  horse  to  the  other  side  of  the  wagon,  and  proved  the  truth 
of  his  assertion  by  straightway  climbing  on  his  back. 

He  could  not  refrain  from  looking  back  before  he  had  trotted 
a  hundred  paces,  and  was  surprised  to  see  that  the  carriage 
had  not  moved.  When,  on  reaching  a  bend  of  the  road  which 
would  take  them  out  of  his  sight,  he  ventured  another  back- 
ward glance,  he  saw  the  carriage  still  in  the  road,  but  father 
and  daughter  were  no  longer  visible  —  they  must  have  gotten 
into  the  vehicle. 

At  the  ford  of  the  creek,  he  dismounted,  and  went  through 
a  process  of  ablution,  bestowing  much  more  care  upon  this 
operation  than  had  been  his  wont.  Before  he  had  quite  fin- 
ished, he  saw  the  freight-wagon  approach  from  the  other  side 
of  the  creek.  Yahkop  had  driven  down  the  hill  with  four 
horses,  the  fifth  tied  on  behind.  As  soon  as  Victor  could  get 
at  the  wagon,  while  Yahkop  was  hitching  up  the  third  pair  of 
horses,  he  got  out  a  bundle  containing  his  Sunday  clothes,  and 
hurried  to  put  them  on,  in  place  of  the  rags  he  had  brought 


24  Tllb:  nEBEL'S   DAUGIITEIL 

]»nck  from  his  adventure.  Of  course  the  teamster  plied  him 
with  numerous  (questions  as  to  the  outcome  of  the  runaway, 
and  kept  Mctor  busy  in  satisfying  his  curiosity  touching  the 
details.  He  was  thoroughly  laughed  at  on  honestly  mention- 
ing the  condition  of  his  wardrobe  at  the  termination  of  the 
affair,  and  poutingly  informed  Yahkop  that  the  young  lady  had 
already  performed  that  job  in  a  very  sufficient  manner,  though 
he  kept  to  himself  what  the  damsel  had  said  about  a  scare- 
crow. 

When  he  had  got  through  with  his  toilet,  Yahkop  had  also 
completed  the  hitching  of  the  horses,  and  Victor  bestrode  the 
off-horse  to  continue  his  chat  with  the  teamster.  He  was 
Iniruing  with  curiosity  to  learn  from  the  latter  all  he  knew 
about  the  gentleman  who  had  so  thoroughly  aroused  his 
interest,  hoping  to  gain,  incidentally,  some  information  touch- 
ing the  young  lady.  To  his  great  disgust,  Y^ahkop  disposed 
of  the  latter  by  calling  her  a  forward  little  hussey,  badly 
spoiled  by  her  parents  and  brother,  because  she  was  the  pet  of 
the  family.  The  Colonel,  however,  he  described  as  the  ricrhest 
man  in  Vernal  County,  having  many  friends,  and  also  many 
enemies,  and  who  expected  to  be  elected  to  Congress  at  the 
next  election.  He  grew  quite  enthusiastic  in  dwelling  on  the 
many  excellent  qualities  of  this  remarkable  gentleman,  —  the 
best  farmer  in  the  County,  he  described  him,  "  if  he  do  come 
from  Ole  Wirtshinny,"  where  they  generally  know  precious 
little  about  farming,  —  a  talker,  that  could  out-talk  any  lawyer, 
and  not  even  tell  a  lie,  —  a  friend  of  the  poor,  not  too  proud 
to  speak  with  a  common  chap.  "  Und  how  he  ken  blay  mit 
der  axt,  you  seen  yourselfes,"  he  concluded.  "  I  shust  vish 
1  ken  blay  mit  der  axt  like  he !  " 

The  team  had  meanwhile  reached  tlie  bend  in  the  road  where 
Victor  had  last  seen  the  carriage,  and  he  was  surprised  to  see 
it  still  standing  there  —  a  circumstance,  to  which  he  at  once 
called  Y'^ahkop's  attention. 

"  Shoor!  "  said  Yahkop.  "  Y'ou  dingks  der  Kernel  ride  to 
Brookfield  mitout  der  coat  on  'is  back?  " 


ONE    OF    Till-:   F.   F.    V.    OUT    WEST.  25 

\'i('t()r  I'omemberetl  that  the  Colonel  had  pulled  off  his  coat 
before  felliiijj-  the  tree,  and  eagerly  inquired:  "  Did  you  bring 
it  along?  " 

''  Vhat  you  dingks?"  Yahkoj)  rejoined.  "  You  dingks  der 
Kernel's  coat  ish  too  nuich  fur  four  bosses  to  pull?  " 

The  Colonel  met  them  with  a  pleasant  smile.  As  if  in 
response  to  Yahkop's  statement,  he  said:  ''  You  have  brought 
my  coat,  have  you  not?  " 

'' Shoor,"  the  teamster  replied,  "der  vaggeu  got  room 
fur  yer  coat.  Fictor,  you  git  der  Kernel's  coat  out  der 
vaggeu . ' ' 

While  Victor  complied  with  alacrity,  the  Colonel  expressed 
his  obligation.  "  But  this  is  not  all  that  I  have  waited  for," 
he  went  on.  ^'  If  I  can  prevail  on  the  young  man  there,  I 
wish  to  take  him  from  you  for  the  rest  of  the  trip  to  Brook- 
field.     Can  you  spare  him  to  us?  " 

"  Y"ou  likes  to  hire  a  new  dribfer?  "  Yahkop  inquired  with 
a  sly  grin.  "  Tek  him.  Und  tek  der  axt  too.  Mebbe  you 
chop  down  some  more  oak  drees." 

But  Victor  protested.  "I  —  I  thank  you,"  he  said,  color- 
ing deeply  at  the  prospect  of  a  ride  in  the  same  vehicle  with 
the  young  lady  who  had  such  sharp  eyes,  and  could  laugh  so 
merrily  and  unmercifully.  "I  believe  it  would  be  improper 
for  me  to  leave  the  team.  Mr.  Van  Braaken  might  be  dis- 
pleased." 

"  Leave  that  to  me,"  said  the  Colonel,  in  a  tone  at  once  so 
kind,  and  yet  so  authoritative,  that  Victor's  resistance  melted 
away  like  snow  in  the  sun.  •  "  I  propose  to  introduce  you  to 
Mynheer  Van  Braaken  myself.  In  two  hours  we  will  reach 
Brookfield.  You  must  be  our  guest  for  to-night,  and  to-mor- 
row morning  we  will  ]iay  our  respects  to  the  Mynheer,  before 
Yahkop  gets  there." 

'•  We  see,  ven  you  git  dere  fust,"  growled  Yahkop.  "  Ven 
Fictor  find  some  more  drees,  und  you  chops  'em  down,  den  ve 
see . ' ' 

"  I  like  you  for  this,"  said  the  young  lad}',  receiving  Victor 


2fi  THE   REBEL'S   DAUGHTER. 

with  a  gracious  smile,  and  making  room  for  liim  on  her  own 
seat  in  the  rear.  "  I  would  have  been  quite  put  out,  if  you 
had  refused  papa's  invitation." 

The  Colonel  follow^ed,  after  a  few  parting  words  with  Yahkop. 
and  started  his  horses  at  so  lively  a  trot,  that  they  quickly  left 
Yahkoii  with  his  team  far  behind.  Victor  found  riding  in  the 
elegant  spring  wagon,  seated  on  a  soft  cushion,  quite  a  novel 
luxury.  And  w'hen  the  Colonel,  by  a  few  well  directed  ques- 
tions, had  succeeded  in  putting  him  at  his  ease,  he  quickly 
forgot  all  his  shyness,  and  talked  as  confidentially  with  his  new 
friends,  as  if  he  had  known  them  all  his  life. 

One  of  the  subjects  of  their  conversation  was  Victor's  knowl- 
edge of  the  English  language.  It  interested  Nellie  vastly  to 
learn,  that  he  had  hardly  ever  spoken  English  with  any  one 
since  leaving  school,  where  he  had  been  compelled  to  learn  the 
language,  because  no  one  there  spoke  his  own. 

"  Have  you  learned  French,  too?  "  asked  Nellie. 

' '  Oh,  no  !  "  was  his  reph'.  • '  I  am  very  sorry  to  know,  that  I 
have  learned  very  little,  indeed.  One  of  the  reasons  Avhy  I  am 
very  glad  to  get  the  situation  in  Mr.  Van  Braaken's  store,  is 
the  promise  he  made  me,  that  I  shall  have  leisure  to  improve 
myself  by  private  study." 

"  What,  for  instance,  would  you  like  to  learn?  "  the  Colonel 
made  inquiry. 

•'Oh,  everything!  "  Victor  said.  "I  should  like  to  study 
mathematics,  and  Latin,  so  that  I  might  become  acquainted 
with  the  works  of  great  men  who  explain  to  the  world  the 
nature  of  things,  and  justice,  and  freedom." 

The  Colonel  looked  at  Victor  in  some  surprise.  •'  So  am- 
bitious? "  he  said  smiling.  "But  you  need  not  study  Latin 
in  order  to  become  acquainted  with  the  works  of  the  greatest 
of  men.  Your  own  fatherland  has  produced  a  number  of  as 
good  and  great  men  as  ever  lived,  while  the  history  of  England 
is  replete  with  shining  examples  of  wisdom,  virtue  and  heroism. 
Above  all,  however,  let  me  recommend  to  you  the  teachings 
of  the  founders  of  this  glorious  republic  of  ours.     All  of  them 


ONE    OF    THE    F.    F.    I'.    ol'T    WEST.  27 

speak  to  you  in  our  own  tongue,  of  which  you  have  sutlioieiit 
knowledge  for  all  purposes  of  study." 

Victor  listened  with  deep  attention.  *'  But,"  he  ventured 
to  suggest,  ■'  did  not  the  governments  of  Greece  and  Rome 
serve  as  models  of  our  own.  and  is  it  not  necessary  to  become 
acquainted  with  the  Avorks  of  their  statesmen,  in  order  to  under- 
stand ours  ?  ' ' 

''  Hardly,"  said  the  Colonel  with  some  complaisance.  •■  The 
form  of  government  established  for  the  republic  of  the  United 
States  of  America  is  without  parallel  or  precedent,  —  so  far 
above  the  republics  of  Greece  nnd  Rome,  as  the  Nineteenth 
Century  is  above  the  middle  ages  in  culture  and  civiliza- 
tion." 

Victor  made  no  answer,  pondering  over  what  he  had  heard. 
But  Nellie  soon  interrupted  his  meditation. 

"  Tell  me  about  the  school  you  attended.  Was  it  a  large 
one  ?  ' ' 

"  Rather  a  large  one,"  Victor  informed  her.  •'  In  the  de- 
partment of  the  boys  there  were  about  four  hundred  pupils  ; 
but  only  one  teacher." 

"  Did  you  say  four  hundred  boys,  and  only  one  schoolmas- 
ter? "  the  Colonel  inquired.  "^  I  have  read  of  such  schools, 
conducted  on  what  is  called  I  believe,  Joseph  Lancaster's 
System.     Does  the  plan  work  well?  " 

"  Quite  well,"  said  Victor;  "  at  least  I  believe  that  it  did 
so  in  the  school  which  I  attended.  The  master  conducted 
the  upper  two  or  three  classes  in  person,  the  pupils  of  which 
took  turns  in  instructing  the  children  of  the  lower  classes. 
Monitors  were  appointed  daily  to  note  the  names  of  all  the 
boys  who,  in  any  way,  violated  the  rules.  The  offenders  were 
punished  by  the  master  in  person,  who  inflicted  chastisement 
by  means  of  a  thin  rattan,  the  number  of  cuts  being  determined 
by  the  grade  of  the  offense  charged  against  the  culprit.  The 
list  of  delinquents  was  called  at  a  regular  hour  every  day, 
and  it  usually  required  from  tea  to  fifteen  minutes  to  get 
through  with  this  part  of  the  discipline." 


28  THE   REBEL'S   DAUUllTEU. 

Nellie  found  the  school  quite  au  amusing  theme  and  asked 
numerous  questions,  which  Victor  conscientiously  answered. 

But  the  Colonel,  wishing  to  learn  more  of  Victor's  personal 
history,  directed  his  questions  to  that  end,  and  soon  drew  from 
him  a  simple  narration  of  as  much  of  his  previous  life,  as 
Victor  thought  worth  mentioning.  He  informed  his  attentive 
listeners,  that  he  had  come  to  this  country  with  his  parents, 
when  he  was  quite  a  young  boy ;  that  his  father  invested  the 
greater  part  of  his  means  in  the  purchase  of  a  house  and  lot, 
for  which  he  paid  cash,  and  did  quite  Avell  for  awhile,  cai-rying 
on  a  bakery,  "  until  one  day  a  stranger  called  at  the  house  and 
told  father,  that  the  house  and  lot  belonged  to  him,  demanding 
payment  for  it.  Father  showed  him  the  deed  but  the  stranger 
laughed  at  it,  saying  it  was  signed  by  his  son,  who  had  the 
same  name  as  he,  but  that  the  house  did  not  belong  to  the  son, 
but  to  himself.  At  this  father  got  angry,  and  told  the  man  to 
leave  the  house.  After  that  he  came  back  one  day  with  another 
man,  who  said  he  was  a  sheriff,  and  left  a  paper  with  father: 
and  three  or  four  months  after  that,  this  sheriff  drove  us  out 
of  the  house,  put  our  furniture  in  the  street,  and  we  had  to 
rent  a  house  to  live  in.  We  were  then  quite  poor,  for  father 
had  not  much  money  left  after  paying  for  the  house  he  had 
bought." 

"  What  scoundrels  those  men  were  I  '"  said  Nellie,  coloring 
with  indignation . 

"  But —  did  not  your  father  employ  a  lawyer?  "  the  Colonel 
inquired  with  some  astonishment. 

"Yes,"  said  Victor,  "  but  not  until  after  the  sheriff  had 
taken  possession  of  our  house.  It  was  then  too  late,  the  lawyer 
said.  But  he  also  explained  to  us,  that  he  could  not  have 
helped  us,  even  if  father  had  employed  him  at  once,  for  that 
we  had  been  defrauded  by  a  i'ascal,  and  that  we  could  not 
recover  anything  from  him  by  law,  because  he  had  no  property 
in  his  own  name." 

The  Colonel  remained  silent ;  but  Nellie  queried  further  : 

' '  What  happened  to  you  then  ?  ' ' 


ONE    OF    THE   F.    F.    V.    OUT    WEST.  29 

''  My  I'atlRT,"  Victor  coiiliinied,  ••  was  vci-y  iniicli  ij;rievc(l 
over  our  loss.  His  husiiu'ss  did  not  prosper  after  that,  and 
we  had  sad  times.  Then  caine  the  cholera,  both  parents  took 
it  and  died  in  the  same  week." 

••And  then?  "  Nellie  eaovrly  pressed,  as  X'iclor  ovei-come 
by  the  sad  memory  pansed  in  his  narration. 

"  And  then,"  he  went  on.  ••  when  our  parents  liad  l)een 
l)nried,  and  the  sale  of  our  household  "(x^ds  had  produced 
hardly  enough  to  pay  the  doctor  and  undertaker,  we  had  noth- 
ino".  1  hired  out  as  a  Journeyman  l)aker.  an  occupation  which 
I  haye  followed  ever  since,  and  my  sister  found  a  home  in  the 
family  of  a  distant  relative  of  ours,  back  in  the  city.*' 

'•  Oh,  then  you  have  a  sister?  '"  exclaimed  Nellie  witli  anima- 
tion.     ••  Tell  us  all  about  her  I  " 

••She  is  the  dearest  sister  a  brother  I'ver  iind  I  "'  \'ictor 
announced  |)rou(lly.  '*  Not  (piite  so  old  as  I  am."  lie  added 
in  response  to  Nellie's  eai>ei'  (luestioning-,  ••  and  her  name  is 
Pauline." 

"A  pretty  name.  —  I'auline  !  "  Nellie  mused.  ■•  Is  she  a 
beauty?     Does  she  look  like  you?  " 

••  Like  me?  No  indeed!  "  Victor  protested,  blushing  vio- 
lently. '•  She  is  not  so  beautiful  as  some  ladies,"  he  con- 
tinued, throwing  a  sidelong  glance  at  his  fair  neighbor.  ••  but 
I  don't  think  you  would  laugh  on  seeing  her  for  the  lirst 
time." 

"  Now,  Mr.  Waldhorst !  "  the  young  lady  p(nited,  shaking 
her  forefinger  at  him,  ••  you  ought  to  l)e  ashamed  of  yourself 
foi'  reminding  me  of  my  silliness.  Please,  don't  do  that 
again." 

"Indeed,  indeed.  Miss  Nellie,  1  meant  no  rt'proach  I  "  |)ro- 
tested  Mctor,  so  earnestly,  as  to  |)reclude  any  doubt  of  his 
sincerity,  ••  I  only  meant  lo  say  that  my  ^ister  is  not  so  —  so 
awkward,  as  I  am." 

••  I  venture  to  say,"  tiu-  C'olont'l  interferetl,  suspecting  that 
further  words  on  the  subject  might  increase  the  bashful  young 
man's    eml)arrassment,    ••  that   JNFiss  Waldhorst  is  an  accom- 


30  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

plished  young  lady,  whom  Nellie  would  be  proud  to  beconu' 
acquainted  with . ' ' 

"Of  course  I  would,"  Nellie  eagerly  assented.  "  1  know 
I  should  love  her  if  she  is  as  good  as  Mr.  Waldhorst  says  she 
is.  I  have  a  brother,  Mr.  Waldhorst,  but  no  sister.  It  must 
be  beautiful  to  have  a  sister." 

■'  Is  your  brother  older,  or  younger  tlian  yourself?  "  queried 
the  young  man. 

"  Oh,  he  is  much  older  than  I  am,"  Nellie  went  on.  ••  Why. 
he  is  really  a  grown  man.  I  think  you  will  like  him,  Mr. 
Waldhorst,  when  you  get  to  know  him.  Everybody  likes  my 
brother  Leslie." 

'•  I  Jim  sure  I  shall  like  him.  if —  '" 

Wlnitcver  he  was  going  to  say  remained  unsaid  ;  for  he  cast 
down  his  t'ves  mid  blushed,  instead  of  finishing  his  remark. 

■•  I  know  \vh:i1  you  were  going  to  say,""  proclaimed  Nellie, 
laughing  lilitlicly.  ••  Yon  were  going  to  sny.  if  lie  is  like  me. 
Xow  tluit  would  li;i\c'  been  :i  pretty  compliment.  :uid  you  need 
not  be  ashamed  of  it." 

''  Does  he  live  with  you  at  Brookheldr  " 

"  Yes,  when  we  are  at  home:  that  is,  we  live  at  May  Mead- 
ows, which  is  the  name  of  our  place  :  it  is  quite  close  to  Brook- 
tield,  but  not  just  in  it.  I  expect  to  meet  brother  Leslie,  who 
is  home  from  Ilai-vnid  iiy  this  time.  And  1  will  be  so  glad  to 
sec  him.  after  being  away  from  him  for  nearly  a  year.  For  I 
iini  myself  just  on  my  way  home  from  the  seminary  at  Columl)i{i 
for  the  vacation."" 

''  Ah  I  And  bi'olher  Leslie  is  also  at  home  for  the  v;ic!i- 
tion  y  "      \'ictor  incpiired.      '•  Where  is  Harvard? 

"  Why,  don"t  you  know  :d)out  Harvjird  L'niversity ?  "  said 
the  girl,  evidently  |)itying  his  ignorance.  "  It  is  a  great 
college,  or  something,  away  down  East,  among  the  Y'ankees, 
in  Cambridge,  or  Boston,  or  somewhere.  My  brother  was  very 
proud,  when  papa  sent  him  to  Harvard." 

■'  How  I  should  like  to  go  to  college!  "  said  Victor,  evi- 
dently envying  the  happy  brother. 


ONE    OF    THE   F.    F.    V.    OUT    WEST.  31 

"'  You  liavo  no  cause  fcr  regret,  3'ouuo-  man."  said  the 
Colonel  assuringly.  '•  The  lessons  which  you  have  learned, 
and  are  still  learning,  I  trust,  by  being  thrown  on  your  own 
resources,  are  worth  more  to  you  in  the  way  of  your  education 
and  development,  than  a  regular  course  in  the  best  college  in 
the  world  could  ever  be,  if,  as  I  am  sure  is  the  case,  you  have 
the  stuff  in  ^-ou  to  make  a  man  of." 

In  the  course  of  the  conversation  Nellie  had  mentioned  the 
fact,  that  she  had  emigrated,  with  the  rest  of  the  family,  from 
Virginia,  —  emphasizing  the  name  of  her  native  State  with  a 
degree  of  patent  pride  which  made  Victor  wonder  —  while  still 
a  child,  but  that  she  remembered  their  great  plantation  which 
papa  had  sold  ;  and  that  they  had  brought  all  their  negroes  to 
this  State,  because  papa  would  not  sell  them  to  strangers. 

••  The  negroes?  "  Victor  inquired,  with  a  puzzled  air. 

•■  Why  yes  :   the  slaves,  you  know." 

•■  Slaves?  "  Victor  repeated,  with  still  greater  astonishment. 

"  Our  3'oung  friend  probably  forgets,  that  ours  is  a  slave 
State,"  Colonel  May  remarked.  "  I  fear  that  you  consider  us 
behind  the  enlightenment  of  your  native  Germany,  in  this 
respect,  since  they  no  longer  tolerate  slavery  there." 

'"They  ncAcr  had  slaves  in  Germany!  "  Victor  declared, 
with  great  emphasis. 

••  I  would  not  insist  on  that  so  lirmly,"  the  Colonel  replied 
with  au  indulgent  smile.  -It  is  not  a  thousand  years  ago, 
that  men  there  sold  themselves  and  their  children  into  slavery, 
and  the  law  tolerated  this,  and  protected  the  masters  in  their 
right  over  their  slaves.  1  remember  having  read  of  one  in- 
stance, where  a  father,  having  gambled  away  all  his  posses- 
sions, staked  his  own  daughter,  who  was  the  most  beautiful 
maiden  of  the  tribe,  and  she  was  delivered  over  to  the  winner 
as  his  absolute  property. — So  you  are  not  pleased  with  this 
•  peculiar  institution  '  of  ours?  " 

"How  can  you  ask  me?"  said  Victor,  who  had  listened 
with  astonishment  to  the  Colonel's  words,  and  was  strongly 
inclined  to  doubt  the  correctness  of  his  information   as  to  the 


32  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGIITEB. 

existence  of  slaverv  in  (Teniiauv.  •  '•  Can  it  \w  right,  oi'  just, 
or  wise,  to  deprive  a  human  Iteing  of  his  freedom ?  Why,  to 
me  this  seems  a  greater  wrong  than  to  take  away  his  life." 

"  Let  us  not  ]nirsne  this  topic,"  said  the  Colonel,  quietly, 
but  authoritatively.  •'  We  will  hardly  liave  time  to  come  to  an 
understanding  on  so  important  and  vexed  a  question;  for  there 
I  see  the  grove  Avhich  shelters  our  dwelling.  We  will  reach  it 
in  a  few  minutes.  But  permit  me  to  caution  you  against  mak- 
ing any  but  your  most  intimate  friends  the  confidants  of  your 
very  positive  views  on  this  subject.  You  will  hardly  make 
converts,  and  it  might  entangle  you  into  unpleasant,  even 
dangerous,  complications. ' ' 

Victor  remained  silent.  Colonel  May  had  evidently  spoken 
with  the  kindliest  intention.  But  why  should  it  be  necessary 
for  him  to  conceal  his  conviction  on  so  important  a  sul)ject, 
the  right  and  the  wrong  of  wliich  were  so  palpal)ly  evident? 
Could  this  ))e  a  free  country,  if  the  exjjression  of  his  opinion 
could  draw  after  it  "  unpleasant,  even  dangerous  complica- 
tions? "  Wherein,  then,  consisted  the  freedom  of  speech  and 
conscience,  which  he  had  so  often  heard  extolled  and  prized  as 
the  proud  privilege  of  the  citizens  of  his  adopted  country? 

The  long  summer  day  was  meanwhile  drawing  to  its  close. 
When  the  travelers  arrived  in  front  of  the  gate  to  the  grounds 
of  the  mansion  bright  lights  were  already  shining  through  the 
doors  and  windows.  It  was  not  so  dark,  however,  but  that 
Victor  could  see,  and  greatly  admire  the  tastefully  laid  out  little 
park,  with  its  broad,  gravelled  walks,  smoothly  shaved  grass- 
plots  and  brightly  blooming  shrubs  and  flowers.  The  whole 
was  surrounded  by  a  grove  of  stately  old  trees  of  original 
forest  growth,  thinned  out  and  cleared  of  underbrush  to  invite 
the  Itreezes  of  summer,  without  admitting  the  full  rays  of  the 
sun.  L'[)on  Mctor  the  Colonel's  residence  produced  the  im- 
pression of  comfort  and  elegance,  which  greatly  enhanced  his 
appreciation  of  thi'  honor  involved  in  being  invited  to  enjov 
the  owner's  hospitality. 

A    number   of  dusky  servants  I'an   to  assist  the  travelers  in 


<)NI<:    OF    THE    F.    F.    V.    OUT    WFST.  :i3 

alighting.  TIr'V  <>l)c'iied  Uu'galc  and  U)ok  c-liargv  ol'  llic  Ikji'sl'S 
and  carriage.  The  young  guest  watched  the  scene  with  curious 
interest.  He  was  surprised  to  find  quite  a  different  picture 
from  that  which  liis  imagination  liad  created.  Could  these 
faces,  sliining  witli  contfutmcnt.  many  of  tliem  ))riglit  with 
evident  i)leasure  in  welcoming  their  master,  for  each  of  whom 
he  had  a  word  of  cheer  or  encouragement,  l)elong  to  the  class 
of  abused  victims  of  o})prcssion  and  tyranny?  Here  was  sub- 
jection, unquestioning  obedience,  indeed.  l>ut  where  was  the 
look  of  abject  terror,  the  eloquent  though  unspoken,  protest  of 
a  down-trodden  race  against  the  despoiliT  of  their  human 
rights,  which  the  innnigrant  boy  connected  in  his  imagination 
with  the  condition  of  slavery  Ir  Nothing  saw  ^'ict()r  of  any 
such  :  these  slaves  enjoyed  their  mastej''s  jokes  as  keenly  as  if 
they  were  his  equals,  and  sometimes  retaliated  with  ready  wit. 

At  the  gate  stood  a  lady  of  i)Ieasant  appearance,  into  whose 
open  arms  Nellie  sprang  the  instant  her  feet  touched  the 
ground.  "'My  child  I  "  and  ••Mama  I — dearest  mama  I  " 
Victor  heard,  as  they  eml)raced  and  kissed.  A  tall,  handsome 
young  man,  of  intellectual  features,  so  far  as  \'ictor  could  dis- 
cern in  the  twilight,  stepped  out  and  cordially  shook  hands 
with  the  Colonel.  ••  You  are  late,  })apa  I  "  he  said.  ••  What 
kept  you  so  long?  " 

"  Yes,"  the  Colonel  replied  cheerfully,  ■•'  we  had  quite  an 
adventure.  There  will  be  something  to  talk  about  at  the 
supper  table." 

Nellie  had  hardly  quitted  the  arms  of  her  mother,  when  both 
her  hands  were  seized  by  a  liright  quadroon  woman,  who  cov- 
ered them  with  kisses,  and  then,  holding  out  the  girl  at  arm's 
length  from  her,  seemed  to  devour  the  lovely  tigure  with  hungry 
eyes.  ••  jNIy  darling  honey  I  "  she  addressed  her,  ••  sweet  balm 
to  my  tired  old  eyes. I  How  it  rests  'em  to  look  at  yer  purty 
doll-face  1  Ye're  bringin'  sunshine  back  wid  ye,  an'  good  luck 
to  de  ole  place.  An'  my,  how  you's  growed !  An'  what  a 
fine  lady  you  got  to  lie  I  God  bless  you,  my  sweetest  young 
missis'  I  " 

3 


31  THE   UK  BEL'S   DAUGUTini. 

"  \\'(.'ll,  C'U'o.  are  you  g'oing  to  .U'ive  me  a  chance  after  a 
while,  ())•  (h)  you  mean  to  keep  your  young  mistress  all  to 
yourself?  "  the  yctung  man  spoke  up.  as  liis  father  saluted  his 
wife. 

'•My  dearest  Leslie  I  "  the  girl  exclaimed,  Hying  towards 
her  brother,  who  took  her  bodily  up  in  his  arms,  and  carried 
her  straightway  into  the  house,  in  spilt'  of  her  laughter,  strug- 
gles and  protestations  that  siie  was  no  longer  a  baby. 

The  Colonel  and  his  wife  now  a|)proached  Victor.  "  My 
dear,"  she  said,  "1  have  brought  you  an  honored  guest,  to 
whom  we  are  deeply  indebted.  This  is  he,  —  Mr.  Waldhorst. 
Mr.  Waldhorst,  let  me  present  you  to  Mrs.  May  I  " 

The  lady  bowed  with  much  grace  and  dignity.  '*  I  am 
happy,"  she  said,  "  to  become  acquainted  with  a  friend  of  my 
husband,  and  to  welcome  you  to  our  home." 

The  great  sitting  room  was  lighted  up  brilliantly,  and  a 
cheerful  fire  crackled  in  the  spacious  fire-jtlace.  Male  and 
female  servants,  in  all  shades  of  cok)r,  from  the  light  yellow  of 
the  quadroon  to  the  honest  black  of  the  unmixed  African, 
flitted  about.  C)ne  of  them  conducted  Victor  to  a  room,  which 
he  was  told  to  consider  as  his  own  during  his  stay.  The 
servant  also  informed  him,  that  after  he  had  arranged  his  toilet, 
he  AA'ould  l)e  called  down  to  tea. 

Before  taking  their  seats  at  the  table.  Colonel  May  intro- 
duced "\Mct(jr  to  his  son  Leslie  May,  and  also  to  his  overseer, 
JNIr.  Jeffreys^,  who  had  been  invited  to  take  his  meal  with  the 
family  on  this  occasion.  At  table  the  conversation  soon  turned 
upon  the  adventure  with  the  runaway  horses  and  Victor's  ex- 
ploit in  connection  therewilh.  The  Colonel  related  what  he 
knew  of  the  matter,  Init  Nellie  frequently  interrupted  him  with 
droll  remarks,  taking  care,  however,  always  to  turn  the  laugh 
against  herself,  while  she  lauded  Victor's  prowess  without 
stint.  The  latter  would  gladly  have  escai)ed  the  lavish  praise 
liestowed  on  him,  and  endeavored  to  hide  his  l)lushes  by  keep- 
ing his  eyes  upon  his  plate  ;  but  he  could  not  avoid  noticing, 
tliat  Mr.  .Jeffreys  seemed  nuich  displeased  with  the  favor  shown 


ONE    OF    TJIK   F.    F.    T.    06^7'    WF.ST. 


'6b 


him  hv  all  the  members  of  the  family,  for  even  Leslie  was  pi'O- 
fuse  in  showing  his  appreciation  of  what  Victor  had  done  for 
his  sister  Nellie  to  whom  he  was  tenderly  attached . 

When,  late  in  the  evening,  Victor  was  condneted  to  his 
chamber,  he  left  his  newly  found  friends  with  the  conviction 
that  they  constituted  the  noblest  and  happiest  family  he  had 
ever  met.  The  promise  of  Colonel  May  to  introduce  him  in 
person  to  his  new  employer,  led  him  to  hope  that  he  might 
thereby  gain  in  the  merchant's  esteem,  and  perhaps  improve 
his  future  prospects.  But  his  happiest  reflection  when  the 
events  of  the  bygone  day  passed  in  review  before  his  mind, 
was  that  he  counted  among  his  friends  the  noble,  high-minded 
Colonel  May,  his  frank,  good-natured  son  Leslie,  and — by 
no  means  least  —  the  Ijright  merry  maiden,  who  could  laugh 
so  cruelly,  and  so  charmingly,  and  who  was  so  proud  of  belong- 
ino;  to  one  of  the  First  Families  of  Virmnia. 


III. 

A  WESTERN  TOWN  AND  ITS  RIVAL  STORES. 

BROOKFIELI),  f>ituate  near  the  edge  of  the  forest  which 
)  had,  in  the  coursie  of  time,  encroached  on  the  prairie, 
once  constituting  a  part  of  the  great  plains  extending 
from  the  Ozark  to  the  Rocky  mountains,  was  a  small  town, 
owing  its  origin  to  the  intersection  of  two  important  roads,  one 
of  which  traversed  the  State  from  east  to  west,  the  other  from 
north  to  south.  To  its  locality  on  this  intersection  was  due, 
also,  its  dignity  as  the  county  seat  of  Vernal  County,  in  virtue 
of  which  it  numbered  a  court  house  among  its  public  buildings. 
The  court  house  w^as  the  only  brick  structure  within  a  cir- 
cumference of  many  miles.  It  stood  on  the  jjrecise  spot  where 
the  two  "roads  crossed  each  other,  in  the  center  of  a  square 
into  which  the  roads  led  from  the  four  cardinal  points  of  the 
compass. 

This  court  house  was  no  less  conspicuous  for  its  prominent 
location,  than  for  the  important  functions  it  served  in  the 
affairs  of  the  town.  Its  legitimate  purpose  was,  of  course,  to 
furnish  the  place  for  holding  court,  and  the  offices  for  the  cir- 
cuit clerk,  the  sheriff,  and  the  State's  attorney.  But  incident- 
ally it  served  as  a  public  hall,  where  the  citizens  were  wont  to 
meet  on  occasions  demanding  a  discussion  of  measures  of  pub- 
lic concern.  In  it  sat  the  conventions  of  both  political  parties 
when  laying  their  plans  for  the  capture  of  lucrative  offices. 
On  Sundays  and  holidays  it  served  as  the  meeting  house  of  the 
Christian  sects  of  Brooklield  and  its  environments  —  Camp- 
bellites  using  it  in  the  morning.  Baptists  in  the  evening  and 
Methodists  in  the  night ;  or  haply  in  the  reverse  order.  Travel- 
ing minstrels  and  itinerant  lecturers  disi)ensed  amusement  and 
instruction  in  useful  knowledge  within  the  sacred  Temple  of 


^1    WESTERN    TOWN  AND   ITS  RIVAL    STORES.        37 

Justice  to  all  who  had  a  (luarter  to  spare,  or  could  borrow  one 
for  the  occasion. 

On  the  north  side  of  the  Square,  where  the  Bo<Miville  road 
debouched  into  it,  stood  the  hotel,  with  its  l)road  porch  ex- 
tending along  the  whole  of  its  front,  facing  the  court  house, 
next  after  which  it  was  the  largest  building  in  town.  Its  chief 
characteristic  and  ornament  was  a  cupola  in  which  there  hung 
a  bell  —  a  veritable  bell,  perhaps  the  only  one  in  all  the  south- 
western part  of  the  State.  Naturally,  the  Brookfielders  were 
proud  of  this  bell,  which  constituted  one  of  the  chief  features 
of  the  town.  Its  primary  office  was  to  summon  the  guests  of 
the  hotel,  three  times  a  day,  to  its  dining  room.  But  since 
the  fewest  of  the  inhabitants  sported  the  luxury  of  a  watch  of 
their  own,  it  performed  the  functions  of  a  town  clock,  and 
housewives  learned  to  regulate  their  meal-times  by  its  ringing. 
It  pleased  mine  host  to  hear  it  said,  that  the  sun  regulates  his 
rising  and  setting  Ity  the  ringing  of  this  bell.  Then,  too,  it 
did  extra  duty  on  Sundays,  calling  church-goers  to  their  devo- 
tions, evincing  most  liberal  tolerance,  in  that  it  made  no  kind 
of  distinction  between  the  sects  in  this  respect.  It  was  equally 
impartial  in  sunnnoning  wiiigs  and  democrats  to  their  party 
])Ow-wows  ;  and  when,  on  extra  occasions,  there  were  public 
festivities,  or  if  the  mortal  remains  of  a  departed  fellow-being 
were  to  be  conducted  to  their  final  resting  place,  it  gave  the 
joyful  signal,  or  sounded  the  funeral  knell  with  serene  equan- 
imity. 

The  chief  pride  of  Brooklield,  however,  was  that  it  boasted 
two  stores,  —  one  on  the  east  side  of  the  Square,  and  one  on 
the  west  side.  It  seemed  almost  providential,  that  the  court 
house  stood  between  them  :  for  such  was  the  spirit  of  rivalry 
possessing  their  resjx'ctive  owners,  that  but  for  the  iuter- 
])osition  of  that  august  structure,  whidi  served  as  a  screen  to 
hide  the  doings  of  either  from  the  keenly  watching  optics  of 
the  other,  serious  consequences,  affecting  the  peace  of  the 
town  might  have  been  apprehended.  The  stores  Avere  inferior 
in  size  to  no  olhcr  l»uilding  in  town,  save  the  court  house,  and 


38  THE  REBEL'H  DAUGHTER. 

the  iiotfl.  Tliey  vied  with  each  otlier  in  showing  the  smoothest 
weather-ljoarding,  coated  with  tlie  hriglitest  of  white  lead,  aud 
the  most  intensely  green  window-ljliuds.  But  if  their  exterior 
was  gaudy  enough  to  attract  the  eyes  of  the  idlers,  the  untiring 
efforts  of  the  owners  to  lure  customers  originated  a  lavish 
hospitality,  which  made  them  the  favored  resorts  of  all  wh(^se 
time  hung  heavily  on  their  hands.  To  this  rivalry  Brookfield 
chiefly  owed  its  commercial  importance :  for  the  constant 
endeavor  of  both  merchants  to  capture  each  other's  customers 
by  cutting  down  the  prices  of  goods,  and  to  give  the  greatest 
])ossible  puldicity  to  their  determination  in  this  respect,  secured 
for  the  town  the  reputation,  that  goods  were  sold  cheaper  here, 
and  customers  served  more  promptly,  than  at  any  other  place 
outside  of  the  metropolis.  Thus  it  came  to  pass,  that  buyers 
from  all  parts  of  the  Southwest  ])oui-ed  into  the  town  to  do 
their  trading,  niaiiy  of  them  ])assing  by  larger  towns  lacking 
such  fame. 

Historical  accuracy  compels  the  admission,  that  Mr.  Barnes, 
the  proprietor  of  the  older  establishment,  situate  on  the  east 
side  of  the  Square,  was  an  unwilling  jxirty  to  the  fierce  com- 
petition. He  was  one  of  the  original  settlers  of  the  town,  aud 
.  took  much  credit  to  himself  as  having  established,  not  only  the 
business  i)resided  over  by  himself,  but  that  of  the  whole  set- 
tlement. It  pleased  him  to  consider  himself  one  of  the  impor- 
tant men  of  the  country,  a  pioneer  w^ho  had  introduced  the  bless- 
ings of  civilization  into  a  remote  wilderness,  to  whom  the  later 
comers  owed  tlieir  comforts,  —  even,  to  a  great  degree,  their 
pros])erity.  For  it  was  he,  who.  in  tlie  remote  antiquity  (some 
live  years  or  so  ago)  when  the  Kii'kai)oo  Indians  had  just  left 
the  neighboi'hood  to  settle  upon  their  reservation  in  the  Indian 
Ti'rritory,  liad  lirought  from  tlie  far  off  city  a  stock  of  coffee, 
sugai',  spun  cotloii,  unl)leaclu'(l  muslin  (known  more  popularly 
as  domestic)  together  with  some  Itoxes  of  iron,  tin  and  earthern 
ware,  and  offered  them  for  sale  in  a  primitive  log  house  erected 
near  the  cross  roads,  or  to  take  in  exchange  for  them  the  furs, 
peltries,   or    wax    froni    \\\.v  hives  of  wil(l  Itees  o-athered  liv  the 


.1    Wh'STEIi'N    TOWN  AND    ITS   IIIVAL    STOUKS.         '■">'-) 

luintiTs.  A  hlucksiiiitli,  mikI  Uu'd  :i  wiuH'lwiiolit ,  soon  (.'rcctcd 
their  shops  in  the  iieighijorhood  of  the  ''  store,"  to  wliicii.  in 
the  eonrse  of  time,  :i  harness  maker  and  a  cobbler  added  their 
loo-  eabins.  And  when  Mr.  Barnes  had  sold  out  his  goods,  or 
bartered  them  for  the  products  of  the  chase,  he  sent  the  latter 
to  the  city,  where  he  disposed  of  them  with  handsome  profit, 
and  "  imported  "  a  new  stock  of  merchandise  —  a  procedure, 
which  he  repeated  annually  ever  after  with  great  regularity. 
Notwithstanding  the  scarcity  of  cash  in  those  times,  —  for  the 
new  settlers  rarely  brought  with  them  more  than  necessary  to 
[)ay  for  the  land  which  they  required  to  live  on  —  his  business 
prospered  and  increased.  It  would  have  l)een  his  own  fault  if 
he  had  not  grown  wealthy,  since  he  tixed  his  own  prices,  as 
well  for  the  goods  which  he  sold,  as  for  those  he  took  in 
exchange,  (^ame  was  still  plenty  ;  and  for  a  long  time  properly 
■prepared  skins  served  as  legitimate  curi'ency,  exchangeable  in 
the  East  for  silver  and  gold.  (Tovernment  found  it  necessary, 
after  a  time,  to  locate  a  land  office  and  appoint  a  receiver  of 
public  moneys  at  Brookfield,  to  accommodate  the  steadily 
increasing  stream  of  emigration  from  the  South,  North  and 
East;  a  post  office,  serving  as  a  distributing  office  for  quite  an 
extensive  territory,  followed,  and  the  town  prosj)ered.  and 
increased  its  population. 

Mr.  Barnes  began  to  be  looked  upon,  as  he  had  long  con- 
sidered himself,  a  merchant  prince.  But  the  monopoly  he 
enjoyed  became  oppressive,  I)ecause  he  could  not  be  induced 
to  send  for  goods  oftener  than  once  a  year.  Prudent  mer- 
chant that  he  was,  he  always  [)roportioned  his  orders  to  the 
sales  of  the  in'eceding  year :  and  since  the  demand  for  goods 
increased  with  the  population,  it  frequently  happened  that  the 
supply  gave  out,  and  there  was  dissatisfaction  and  grumbling 
among  the  disappointed  customers. 

One  day,  when  the  stock  of  goods  hapi)ened  to  l)e  at  an  el»b, 
a  rather  heavily  freighted  two-horse  wagon  drove  into  the 
town  and  stopped  in  front  of  the  hotel.  An  elderly,  but  (piite 
active  little  man  with  a  weather-tanned  face  and  one  clear,  oray 


40  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

eye,  alighted  from  it  and  demanded  aceommodation  for  himself 
and  beasts.  The  Brookhelders  were  on  the  look-out :  for  the 
appearance  of  the  wagon,  i-eeoonized  at  once  as  belonging  to  a 
peddler,  had  aroused  their  curiosity.  The  quaint,  outlandish 
look  of  the  mercurial  little  man  made  him  the  object  of  unusual 
interest :  and  it  was  not  long  before  the  spacious  porch  in 
front  of  the  hotel  was  lilled  with  inquisitive  idlers  of  the  town. 
which  seemed  greatly  to  please  the  newcomer.  He  nodded 
familiarly  to  all  Avho  approached,  gleefully  rubbed  his  hands, 
and  while  with  his  sound  eye  he  surveyed  the  crowd  surround- 
ing him,  a  spasmodic  twitching  of  tlie  lids  of  the  one  he  had 
lost  produced  so  comit^al  an  effect  upon  the  audience  that  a 
titter  of  half  suppressed  merriment  became  audiV)le.  When 
the  colored  gi'oom  had  nnliitchcij  and  taken  charge  of  his 
horses,  he  took  out  of  his  wagon  a  box  of  considerable  size, 
set  it  down  on  the  porch,  and  took  off  the  li<l. 

''  You  wish  to  l)uy?  "  he  addressed  tlie  by-standers  in  lluent 
English  but  with  so  foivign  an  accent,  that  he  greatly  touched 
the  I'isibility  of  the  onlookers.  "  I  have  in  this  wonderful  box 
cverytliing  that  heart  may  wisli  for,  exct'pt  money,  and  that  I 
wish  to  get  from  you."  lie  tlien  cast  a  swift,  keen  look  over 
his  audience,  and  continued,  taking  out  of  the  box  one  article 
after  the  other,  and  showing  it  ai-ound.  '*  Suspenders!  Every 
man  of  you  wears,  1  dare  say,  his  own  breeches,  even  if  he  is 
married.  Don't  he?  Therefore  he  wants  suspenders.  Or 
))reeches  :  Suspenders  witliont  breeches  :ire  of  no  use,  exce{)t 
up(jn  a  gallow  ;  and  tiiere  tliey  use  a  rope  instead.  But  if  yon 
are  all  supplied  with  breeches,  you  may  need  l)uttons.  Here 
theyai'cl  Big  and  little,  white  and  black  — •  manufactui-i'd 
out  of  honest  l)one,  or  horn,  warranted  to  stick  until  torn  off. 
Or  thread,  to  sew  them  on  with,  or  have  tiiem  sewed  on  l»y  a 
prettv  girl.  Or  needh's  :  Foi'  without  needles  the  sharpest 
lassie  will  lie  unable  to  piei'ce  a  button.  Talking  about  lasses  — 
I  know  vdu  like  to  hear  ahout  them  —  see.  I  have  something 
here  for  the  dailings:  scissors  I  They  can  nsi'  them  to  cut 
off  the  thread,  as  tliev  cut  off  the  thi-ead  ol'  a  sweetheart  when 


A    WESTERN    TOWN  AND  ITS  IIIVAL    STORES.       41 

treiicliiiig  on  forbidden  ground.  See,  most  wondcrliil  scissors  I 
Keen  and  sharp  as  a  woman's  tongue  — bright  and  clear  as  a 
maiden's  eye  —  of  adamantine  hardness,  like  the  heart  of  a 
lassie  when  she  gives  you  the  mitten.  Don't  you  all  want  :t 
pair  of  such  wonderful  scissors?  See,  —  the  blades  ;irc  like 
two  lawyers  trying  u  case  ;  they  slash  away  at  each  other,  but 
cut  only  the  jnirses'of  the  clients  that  come  between  them." 

In  such  manner  the  peddler  showed  around  his  goods, 
nnuising  the  crowil  by  tlroll  c(jnceits,  the  effect  of  which  was 
heightened  l»y  the  nervous  manner  in  which  he  jerked  out  his 
sentences,  and  his  outlandish  pronunciation.  In  the  crowd 
stood  Mr.  Barnes,  the  i)ioneer  merchant.  He  volunteered  the 
opinion,  delivered  with  a  smile  of  derision,  that  this  man  might 
make  an  excellent  clown  in  a  circus,  Imt  had  not  the  stuff  in 
him  for  a  decent  i)eddler.  "Has  he  succeeded  in  selling  a 
single  article?  "  he  impiired  of  Mr.  Smith,  standing  beside 
him.  "  He  seems  more  desirous  of  parading  his  stale  jokes, 
than  of  selling  his  wares." 

"You  may  be  right,  neighbor  Barnes,"  said  Mr.  Smith, 
who  was  none  other  tlian  mine  host  of  the  hotel.  ••  If  he 
knew  what  he  was  about  he  might  do  a  smashing  business  now, 
for  you've  had  nothing  worth  looking  at  in  your  store  for  a 
young  coon's  age." 

"  I  shall  start  for  the  city  to  replenish  my  stock  next  week," 
Mr.  Barnes  replied  a  little  testily  :  "•  and  then  I  will  show  you 
goods,  alongside  of  which  this  Iniffoon  would  not  dare  to  let 
his  rubbish  be  seen.  Everybody  knows  that  I  am  to  be  relied 
on,  and  you  might  have  patience  for  a  few  days." 

"  You  give  us  no  otlu'r  chance,"  Mr.  Smith  rei)lied.  '•  But 
look:  Old  Jones  is  standing  in  front  of  his  l)ox.  Doesn't  he 
look  exactly  as  if  he  meant  to  buy  that  watch  he  is  picking  up?" 

"Indeed,"  cried  JNIr.  Barnes  sneeringly.  ••The  peddler 
really  thinks  he  has  found  a  customer.  If  he  had  a  grain  of 
knowledge  of  human  nature,  he  would  know  at  once,  that  tlxd 
fellow  hasn't  got  a  cent  that  lie  (lon't  need  to  color  his  nose 
with." 


42  THE   BEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

It  really  seemed  iis  if  the  [)e(Ullei'  had  set  i)is  heart  on 
securing  a  customer  in  Mr.  Jones,  —  him  of  the  copper-eohjred 
nose;  for  he  addressed  himself  to  this  individual  with  such  a 
Ci)mieal  twilcii  of  his  eyelid  as  to  produce  a  shout  of  laughter. 
'•  J)o  you  need  a  watch,  my  friend  ?  "  he  jerked  out.  "  Look: 
here  is  one  expressly  imported  for  you  from  the  city.  It  is 
made  of  })ure  metal,  warranted  not  to  cut  in  the  eye.  Its 
works  are  a  marvel  to  behold.  It  keeps  time,  twice  a  day,  as 
accurately  as  a  chronometer  for  wliich  you  would  have  to  pay 
a  hundred  pounds.  If  you  want  it,  I  will  sell  it  to  you  at 
your  own  ])rice.     Name  your  figure ! 

Jones  had  by  this  tune  succeeded  in  opening  the  case. 
''Why,  I  see  no  works  in  it  at  all  I  "  he  exclaimed,  looking 
nonplussed. 

''No?"  queried  the  peddler,  putting  on  a  perfectly  inno- 
cent face,  all  spoiled,  however,  l)y  that  unfortunate  twit(^hing 
of  his  eyelid,  which  made  him  winking  in  a  droll  manner. 
"  Then  I  am  sorry  lor  you,  my  friend.  For  that  is  a  sad  sign 
of  weak  eyes.  Weakened,  perhai)s,  l)y  the  red  glare  from 
your  nose.  Try  a  i)air  of  my  excellent  specs.  Cheap  at  half 
the  price !  " 

The  well  known  character  of  Jones  as  a  lazy,  drunken  loafer, 
gave  point  to  the  peddler's  words,  and  turned  the  laugli  against 
him. 

"That  })eddler  isn't  (piite  the  fool  you  took  him  for,"  Mr. 
Smith  remarked  to  Mr.  Barnes,  smiling  mischievously.  "  He 
seems  to  hit  .lones'  character  exactly." 

"As  if  that  meant  anything!"  said  Mr.  IJarnes  suj)erciU- 
ously.  '•  Any  bal)y  might  read  Jones'  character  in  his  besot- 
ted face.  That  doesn't  prove  any  business  capacity  in  this 
itinerant  clown.      He  has  not  sold  a  thing  yet." 

"  How  can  lie  expect  to  make  customers  of  men  he  insults 
so  shamefully?  "  asked  a  by-stander.  "  And  1  don't  suppose 
that  people  like  to  trade  on  the  open  street.  He  don't  ap|)ear 
to  understand  his  liusiuess." 

'••  You  ari'  riulil.  neighbor  Ibndcii."  said  l>ai-ncs.  rejoiced  to 


A    \V/:^TEIiN   TOWN  AND   ITS  L'JVAL    ,STOIiES.        43 

liud  lii.s  viows  sa[)|)t)i'ti'(l  hy  a  IVUow  lowiismau.  "  It  is  iiupai- 
donablo  in  a  nu'ivhant  to  tivat  his  pultlic  with  such  downrisjht 
insoli'iu'i'."" 

Tilt'  pc'(hlli'r.  iioweviT,  srciiird  not  ill  ploast'd  to  havi.-  tlu' 
people  laui>h.  rather  than  buy,  just  yet.  Haviny  shown  most 
of  the  goods  iu  the  box,  he  i*arefully  replaced  them  and  re- 
turned the  box  to  the  Avagou.  '■  There,"  he  said,  cheerfully, 
"  there  are  many  such  boxes  in  that  stylish  turn-out  of  mine. 
Nobody  has  asked  for  the  price  of  the  goods,  so  I  will  volun- 
teer the  information,  for  the  benefit  of  the  public,  that  I  can 
afford  to  sell  cheaper  than  any  other  honest  man,  and  meau  to 
so  do,  because  I  l)iiy  all  my  stock  at  auction  for  one  (juarter 
its  value ;  then  when  I  get  one  half  of  what  the  things  are 
worth,  I  still  make  one  hundred  per  cent  ijrollt.  You  will  l)e 
astonished,  when  I  call  on  you  at  your  houses,  how  dog-cheap 
the  linest  goods  can  be  sold,  and  what  tremendous  l)argains 
you  are  going  to  make." 

Then,  bowing  to  all  around  him,  he  retired  into  the  hotel. 

"  That's  about  it,  1  guess,"  said  Mr.  Barnes,  smiling  trium- 
phantly. "  He  has  bought  up  a  pile  of  rubbish  that  no  one 
else  would  have,  at  some  auction,  and  now  expects  to  ])alm  them 
off  on  us  in  the  backwoods  here,  at  prices  for  which  the  best 
articles  could  be  furnished." 

The  peddler  counted  on  the  notoriety  which  the  oddity  of 
his  course  was  likely  to  obtain  for  him,  and  he  was  not  mis- 
taken. When,  after  taking  his  meal,  l»e  called  at  the  several 
homes  of  the  inhaliitants,  he  was  looked  for  with  lively  curi- 
osity by  the  fairer  portion  of  the  community,  and  his  goods 
found  ready  purchasers  at  very  fair  prices.  His  success  was 
so  far  above  his  most  sanguine  expectations,  that  he  was  in- 
duced to  inquire  more  minutely  into  the  conditio)*  of  affairs. 
As  the  result  of  his  inquiries  he  determined  to  conqjete  with  the 
merchant  pioneer  foi-  the  trade  which  Brookfield  had  to  olfei-. 

Thus  it  had  come  to  pass  that  a  new  impulse  was  given  to 
the  prosperity  of  Brookfield  by  the  establishment  of  a  second 
store,     Barnes  soon   found   Mr.  Van  Braakcn.  whose  capacity' 


44  THE  REBEL' h>   DAUGHTER. 

for  busiiiejss  he  held  in  such  utter  contempt,  an  iiK-ouveiiieut 
and  formidable  competitor.  The  first  innovation  he  intro- 
duced was  the  purchase  of  a  stout  freight  wagon  and  the  neces- 
sary horses,  which  he  kept  almost  continually  on  the  road  be- 
tween the  metropolis  and  Brooklield,  thus  enabling  him  to  have 
a  fresh  supply  of  goods  always  on  hand.  His  success  was 
chiefly  due,  however,  to  the  great  i-eduction  in  prices  which  he 
introduced  from  the  start.  The  "  Dutch  Store  "  soon  gained 
the  reputation  of  l)eing  the  place  Avhere  the  best  bargains  were 
to  be  made  far  and  wide. 

The  nickname  of  "  Dutch  Store,"  which  Barnes  had  given 
to  his  rival's  establishment,  clung  to  it  ineffaceal)ly.  He  had 
counted  on  the  i)rejudice  of  tlie  liackwoodsmen  against  for- 
eigners, and  particularly  against  the  "  Dutch."  —  a  term  that 
had  become  opprobrious  in  its  application,  not  so  nnicli  to  the 
natives  of  Holland,  luit  rather  to  the  Germans,  who  were 
looked  upon  as  descendants  fi'oui  those  vile  Hessians  that  liad 
been  sent  o\er  by  the  Britishei-s  to  crush  out  the  spirit  (jf 
American  ludependenci"  —  tiiinUing.  \)\  fastening  upon  liim 
this  offensive  epitliet,  to  di'aghim  down  to  ignominious  failure. 

Mynheer  \'an  liraaken,  liowever.  who,  as  a  native  Hollander, 
saw  no  disgrace  in  the  word  '•  Dutch,"  was  not  slow  to  appre- 
ciate and  utilize  for  his  own  advantage  this  convenient  cogno- 
men, which,  he  at  once  saw,  would  most  effectually  bring  his 
business  into  i)ul)lic  notice.  The  good  natured  naivete,  with 
which  lie  acu-epted  the  ttffensive  byname,  disarmed  oi)position 
and  deprived  the  word  of  its  sting.  It  was  noticed  with  amaze- 
ment, tliat  the  new  merchant  seemed  to  be  as  proud  of  the 
distinction  conl'erred  upon  him.  as  if  llu-  word  ••  Dutclnnan 
weiv  inten(le<l  for  a  coinpliment.  in  I'ecognition  of  his  merit  in 
coming  ani(»iig  tliem  as  :i  stranger.  He  took  special  ])ains  to 
sprt'ad  it  as  wicU-ly  as  possibh'.  so  tlial  the  fame  of  tlie--  Dutch 
Store  "  soon  extended  to  the  southei'u  and  western  limits  of  tiiv 
State:  and  all  along  tlie  great  State  roads:  from  the  East  and 
from  llie  .North  the  ^'  Dutch  Merchant  "  was  known.  IJarnes 
(lis<'overe(I    too   late,  that    he   ha<l    himself   foriicd  tiie  mightiest 


A    WESTEim    TOWN  AND  ITS  lUVAL    STOlUJS.       45 

weapon  with  wliicli  liis  rival  was  Uohting  him.  lie  saw,  and 
bowed  to,  the  necessity  of  employing  other  means  of  warfare 
against  his  active  competitor  besides  derisions  and  sneers  ;  he 
was  forced  to  content  himself  with  smaller  {)ronts,  and  to 
replenish  his  stock  of  merchandise  at  shorter  intervals,  and 
with  greater  circumspection.  But  he  had  suffered  his  rival  to 
gain  too  great  a  start,  rendering  exertion  and  sacrifices  neces- 
sary to  enable  him  to  hold  his  own. 

Of  course,  there  was  no  lack  of  secret  envy  and  open  oppo- 
sition to  be  encountered  by  the  adacious  interloper.  After  the 
lirst  wave  of  his  popularity  had  begun  to  subside,  some  of  the 
oldest  inhaltitants  of  lirooklield  thought  it  incumbent  upon 
them  to  espouse  the  cause  of  their  ancient  townsman  against 
tliis  intruder,  who  was,  besides,  a  foreigner.  C)tliers.  on  the 
contrary,  thought  him  a  valuable  addition  to  the  population, 
whose  business  success  meant  prosperity  and  success  for  the 
town.  Thus  two  parties  gradually  formed,  with  Barnes  and 
^^ln  Braaken  for  leaders,  which  soon  assumed  the  semblance 
of  organization.  Not  unlike  two  hostile  armies  in  the  held, 
they  had  their  outi)Osts,  their  scouts  and  spies.  They  met  in 
skirmishes,  and  even  in  severer  encounters,  tighting  the  Ijattle 
between  progress  and  conservatism,  their  watch  words  being 
''  Dutch  Store  ""  and  ''  Pioneer." 

The  commercial  greatness  of  Brookfield  could  not  but  gain 
by  this  rivalry.  Even  Mr.  Barnes  saw  the  validity  of  his 
rival's  motto,  "Competition  is  the  life  of  trade."  Thougli 
his  gains  were  smaller  than  they  had  lieen  under  the  enormous 
protits  of  former  years,  he  could  not  deny  that  twice  tifty  pre- 
cisely equaled  once  one  hundred  ;  and  that  many  sales  with 
small  profits  might  add  as  much  to  his  gains,  as  greater  protits 
with  fewer  sales. 

On  the  morning  after  Victor's  arrival  Colonel  May  accom- 
panied him  to  Van  Braaken 's  store.  As  the  Colonel  had 
predicted,  Yahkop  had  not  yet  an-ived  with  the  wagon. 
Mynheer,  as  the  Colonel  persisted  in    calling  the  Dutch  mer- 


46  THE  HE  BEL'S   DAUUIITEU. 

chant,  was  not  a  little  astonished  to  see  his  new  assistant 
approach  the  store  in  Colonel  May's  company,  and  without 
Yahkop.  This  at  once  aronsed  his  anxiety  as  to  the  safety  of 
his  wares,  and  he  inqnired  eagerly,  "  Where  is  Yahko])? 
Where  is  the  wagon  ?  Has  anything  happened  to  the  horses?  " 
The  Colonel  answered  instead  of  the  young  man.  ''  l^on't 
he  alarmed,  Mynheer,  we  left  Yahkop  with  the  team  safe  and 
sound  some  twelve  miles  out,  hist  evening.  If  he  hnrries 
along,  he  will  be  here  in  an  liour  or  two  at  the  outside.  Mr. 
Waldhorst  has  put  us  —  I  mean  my  daughter  and  myself  — 
under  very  great  obligation,  and  we  did  ourselves  the  honor  to 
bring  him  to  our  home,  where  we  kept  him  for  the  night.  I 
now  deliver  him  into  your  charge,  as  I  had  promised  him  before 
he  w(juld  consent  to  come  witli  us.  I  hoi)e,  Mynheer,  that 
you  will  pardon  the  liljerty  that  we  allowed  ourselves  in  mak- 
ing Mr.  Waldhorst  our  guest  before  he  paid  his  respects  to 
yourself." 

' '  So  you  have  already  made  his  acquaintance  ?  ' '  spoke  the 
Mynheer,  eyeing  the  Colonel  somewhat  suspiciously.  "  I  like 
that.  And  you  are  pleased  with  him?  I  like  that.  And  1 
like  it  that  he  has  come.  When  the  wagon  comes  with  the 
goods  we  will  have  plenty  of  w'ork  in  the  Dutch  Store.  Does 
he  know  that  our  store  is  the  Dutch  Store  ?  ' ' 

"  I  believe  that  my  daughter  has  mentioned  it  to  him,"  the 
Colonel  said,  smiling,  wlule  Mynheer's  eye-lid  twitched  re- 
l)eatedly. 

"  Yes,"  the  latter  went  on.  "  The  Dutch  Store.  But  step 
in,  Colonel.  And  you,  Victor  —  that  is  your  name,  is  it?  — 
look  about  on  the  scene  of  your  future  fame.  Because  you 
belong  to  the  Dutch  Store,  you  will  soon  be  much  renowned." 

"You  will  excuse  me  now,"  said  the  Colonel.  -'•  Having 
redeemed  my  promise  to  introduce  the  young  man  to  you,  1 
must  look  about  after  other  affairs.     So  bAe-bye." 

^'  1  guess  you  are  in  a  hurry,"  said  the  merchant.  *'  You 
have  your  hands  full,  as  a  candidate?  But  your  election  is 
sure.     1  don't  think  vou  ought  to  trouble  yourself." 


.1     WESTEllN    TOWN  AND   ITS   ItlVAL    ,ST<Jli'J:,s.         17 

''  All,  do  yoii  ivally  think  so?  "  the  Colonel  asked  suavely. 
•■  And  may  I  count  on  your  intlucnee'r  "  — 

••Xol"  tlu'  nieichant  shouted,  in  eag-er  deprecation. 
••  Don'l  count  on  inlluence  from  me  I  "  Then  he  added 
aixiloiietically  :  ••  I  am  a  man  of  business,  and  have  no  time 
for  politics.  Besides,  1  have  no  vote.  1  never  staid  long 
enough  at  any  place  to  entitle  me  to  my  citizen  papers. 
And  what  inlluence  I  may  have,  1  need  for  the  Dutch 
Store.  But  that  will  make  no  difference  to  you ;  you  will 
he  elected  all  the  same.  And  I  thank  you  for  your  kindness 
to  Victor  here.  1  am  sure  he  ought  to  be  much  obliged  to 
you . ' ' 

"  Tut  I  The  obligation  is  all  on  my  side,  I  assure  you,  " 
the  Colonel  replied,  cordially  shaking  hands  with  Mynheer. 
•'  And  you,  Mr.  Waldhorst,"  he  continued,  turning  to  Victor, 
"  must  not  forget  to  be  a  frequent  visitor  at  our  house,  where 
you  will  always  find  a  hearty  welcome." 

Victor  followed  his  new  chief  into  the  interior  of  the  store, 
and  was  introduced  to  the  head-clerk,  Mr.  Miller,  as  well  as  to 
a  youth  of  about  his  own  age,  whose  name  was  Robert  Roun- 
tree,  usually  called  Bob.  The  introduction  over.  Mynheer  Van 
Braaken  addressed  himself  to  the  by-standers.  ' '  Gentlemen, ' ' 
he  said,  ''this  is  our  new  German  clerk,  who  will  hereafter 
take  pleasure  in  serving  the  patrons  of  the  Dutch  Store.  He 
will  have  little  or  no  occasion  to  use  his  mother-tongue  :  for  I 
suppose  that  with  the  exception  of  my  driver  Yahkop,  there 
is  not  another  German  nearer  than  fifty  miles  of  here.  I 
myself,  you  know,"  he  continued,  nodding  with  a  condes- 
cending air,  ''  am  not  a  German,  but  a  Dutchman,  from  whom 
the  Dutch  Store  gets  its  name." 

Later,  when  Mynheer  inquired  into  the  particulars  of  the 
journey  from  the  city,  N'ictor  conscientiously  related  the  cir- 
cumstances which  had  led  to  the  collision.  A  shadow  of 
decided  displeasure  settled  on  the  merchant's  face,  as  Victor 
honestly  related  the  mishap  to  the  wagon. 

"  Yahkop  did  not  right  to  let  you  drive  that  team,"  he  said 


48  Till-:   11EBF.L\S   DAlUniTKR. 

rather  severely.  '•  1  employed  liini  to  take  eliarge  of  the 
horses  and  wagon,  and  want  you  hi  the  store.     Go  on." 

The  recital  of  his  exploit  in  trying  to  stop  the  runaway 
horses  seemed  to  please  the  merchant.  "  That  was  a  smart 
thing  you  did  there,"  he  said,  nodding  his  head  repeatedly. 
"  Acquiuntance  with  Colonel  May  will  bring  you  advantage, 
for  he  can't  help  patronizing  you.  He  is  a  candidate  and  will 
talk  to  many  ])eople  about  himself,  and  will  mention  you,  and 
the  Dutch  Store."" 

\'ictor  found  very  little  edilication  in  the  words  and  manner 
of  his  chief.  He  had  expected  a  different  leception  of  the 
news  he  was  communicating.  What  Mr.  Van  Braaken  meant 
by  the  advantage  of  l»eing  talked  about,  was  a  mystery  to  him. 
But  he  said  nothing:  only  the  words  of  his  chief  had  jarred  on 
his  ears,  and  he  was  at  a  loss  to  account  for  the  de])ression 
they  produced. 

The  establishment  into  which  A'ictor  had  l>een  admitted  as 
youngest  apprentice,  was  (illed  with  wares  and  merchandise  of 
all  kinds.  It  was  divided  into  compartments  for  the  several 
classes  of  goods  kept  for  sale.  One  of  them  was  devoted  to 
the  exhibition  of  dry  goods  ;  hardware  was  stored  in  another ; 
in  a  third,  groceries  and  provisions  were  kept,  while  a  fourth 
was  used  for  the  display  of  boots,  shoes  and  hats.  There  were 
separate  divisions  for  books  and  stationery,  and  even  medi- 
cines, —  among  which  quinine,  Brandreth's  pills  and  opedeldoc 
ligured  cons])ieuously,  —  had  a  i)articular  corner  assigned  to 
them.  In  a  little  back  building  or  annex,  furs,  peltries,  and 
what  other  articles  of  l)arter  the  country  afforded,  were  stored. 
The  extent  of  the  business  carried  on  by  Mr.  Van  Braaken, 
astonished  Victor,  and  tilled  him  with  pride  at  the  thought  of 
identifying  himself  with  an  establishment  of  such  magnitude. 
He  examined  everything  with  minute  attention,  and  would 
have  l)een  pleased  to  enter  on  the  discharge  of  his  duties  at 
once ;  but  these  consisted,  for  the  present,  in  nothing  more 
than  to  learn  the  names  of  the  articles,  and  to  note  the  prices 
and  places  where  kept. 


J     WKSTEUN    TOWN  ANI)    ITS    HIVAL    STOllKS.         !'.• 

The  arrival  of  the  wagon  with  new  goods  from  tiie  metropo- 
lis always  ereated  a  considerable  stir  in  the  little  town.  Even 
oil  ordinary  ocrasioiis  it  was  a  ti'eal  for  the  idlers  and  loafers 
ai)onl  town  to  wateh  the  unloading  of  the  wagon  and  the 
ti'ansfer  of  the  freight  to  the  stores;  and  of  all  the  wagoners 
enijiloyed  liy  the  mei'chants,  none  enjoyed  greater  popularity 
than  droll,  simple  Yahkoj).  whose  sententious  sayings  and 
broken  English  afforded  a  rich  source  of  fun  and  annisement. 
To-day  in  [)articular,  when  he  narrated  Victcjr's  ex[)loits  in 
driving  the  team  against  a  tree, — not,  of  course,  without 
adding  various  emltellishments  and  exaggeratic^ns, — a  great 
crowd  of  townsmen  surrounded  the  wagon,  until  the  last  box, 
barrel  and  Ijale  had  been  unloaded  and  transferred  to  the 
interior  of  the  store.  The  adventure  itself,  and  Yahkop's 
comical  manner  of  relating  it,  caused  great  merriment  among 
the  crowd,  and  the  good-natured  manner  in  which  Victor 
sometimes  joined  in  the  laugh  against  himself,  jnade  him  quite 
a  favorite  among  them,  so  thatlMynheer  Van  liraaken  felicitated 
himself  upon  his  valualde  acquisition  in  his  new  a])prentice. 

Victor  assisted  with  a  hearty  good  will  in  unloading,  packing 
and  arranging  the  goods  upon  their  shelves,  showing  such 
aptitude  and  docility  in  all  that  he  put  his  hands  to,  that  he 
gained  the  encouraging  approbation  of  his  chief,  in  this  respect 
also. 


IV. 

BUNKUM:     MERCANTILE    AND    LITERARY. 

yjCTOK  readily  adapted  himself  to  his  new  avocation. 
He  mastered  the  details  of  the  business  with  ease  and 
'  rai)idity,  and  discharged  his  duties  diligently  and 
cheerfully.  Mr.  Miller,  his  immediate  superior,  was  a  not 
unamiable  man,  who  patiently  answered  the  numerous  ques- 
tions Victor  had  to  ask  about  the  rules  of  the  establishment, 
nor  disdained  to  satisfy  his  curiosity  concerning  the  town,  the 
country  and  the  people,  and  other  general  topics. 

In  one  respect,  however,  Victor  found  it  exceedingly  dilti- 
cult  to  satisfy  the  expectations  of  his  superiors.  He  could  not 
understand  how^  it  could  possibly  conduce  to  the  advantage  of 
his  employer,  to  deceive  the  customers  as  to  the  real  quality  or 
value  of  the  goods  they  wished  to  purchase.  He  betrayed  his 
lamentable  ignorance  —  stupidity.  Bob  Rountree  would  have 
said  —  in  the  rudimentary  principles  of  trade,  by  suggesting 
the  silly  and  antiquated  notion,  that  it  was  wrong  to  lie  about 
the  wares  one  had  for  sale,  and  that  the  habit  of  doing  so 
nuist,  in  the  long  run,  destroy  one's  business  by  frightening 
off  the  customers.  Mr.  Miller,  in  particular,  was  put  to  much 
trouble  in  the  endeavor  to  correct  Victor's  heresies,  and  to 
impress  him  with  sounder,  more  business  like  views. 

One  day,  after  Victor  had  made  some  progress  in  learning 
the  names  and  prices  of  the  various  articles  in  stock,  two 
ladies  entered  the  store,  to  wait  upon  whom  the  chief  himself, 
as  well  as  every  one  of  the  employees  showed  great  alacrity. 
Mynheer  Van  Braaken  received  them  at  tlu'  door  and  courte- 
ously escorted  them  to  the  counter ;  Mr.  Miller  made  his 
politest  bow,  and  stood  ready  on  the  inside  of  the  counter 
to  take  tlieir  orders;    even  Boli  Rountree  ostentatiously  jiaraded 

(50) 


BUNKUM:    MERCANTILE   AND    LlTERAllY.  51 

hiniself  before  them  to  ^illo\v  his  readiness  to  serve  them,  if  he 
shoiikl  be  wanted.  Victor's  lieart  beat  faster  when  his  eyes 
fell  on  tliese  ladies  :  witli  a  tlirill  of  genuine  pleasure  he  saw 
them  walk  straight  uj)  to  himself,  and  noted  the  kindly  manner 
in  which  they  acknowledged  his  salutation. 

They  were  his  acquaintances,  INIrs.  May  and  her  daughter 
NeUie. 

"  Are  you  aware,  sir,  that  you  have  been  very  naughty,  Mr. 
Waldhorst?  "  These  were  the  first  words  that  Nellie  addressed 
to  him  as  soon  as  she  had  responded  to  his  bow.  '•  How 
many  days  have  you  been  here,  now,  without  once  coming  to 
see  us,  and  telling  us  how  you  are  pleased  with  our  ])eople. 
and  your  place,  and  in(iuiring  after  our  health?  " 

"  You  are  most  kind,  Miss  May,"  stammered  Victor,  blush- 
ing with  pleasure.  '"  I  shall  nnike  carlv  use  of  your  invita- 
tion." 

'*  So  y.ou  have  said  before,"  the  girl  replied.  '' But  now 
that  we  are  here  to  remind  you  of  your  promise,  we  may  as 
well  get  you  to  show  us  some  of  the  fine  things  you  have  for 
sale.  I  persuaded  mamma  to  make  our  purchases  in  your  store 
this  time,  to  give  you  a  chance  to  show  off  as  a  salesman." 

"  Was  it  not  to  hear  us  talk  Dutch  in  the  Dutch  Store?  " 
Victor  inquired,  with  a  bashful  smile.  "But  Yahkop  is  not 
here  to-day." 

'•  You  might  talk  Dutch  with  the  Mynheer,  as  papa  calls 
your  boss,"  Nellie  retaliated  saucily.  ••  But  1  regret  to  see 
that  1  was  mistaken  in  you.  1  took  you  for  a  model  gentle- 
man, and  now  you  take  delight  in  teasing  me  with  the  silly 
words  you  heard  nie  say." 

"  What  does  the  girl  niean  ?  "  Van  Braaken  asked  Victor  in 
German.      ''  Answer  in  German.     It  will  please  her." 

Victor  complied  and  the  result  showed  that  the  Mynheer 
was  right,  for  Nellie  l>urst  out  in  a  merry  peal  of  laughter. 
"  That  sounds  for  all  the  world  like  the  gabble  of  the  Chicka- 
saw Indians,  that  passed  through  here  two  years  ago,"  she 
exclaimed,  on  recoverino-  her  breath. 


52  THE  llEBEI/S  DAUGIlTEli. 

"  Nellie,  you  ought  to  be  ashamed  of  yourself  I  "  Mrs.  May 
said  reproachfully.  ''  When  will  you  learn  to  behave  like  a 
Indy?" 

*'  IJut  il  sounds  so  funny,  nianuna  I  "  said  tlie  girl,  endeav- 
oring, with  indifferent  success,  to  compose  her  beaming  fea- 
tures. ''  Well,  then,  Mr.  Waldhorst,  show  me  some  of  your 
finest  white  hose." 

"Hose?"  ^'ictor  repeated  boklly.  thougli  he  iiad  not  the 
faintest  idea  of  the  meaning  of  the  word.  "  For  yourself?  " 
he  added  leisurely,  to  gain  time.  Then  it  Hashed  into  his  mind 
that  he  had  seen  a  box  labeled  '■'  Misses'  White  Silk  Hose," 
which  he  triumphantly  produced,  and  submitted  the  contents 
to  her  inspection. 

Having  selected  a  pair  whose  elasticity  she  was  testing  liy 
stretching  them  out  to  their  full  length,  she  inquired:  ''  How 
high  do  these  come  ?  ' ' 

Instead  of  answering,  Victor  V)  hi  shed  scarlet. 

"  Well,"  said  the  young  lady,  looking  up  in  surprise, 
"  can't  you  tell  me  the  price?  " 

"Oh,  the  price!  "  came  from  Victor  in  a  voice  hardly 
audible,  the  color  deepening  on  his  face.  "The  price  is  six 
bits."  He  looked  as  if  it  would  be  a  relief  to  him  to  be 
engulfed  by  an  earthquake,  or  to  be  carried  off  l)y  some 
friendly  monster,  out  of  range  of  those  wide  open,  wondering 
eyes. 

A  faint  retlex  of  the  color  in  his  face  and  a  hardly  percept- 
ible smile  brightened  the  face  of  INfrs.  May,  as  she  promptly 
came  to  Victor's  rescue,  by  requesting  him  to  show  her  some 
stuffs  suitable  for  a  dress  for  Nellie.  With  a  profoundly 
grateful  heart  Victor  piled  up  everything  of  line  dress  goods 
the  liouse  contained  before  them  on  the  counter.  Tlie  hidies 
examined,  admired,  compared, — notliing  just  suited  them. 
At  last  Mrs.  May  requested  him  to  show  them  a  piece  of  silk, 
of  a  delicate  1)lue  color,  which  he  had  purposely  not  removed 
from  the  shelf.  Victor  complied  with  jierceptible  hesitation. 
He    had    addressed    himself  exclusivelv    to    Mrs.    Mav    tvfter 


BUNKUM:    MERCANTILE  AND   LITEBAEY.  53 

st:itiii<>'  tlu'  \)v\vv  of  till'  hose;  l)ut  lie  now  cast  a  I'lirtivi' li'lance 
ill  till'  ilii'i'i'tioii  wliei'o  Ni'llie  stood,  —  not,  however  at  lier. 
hut  at  Mr.  Van  J3raaken,  standing  iininediately  hack  of  the 
youiiii'  lady.  He  took  no  notice  of  A'ictoi-'s  ulance.  JMrs. 
JNIay  seemed  pleased  Avith  the  article  shown  her.  and  inciuired 
the  price.  Again  Victor  hesitated  :  cast  an  appealing  look  at 
Mr.  ^Miller,  then  another  at  his  chief,  and  as  neither  of  them 
seemed  to  understand  his  signal  of  distress,  he  stammered  out, 
his  voice  gaining  lirmness,  however,  as  he  went  on : 

'•  We  cannot  recommend  this  article  to  you,  Ma'am.  It  is 
a  poor  quality  of  goods,  and  the  color  will  fade  in  the  sun." 

The  ladies  looked  at  him  in  astonishment.  They  seemed 
nettled.  Mr.  JNIiller  promptly  stepped  forward  and  said,  with 
a  most  amiable  smile,  "  The  young  man  is  mistaken,  ladies. 
Tins  is  a  most  excellent  and  exceedingly  line  quality  of  silk, 
and  if  the  color  suits  your  taste,  you  need  not  hesitate  t(j  buy. 
J  assure  you,  that  the  sun  will  have  no  effect  upon  it." 

••  1  am  not  mistaken,"  answered  Victor,  turning  pale  before 
the  menacing  frown  he  saw  gathering  on  the  brow  of  the  chief, 
but  standing  his  ground  bravely.  "  I  have  my  information 
from  Mr.  Van  Braakeu,  who  said  that  we  had  been  shamefully 
cheated  in  this  piece  of  goods,  because  neither  the  fabric  nor 
the  color  was  genuine." 

'•  This  is  a  strange  misunderstanding  on  the  part  of  our 
young  friend  here,"  Mr.  Miller  rejoined,  keeping  up  his 
sweetest  smile  before  the  ladies.  "  I  was  never  more  deceived 
in  my  life,  if  this  is  not  as  line  a  piece  of  goods  as  Avas  ever 
brought  to  Brooklield.  Just  feel  this  soft  and  delicate,  yet 
lirm  and  solid  texture  ;  and  the  color  is  as  true  as  gold.  I 
take  some  credit  to  myself  as  a  competent  judge  of  this  kind 
of  goods.  But  here  is  Mr.  Van  Braaken,  to  Avhom  the  boy  has 
appealed.     He,  surely,  can  give  us  the  best  information." 

Thus  referred  to  Mr.  Van  Braaken  could  not  avoid  givino- 
his  judgment.  He  stepped  up  with  a  sober  face,  passed  the 
silk  lightly  through  his  lingers,  and  said,  regarding  the  ladies 
with  a  benignant  look:    "  As  usual,  the  young  man  is  right. 


54  THE   BEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

I  am  extremely  sorrv,  ladies,  that  I  cannot,  on  this  occasion, 
acquiesce  in  the  judoment  of  Mr.  Miller,  who  is  usually  so 
correct  and  relialile.  That  hoy  is  an  extraordinary  boy  — 
the  smartest  boy  in  Vernal  County.  You  wouldn't  take  him 
to  be  a  Dutchman." 

And  Mr.  Van  IJraaken's  eyelid  twitched,  and  Nellie  thought 
he  was  winking  at  them,  and  it  looked  so  funny,  that  she  found 
it  exceedingly  dillicult  to  restrain  her  merriment.  Mr.  Miller, 
of  course,  was  highly  astonished.  He  deemed  it  scarcely  pos- 
sible that  the  beautiful,  soft  and  even  textile,  which  he  again 
examined  with  engrossing  attention,  should  be  a  base  imitation. 
But  Victor,  in  the  joy  of  his  heart,  forgave  his  emi)loyer  all 
the  humiliating  ei)itliets  Avith  which  he  had  so  often  wounded 
him.  Was  not  his  integrity,  —  aye.  his  judgment,  too,  — 
gloriously  vindicated  ])efore  the  ladies?  Let  Bob  Kountree 
sneer  and  grin,  if  it  pleased  him  :  Nellie  had  I)een  a  witness  to 
his  triumi)h  I 

"  Well,  IMr.  Waldhorst,"  said  Mrs.  May  on  recovering  from 
her  astonishment,  "■  since  you  insist  on  vetoing  our  own  choice, 
suppose  you  indicate  to  us  what  yours  woidd  lie.  Show  us  the 
goods  that  you  would  select  for  a  dress  for  my  daughter." 

"  Yes,"  Nellie  chimed  in,  '•  display  your  good  taste  by 
picking  out  for  me  the  loveliest  dress  you've  got  in  the  estab- 
lishment." 

"  If  you  would  do  me  the  honor  to  be  guided  by  my  choice," 
said  Victor,  modestly,  but  with  the  tone  of  conviction  that 
knows  no  doubt,  "you  Avill  take  this."  And  he  displayed 
before  them  a  l)olt  of  nuislin  de  laine,  which  the  ladies  had  laid 
aside  without  bestowing  a  second  look  at  it.  "  Is  not  this  a 
beautiful  design?  " 

"Very  pretty,  indeed,"  said  Mrs.  May.  ''But  unfortun- 
ately for  your  choice,  Nellie  already  possesses  a  dress  of  this 
same  pattern . ' ' 

"But  not  in  wool,  mama,"  Nellie  suggested  with  some 
eagerness.  "  See  how  nuich  richer  and  brighter  these  colors 
shoAV,  and  how  much  lovelier  the  pattern  looks  than  on  calico." 


BUNKUM:    MEliCANTILE  AND   LITERARY.  55 

"I  never  saw  a  lovelier  dress  on  a  lady,  than  this,"  said 
Victor  enthusiastically.      "  It  becomes  yon  wonderfully." 

"•  What  makes  you  so  sure?  "  asked  Nellie. 

"  I  have  seen  you  in  one  like  it." 

"When  —  that  day  in  the  woods,  when  tiie  horses  ran 
away?"  the  girl  asked  in  high  glee,  as  if  much  pk-ascd. 
''  Sure  enough,  mama,  I  wore  that  calico  dress  on  my  way 
home  from  the  seminary.  Is  it  not  strange,  that  Mr.  Wald- 
horst  should  have  noticed  it,  and  remember  it  so  accurately?  " 

Mrs.  May  smiled  graciously.  "  Well,"  said  she,  "  if  your 
friend  insists  on  it,  I  don't  see  how  we  can  avoid  buying  it." 
Then,  turning  to  the  merchant  she  said,  "  And  you,  Mr.  Van 
Braaken,  I  must  congratulate  on  your  disinterested  sincerity. 
I  ho])e  that  you  may  prove  the  adage,  that  honesty  is  the  best 
l)olicy.  For  my  part,  I  shall  hereafter  deal  exclusively  at 
your  establishment ;  for  it  is  quite  a  relief  to  be  able  to  rely 
implicitly  on  your  word  and  judgment,  as,  from  what  I  have 
experienced  here  to-day,  1  feel  confident  I  may  do  with  entire 
safety." 

"  Very  much  obliged  for  your  good  oi^inion,  Madam." 
said  the  merchant.  "You  are  very  right:  Honesty  is  the 
best  policy.  And  you  may  rest  assured,  we  in  the  Dutch 
Store  always  speak  the  truth.  One  of  the  lirst  [)rinciples  1 
taught  our  young  friend  here  was,  to  speak  the  truth  to  our 
customers  always.  And  you  see,  he  is  an  apt  scholar.  He 
will  always,  mindful  of  my  teachings,  sj^eak  the  truth,  even  if, 
for  the  time  being,  it  will  lead  to  the  loss  of  a  bargain.  Yes, 
indeed,  Honesty  is  the  best  policy  ;  and  it  is  the  motto  of  the 
Dutch  Store." 

Victor  hardly  dared  trust  his  ears.  Had  he  so  thoroughly 
misunderstood  his  chief,  in  suspecting  him  of  encouraging 
unfair  dealing  with  the  customers?  Why,  what  Mr.  ^'an 
Braaken  had  said  to  Mrs.  May  was  exactly  what  he  himself 
thought  right,  and  fair  and  wise.  Of  course,  honesty  is  the 
best  policy  ;  and  lo  I  tiiis  was  the  motto  of  the  establishment  I 
He  must  have   [)ut  a  wrong  construction  on  the  previous  con- 


56  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

duct  and  noi'ds  of  his  su[)eriors  in  tlie  store,  and  done  his 
employer  orievous  injustice. 

But  when  tlie  ladies  had  left  the  store,  not  without  having 
repeated  I  heir  invitation  to  Victor  to  visit  them  at  an  early 
daVi  Van  Uraaken  informed  him  that  lie  had.  on  this  occasion, 
shown  himself  a  fool.  Mctor  cohered  with  honest  indiiination, 
Init  listened  (piietly  to  what  his  chief  had  to  s;iy  to  him.  Only 
when  the  latter  repeatt'd  with  emphasis,  that  a  competent  sales- 
man imist  1)1'  able  to  pi'aise  up  and  to  sell  a  poor  article  as 
\\v\\  as  :i  uood  one  he  modestly  suo-gested  that  Mr.  ^'an 
Braaken  had  himself  (U'clared  honesty  and  truth  to  be  the 
proper  rule  of  action,  which  would  insure  success  in  business, 
and  was  promptly  told  for  answer,  that  this  declaration  was 
meant  for  the  customer,  who  must  of  course  l)elieve  in  the 
honesty  of  the  dealer.  But  a  merchant  nuist  not  permit  him- 
self to  l)e  susi)ected  of  having  been  imposed  upon  ;  and  the 
endeavor  to  convince  a  customer  of  the  worthlessuess  of  the 
goods  his  customer  wishes  to  l)uy.  was  paving  the  way  to 
bankruptcy. 

Victor  listened  with  eyes  and  mouth  wide  open.  He  was 
deeply  impressed  with  the  words  of  wisdom  that  fell  from  the 
lips  of  his  chief ;  but  the  reflection  was  not  edifying.  He 
began  to  suspect,  that  there  was  a  radical  defect  in  the  training- 
he  had  received ;  that  he  lacked  the  essential  elements  for 
success  in  mercantile  business.  Not  even  the  consolatory 
remarks  with  which  his  chief  closed  his  harangue,  restored  his 
equanimity. 

"•But  we  have  gained  one  great  advantage  to-day,"  said 
Mr.  \wn  Braaken.  "We  have  secured  the  custom  of  the 
Mays,  and  all  their  inlluence.     They  will  swear  by  the  Dutch 

Store  hereafter." 

*  *  * 

The  young  man  found  solace  in  the  leisui'e  which  his  duties 
left  him.  and  which  he  utilized  to  pick'  up  such  sci'aps  of  in- 
formation, as  the  scanty  means  at  his  own  command  rendered 
j)ossil»le.  and  which  ])ut  augmented  his  thirst  for  the  knowledge 


BUNKUM:    MERCANTILE   AND  LITERARY.  57 

and  cultuiv,  the  lack  of  which  he  felt  so  keenly.  Among  the 
books  kept  for  saU'  in  the  store,  he  found  Lindley  Murray's 
Grammar  of  the  Ensilisii  Language,  and  set  diligently  to  work 
in  studying  it.  IJut  lie  found  great  dilllculties  to  surmount : 
the  text  book  liiat  had  fallen  \nU)  his  hands  was  calcuhited  for 
the  use  of  schools,  presupposing  the  assistance  of  a  teacher. 
Nothing  daunted,  however,  he  plodded  on.  making  what 
progress  he  could. 

One  evening,  on  returning  to  the  store  after  supper,  he  met 
with  Leslie  ^Nlay.  who  was  leisurely  sauntering  across  the 
Square.  He  shook  liim  cordially  by  the  hand,  and  inquired 
what  he  was  doing.  In  the  conversation  that  followed,  Victor 
confided  to  his  friend  the  difficulties  he  found  in  the  study  of 
grammar. 

''  Cxrammar?  "  exclaimed  Leslie,  in  some  surprise.  '•  Are 
you  studying  grammar?     Then  who  is  your  teacher?  " 

''  That  is  the  trouble,"  Victor  replied.  "  I  iiave  no  teacher. 
And  there  are  passages  in  my  book  which  the  closest  attention 
does  not  enable  me  to  understand." 

"•  I  should  think  so,"  said  Leslie.  ''  What  I  "  he  continued, 
with  a  smile  of  incredulity,  "  Studying  grammar,  and  no 
teacher?  A>'hat.  in  all  the  world,  possesses  you  to  take  up 
this  driest  and  most  tedious  of  all  subjects.  —  and  without  a 
master,  too?  " 

•*  I  am  ashamed  of  my  ignorance,"  said  Mctor.  •'  J  know 
neither  my  own  mother-tongue,  nor  the  language  of  this 
country.  P2veryone  ought  at  least  t(^  understand  his  own 
language . " 

"  Well!  "  re[)lied  his  young  friend,  with  an  inflection  imply- 
ing wonder,  if  not  doubt.  ''  You  have  undertaken  a  job,  sure 
enough;  and  1  am  not  surprised  that  you  get  stuck  at  times. 
For  though  English  grammar  is  sheer  child's  play  alongside  of 
Latin,  I  wouldn't  for  the  finest  horse  in  Vernal  County  be  put 
through  the  drcai'y  drill  again.  If  you  like  it,  you're  a  diyer 
I)oke  than  1  took  you  for,  from  what  Nellie  told  me  about  you. 
But  talking;  about  a  master — we've  got  one  among  us  right 


58  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

now.  Huveu't  you  heard  that  there  is  to  l)e  a  lecture  this 
very  evening  on  this  same  subject  of  grammar  ? 

''  A  lecture  on  grammar?  "  exclaimed  Victor,  eagerly. 
•'  Where?     By  whom?  " 

''  Why,  —  haven't  you  heard  about  it?  That  is  strange.  I 
thought  you  folks  at  the  store  got  all  the  news  lirsthand.  It's 
at  the  court  house.  Time:  T.oO.  Close  at  hand  now.  Ad- 
mission, free.  It's  some  scheme  most  likely,  to  humbug  the 
green  ones  out  of  •  their  money.  For  who  would  expect  a 
Yankee  to  do  anything  for  anybody  without  i)ay,  unless  it  were 
bait  to  some  trap  ?  ' ' 

''  You  know  the  lecturer,  do  you?  " 

"  No.     I  have  never  seen  him." 

''  Then  Ik^w  do  you  know  him  to  be  a  Yankee?  " 

''  Oh,  no  one  but  a  Yankee  Avould  ever  think  of  lecturing  on 
grammar.  Besides,  I  have  heard  his  name  ;  it  is  Caleb  Amos. 
Ca-leb  A-mos !     Is  that  proof  enough  that  he  is  a  Yankee?  " 

"I  would  like  above  all  things  to  hear  him,"  said  Victor. 
''  Are  you  going?  " 

'•  Well,  yes,  I  believe  I  will,"  Leslie  remarked  leisurely,  as 
if  the  matter  were  not  yet  quite  certain.  ''Yes:  I  think 
there  are  several  reasons  to  induce  me.  Jn  the  first  place,  I 
don't  know  what  else  to  do  with  myself  this  evening.  Next, 
as  the  admission  is  free,  I  expect  Brooklield  to  turn  out 
strong.     The  young  ladies  will  be  there  to  a  man  —  " 

'■'■  To  a  girl,  you  mean,"  Victor  interrupted,  with  a  smile. 

"  To  see  the  man,  let  us  say,  then,"  Leslie  continued  good 
naturedly.  ''  Or  rather  to  be  seen  by  the  man.  At  least  to 
air  their  new  bonnets,  and  i)atronize  Art  and  Science.  Thirdly 
and  lastly,  1  have  really  some  curiosity  to  learn  what  a  keen- 
witted Yankee  can  find  to  say  in  a  lecture  on  grammar." 

' '  May  I  go  ^^  ith  you  ?  ' ' 

■'  Come,  by  all  means,"  said  Leslie  cordially.  "  Let  us  go 
now;  the  time  lias  almost  come,  and  we  must  be  early,  so  as 
to  get  a  place  from  where  we  can  muster  the  ladies  as  they 
enter." 


BUNKUM:    MERCANTILE  AND    LITERARY.  59 

The  two  vuiiiiii"  iiu'ii  tiinu'tl  their  steps  tinvard  tlie  (^jiirt 
house,  wliere   they   foiuul   ii  few  early  comers  ah-eady  seated. 

Darkness  had  not  (luite  set  in  yet  in  tlie  open  air;  but  the 
oreat  hall  of  the  court  house  was  g-looniy  enough,  though 
ilhiiiiinated  by  two  tallow  candles,  perched  on  the  desk  at 
wliich  the  lecturer  was  to  hold  forth,  serving  rather  to  make 
visible,  than  to  dispel,  the  gloom. 

•'  Will  Colonel  ^Nlay  be  here?  "  asked  Victor,  as  they  entered. 

••  My  governor?  Why.  of  course.  He  is.always  in  for  any- 
thing of  this  kind  ;  and  just  now,  when  he  is  a  candidate,  you 
know,  he  must  improve  every  opportunity  to  soft-soap  the 
monster,  and  wheedle  them  into  voting  for  him." 

Victor  was  puzzled  to  know  what  Leslie  meant  by  soft-soap- 
ing the  monster,  but  felt  bashful  about  inquiring.  He  sat 
down  by  the  side  of  his  friend,  near  the  door,  where  every  one 
that  came  in  had  to  pass  by  them.  Leslie  had  prophesied 
truly ;  more  than  half  of  the  audience  which  l)egan  to  pour  in 
as  soon  as  the  l)ell  in  the  cupola  of  the  hotel  had  tolled  out  the 
in\itation,  consisted  of  ladies,  old  and  young,  and  Victor  was 
proud  to  see  how  many  of  the  fair  comers  had  a  smile  and  a 
nod  of  recognition  for  his  friend.  After  a  while  there  was  a 
smile  from  a  well-known  face  for  him,  too,  and  a  maiden's 
pleasant  voice  whispered:    "  Good  evening,  Mr.  WaldhorstI  " 

It  was  Nellie's  voice,  as  she  entered  by  the  side  of  her 
mother.  Passing  by  her  brother,  she  said:  "Why,  what 
brought //o*«  here?  This  is  the  last  place  at  which  I  would 
haA'e  expected  to  see  you." 

Leslie  paid  no  attention  to  what  his  sister  said,  but  whis- 
pered into  Victor's  ear:  "  See,  that  is  the  lecturer  I  That 
fellow%  that's  holding  on  to  the  governor." 

'•'  I  thought  you  said  you  did  not  know  him?  "  Victor  asked. 

*'  Nor  do  I,"  replied  Leslie.  "  But  that  long,  narrow  face, 
the  sandy  hair  and  whiskers,  those  ferret-like,  hypocritical  eyes 
and  sharp  nose  can  belong  to  no  one  1»ut  a  Yankee.  There,  — 
seel  the  governor  steps  on  the  platform  with  him.  That  is  the 
fellow!" 


60  THE    EE BEL'S   D AUGHT EB. 

He  was  rio-ht.  C(j1oik'1  May  k'tl  the  straiiyer  to  tlie  plat- 
fovin  with  the  courtesy  and  attention,  which  a  Soutlieru  uen- 
tlenian  bestows  on  an  lionored  i>nest.  He  ra})ped  on  the  table 
in  riMiuest  of  silence,  and  said,  .-iddressino;  the  audience: 

"•  Ladies  and  oentlemen  I  Friends  and  fellow  citizens  1  To 
nie  has  fallen  the  distinouished  honor  and  pleasing  duty  to 
introdut-e  to  you  our  illustrious  oiiest.  Personally,  he  is  a 
stranger  among  vis.  But  his  fame  as  a  man  of  learning,  as  an 
indefatigal:)le  worker  in  the  realm  of  science,  as  one  of  the 
great  lexicographers  of  our  age  and  c<juntrv,  has  gone  ])efore 
him  and  reached  us,  in  the  primitive  backwoods.  —  on  the 
conlines,  so  to  speak,  of  civilization,  west  of  the  mighty 
JNIississippi.  You  will  hear  a  mune.  familiar  to  you  all  as  a 
household  word,  when  1  introduce  to  you  the  illustrious  Pro- 
fessor Caleb  Amos,  as  the  orator  of  the  evening." 

The  gxMitleman  thus  introduced  Ixjwed  on  all  sides,  and  a 
general  stamping  of  feet  was  the  welcome  accorded  him  l)v  the 
audience.     The  Colonel,  however,  continued  : 

'•  I  net'd  not,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  remind  you  of  the  honor 
conferred  upon  us  in  the  backwoods,  here,  upon  Brookfield, 
upon  the  whole  Southwest  of  our  glorious  State,  l)y  the  appear- 
ance among  us  of  the  renowned  Caleb  Amos,  who  will  thus 
retlect  u})ou  us  the  splendor  of  his  name  and  fame.  And 
you,  — all  oi  you,  —  feel  it  to  be,  as  I  feel  it  to  be,  a  sacred 
obligation  upon  us,  to  sustain  the  reputation  of  our  country 
and  people  as  patrons  of  the  sciences,  of  enlightenment,  and  of 
progress,  —  thus  doing  our^  share  of  the  work  of  building  the 
Temi)le  of  Liberty,  begun  by  our  forefathers,  so  that  (nii- 
glorious  Repulilic  may  truly  become  a  Haven  of  Kefuge  and 
an  Asylum  for  the  oppressed  of  all  Nations ! 

"  Now  isn't  that  precious  stuff  !  "  whispered  Leslie  into  his 
friend's  ear,  us  soon  as  the  storm  of  applause  had  subsided, 
which  the  Colonel's  patriotic  speech  had  called  forth.  "  It  is 
])ei'fectly  astonishing,  what  amount  of  nonsense  my  governor 
can  supply,  when  he  tries  I 

Victor   made   no   reply.      It  |)UzzU'(l  him  somewhat  to  under- 


lifWKUM:    MKIK'ANTILK   AND    LI  ll'.UAUY.  *'>  I 

slnnd  tlif  ('ouncclioii  liclwccii  llu' niory  ol'  the  Ivcpiililic  iiiid  :i 
U'ctuiv  on  i>r:iiiiiiiMr  ;  Imt  he  vciituix'd  no  ciiticisin. 

The  U'ctuirr  now  took  tlu'  Colonel's  jjIiu-c.  lie  had  no 
manuscript.  Imt  at  once  launclK-d  out  on  the  patriotic  stream 
of  laudation,  taking'  his  cui'  I'rom  his  prcdet'essor.  pronoiniccd 
a  loud,  if  nut  clo(iuc'nt,  pancjivric  upon  Liberty  ;  paid  a  ulow- 
ino-  tri])ute  to  the  valoi'  of  the  American  peojjle  in  their  struo-olc 
against  tyraimy  and  oppression  :  reminded  his  iiearers  of  the 
necessity  of  eternal  watchfulness  as  the  price  of  liherty,  and 
demanded  that  every  one  of  them  stand  to  his  post,  restinoj,  if 
need  lie,  on  their  armour  in  the  Held.  Then  he  spoke  of  Intel- 
lioence  as  the  mighty  weapon  with  wliicli  alone  the  American 
people  could  successfully  resist  the  enemy  from  alu'oad,  and 
treason  from  within.  "  For  intelligence,"  he  pi'oclaimed,  ''is 
knowledge,  and  knowledge  is  power  I  To  gain  power,  you 
must  possess  knowledge,  and  to  gain  knowledge,  you  must  l>e 
master  of  your  language.  Language  is  the  key  to  all  knowl- 
edge. Thus  you  see  the  vital  importance  of  Language  to  your 
lil)erty  and  to  the  welfare  of  the  American  i)eoi)le,  and  how 
essential  it  is  to  supply  the  rising  generation  with  the  powerful 
weapon  Intelligence,  for  the  struggle,  the  everlasting  struggle, 
against  Oppression,  Tyranny  and  Treason,  from  within  and 
without  I  " 

The  honest  backwoodsmen  applauded  vigorously.  Victor 
listened  with  rapt  attention,  beginning-  to  see  the  point  of  the 
orator's  patriotism.  But  Leslie  whispered,  with  a  sneer, 
''Now  watch,  Victor.  Directly  you  will  see  the  Yankee 
schoolmaster  crop  out,  angling  for  pupils,  with  patriotism  for 
bait:  " 

••  For  in  a  free  country,"  the  orator  continued  with  unction. 
•'  Truth  is  mighty,  and  must  prevail.  But  Truth  is  Thought, 
and  Thought  is  Spirit,  and  Spirit  dwells  in  the  Word  —  in  tlu' 
Word  as  written,  or  printed;  chiefly  as  spoken.  And  who  is 
there  among  you,  my  fellow  citizens,  upon  whom  your  country 
may  not,  some  day,  call  to  stand  ujj  in  the  fight  for  Truth,  for 
Right,  for  Freedom?     And  how  will  vou    obey  the  glorious 


B2  THE   liEJJEL'S  DA  UGH  TEL'. 

summons  without  a  thorough  knowledge  of  your  mother 
tongue,  —  that  glorious  tongue  whose  destiny  it  is,  in  the  not 
far  off  future,  to  rule  over  the  face  of  the  civilized  world?  That 
blessed  tongue,  whose  mission  it  is  to  bear  the  torch  of  Free- 
dom and  Enlightenment  to  the  Nations  languishing  in  dark- 
ness and  ignorance  ?  ' ' 

The  speaker  paused,  to  give  the  audience  time  for  a  new 
round  of  apj^lause.  "  Can  you  tell  me,"  again  whispered. 
Leslie,  "  who  deserves  the  palm  for  stupidity, — the  hypocriti- 
cal Yankee  with  his  bombastic  nonsense,  or  that  gaping  crowd 
so  eagerly  swallowing  his  clumsy  bait?  " 

Professor  Caleb  Amos  concluded  his  oration  by  a  few  ex- 
planatory remarks  on  the  nature  of  grammar,  comparing  the 
aggregate  of  English  words  with  the  soldiers  of  a  great  army, 
suggested  that  as  these,  by  a  systematic  division  into  companies, 
))attalious  and  regiments  were  transformed  from  an  unwieldy 
mol)  into  a  highly  etticacious  instrument  in  the  hands  of  a 
general,  so  the  former,  by  the  science  of  grammar,  were  ar- 
ranged into  easily  distinguishable  classes,  groups  and  orders  ; 
and  then  announced  that  he  was  ready,  by  means  of  an  entirely 
new  system,  invented  by  himself,  to  teach  the  whole  science  of 
grammar  in  ten  days,  for  the  insignificant  fee  of  one  dollar, 
payable  in  advance,  provided  that  a  class  of  at  least  forty  per- 
sons, without  reference  to  age  or  sex,  participated  ;  the  only 
condition  imposed  being,  that  they  coidd  read  and  write  in  the 
English  language. 

"There!"  exclaimed  Leslie  triumphantly.  "Do  you  see? 
That's  the  barl)  so  bombastically  baited.  Forty  dollars  in  ten 
days!  Not  so  bad  for  the  Yankee,  eh?  Wonder  if  he  will 
tuid  forty  male  and  female  fools  in  the  settlement  anxious  to  be 
humbugged  by  him  ?  ' ' 

Victor  said  nothing.  He  was  nervously  excited.  The  goal, 
so  distant,  and  of  so  laborious  approach  to  him,  was  shown  by 
the  lecturer  to  be  within  such  easy  reach.  Only  ten  days ! 
Only  one  dollar !  He  trembled  with  eager  hope  that  his  em- 
ployer might  allow  him  to  improve  this  grand  ojjportunity,  and 


BUNKUM:    MKUVANTILE  AND  LITEKALT.  G3 

revolved  in  his  mind  tlie  monientous  question,  wliether  he 
might  venture  tlie  suggestion. 

Just  then  INIr.  Van  Braaken,  who  had  also  attended  the  lec- 
ture, approached,  and  elei^trified  him  with  the  proposition  that 
he  should  test  his  mettle  in  the  grammar  class. 

'•  I  would  be  but  too  glad  to  do  so !  "  he  replied  eagerly. 

"  Then  you  shall  try,"  said  Van  Braaken.  "  Come  along. 
1  see  the  new  schoolmaster  is  ready  to  take  subscriptions. 
Step  up  I  ' ' 

They  went  up  to  the  table  where  Mr.  Caleb  Amos  was 
explaining  to  a  group  of  citizens  his  terms  and  conditions,  and 
inviting  them  to  sign  his  list.  Colonel  May,  Mr.  Smith  the 
proprietor  of  the  hotel,  and  Mr.  Barnes  the  rival  merchant, 
were  discussing  the  importance  of  the  science  of  grammar, 
agreeing  that  it  was  a  good  thing  and  ought  to  be  encouraged. 

"  So  I  think,"  said  Van  Braaken,  not  without  ostentation. 
"  And  I  mean  to  give  my  Dutch  apprentice  a  chance.  You 
shall  see  that  he  will  beat  all  the  young  men  in  the  class,  if  he 
is  a  Dutchman.  Put  your  name  on  the  list,  Victor,  and  show 
them  that  you  are  the  smartest  boy  in  the  county. ' ' 

Victor  blushed  over  the  bombastic  boasting  of  his  chief ; 
but  he  was  too  haj^py  to  take  offense.  His  name  was  the  first 
on  tlie  list. 

"  Here  is  his  dollar,"  Mr.  Van  Braaken  continued,  taking  a 
Mexican  dollar  from  his  pocket  and  handing  it  to  the  Profes- 
sor. "  And  if  he  needs  books  or  anything  else,  he  shall  have 
them.      We  are  not  stingy  at  the  Dutch  Store." 

"Well  done  I  "  exclaimed  Colonel  May.  "I  know  of  no 
young  man  that  deserves  encouragement  more  than  my  young- 
friend  Waldhorst." 

Victor's  eyes  sparkled  with  pleasure  at  the  Colonel's  words, 
and  Yan  Braaken  walked  away  from  the  grouj)  with  a  com- 
plaisant smile  and  twitching  eye-lid. 

"  We  must  give  the  townsi^eople  a  good  example,"  the 
Colonel  went  on.  "My  children  are  studying  at  the  univer- 
sity and  seminary ;   but  it  will  do  them  no  harm  to  brighten  up 


64  THE  BEBEI/S  DAUGHTER. 

i\  little  (luriiiii-  the  vacation.  Put  your  name  down,  Leslie,  and 
put  down  Nellie's,  also."" 

'•I  ?""  incjuired  Leslie,  in  very  evident  surprise  and  dis- 
l)leusure.  "  Why  should  1  attt-nd  the  class?  J  went  Ihrouuh 
English  oj-;unniar  some  years  ago." 

''  Never  mind,"  said  the  Colonel  good  huinoredly.  ••  It 
won't  hurt  you  to  go  over  it  again.  .7nst  ]>ut  your  name 
down."" 

"Oh  yes,  Leslie,  do  I  " "  whispered  Nellie,  who  had  ap- 
proached with  her  mother.  ••  It  will  be  so  much  nicer  than  at 
school  I      All  the  girls  are  going,  and  we  will  have  such  fun  I 

"Are  they  really  such  geese  ?"  Leslie  replied,  also  in  a 
^vhisper.  "  Are  they  going,  sure  enough?  Who,  for 
instance?  " 

•■  Why,  Hettie  Shannon,  for  one,"  lireathed  Nellie,  with  an 
arch  smile  and  a  meaning  glance  at  her  brother.  "  And  then 
Emily  Matlack  will  be  sure  to  come,  of  course." 

Leslie  hesitated  no  longer.  "  Well,  Pa,"  he  said,  with  a 
droll  smile  of  ivsignation,  "  it  you  insist  on  offering  u\)  your 
own  children  on  the  altar  of  [Science  and  Patriotism, —  why, 
let  the  grim  Moloch  devour  us.  So  here  —  Nel-lie  and 
Les-lie  —  May  I  "  The  two  signatures  followed  Victoi's  in  a 
bold,  dashing  hand. 

It  Avas  an  auspicious  beginning  for  Caleb  Amos.  ]\L'. 
Barnes  found  it  prudent  to  follow  suit.  So  did  Mr.  Smith, 
and  Mr.  Jones,  and  after  them  many  of  the  prominent  citizens 
of  the  town,  who  sul>scribed  for  their  children  of  lioth  sexes 
and  various  ages.  The  re([uisite  number  of  pupils  was  ol>- 
tained  before  the  meeting  was  over :  Mr.  Caleb  Amos  gleefully 
rubl)ed  his  hands,  and  the  audience  began  to  leave  the  coui't- 
house  with  the  exalting  consciousness  of  having  saved  the 
honor  of  Brook/leld,  and  lighted  a  torcli  whose  splendor  would 
confound  the  Powers  of  Darkness. 

lint  no  one  was  happier  than  Mctor,  who  indulged  in  delight- 
ful anticipations  of  slaking  his  ardent  thirst  for  knowledge  and 
culture.     And  when  Colonel   May  requested  his  son  to  escort 


UUyKUM:    M/Jh'CA.V'J'/Lh-   AXD    Llli:i;M!Y. 


Go 


tilt'  ladies  lioiiif.  liccaiisc  -.oiiif  li'i\ial  luisiiicss  would  detain 
liiin  yi't  a  wliili-  in  town,  and  Leslie  invited  liis  younu'  friend  to 
Join  tlu'iii  and  conclude  the  evenino-  with  a  walk  in  the  l)enuti- 
ful  Hioonliiihl ,  hi'  accepted  without  hesitation.  And  he  aston- 
ished Nellie  liy  l'or<>-ettin(i-  his  l)aslifulness  in  the  picsence  of 
the  vivacious  younu'  lady,  and  still  increasiuii'  hei'  wonder  by 
tlu'  readiness  and  spirit  with  which  he  met  and  parried  her 
sallies  on  their  walk  to  May   Meadows. 

\'ictor  loni>-  reiiieinl)i'red  that  deliuhtful  walk,  and  tlu- events 
to  which  it  o'ave  rise. 


A    PEEP   AT  THE   "PECULIAR"    INSTITUTION. 

/liM  FTER  a  deliglitful  hour  .spent  iu  the  company  of  the 
Jjiy^  ladies  and  Leslie,  on  the  broad  porch  of  the  mansion 
'  ^\^  at  May  Meadows,  Victor  took  his  departure,  bravely 
resisting  the  tempting  invitation  to  stay  all  night. 

It  Avas  not  yet  beyond  the  middle  of  June,  and  the  weather 
was  delightful.  A  soft,  refreshing  breeze,  peculiarly  grateful 
.•liter  a  hot  June  day,  caressingly  fanned  his  cheeks  and  fore- 
head. The  moon,  in  her  crescent,  sent  down  a  dreamy  light. 
Her  rays,  percolating  through  the  Uuttering  foliage  of  the 
grove  that  surrounded  the  May  mansion,  sketched  grotesque 
mosaics  (jn  tlie  graveled  walks,  and  cast  romantic  glamour 
over  the  little  village  of  huts  just  Iteyond,  that  served  as 
roosting  places  for  the  negroes.  Profound  peace  reigned  all 
about;  not  a  sound  reached  Victor's  ears,  save  that  of  his 
own  foot-falls.  The  cabins  lay  there  in  the  bright  moon- 
shine like  huge  grids  fashioned  into  gigantic  squirrel  cages. 
Victor  had  often  seen  these  log  cabins  in  the  day-time, 
without  noticing  them  closely,  except  to  smile  at  the  primitive 
architecture  which  constructed  a  habitation  out  of  unhewn  logs 
piled  over  each  other ;  but  now,  in  the  serene  calmness  of  the 
moon-lit  landscape,  they  made  an  impressive  picture.  His 
imagination  busily  peopled  the  unpretentious  hovels  with  men 
and  women  whose  destiny  it  Avas  to  sow,  for  others  to  reap  ; 
whose  toil  i)roduced  the  wealth  iu  wliicli  their  master  reveled, 
while  they  subsisted  on  cornbread  and  bacon,  wore  rags  to 
cover  their  nakedness,  and  were  housed  in  these  —  picturesque 
cabins.  He  drew  aside  from  his  direct  path,  almost  involun- 
tarily, in  the  direction  of  the  negro  quarters,  and  the  desire 
was  strong  upon  him  to  witness  the  doings  of  the  humble  crea- 
(66) 


A    PEEP   AT    THE   "PECUIAAir'    INSTITUrfON.        07 

tiires  wlicn  ainoiio- tluMiisolvc's.  lie  noticed,  us  he  ap[)roaelieil 
that  most  of  the  ciiltins  were  surrounded  by  vegetable  Hardens 
aiul  melon  patelies  ;  many  I'ven  were  ornamented  witli  llower 
beds  and  sliowy  shrubs.  In  front  of  one  or  two  of  the  cabins 
he  noticed  dusky  Ijoures  stretched  on  the  grass,  but  no  other 
sign  ot  lite.  Every  one  seemed  to  have  gone  to  sleep,  for  no 
light  was  visible  anywhere.  Victor  stood  still  to  take  in  the 
scene  he  gazed  on.  Presently  he  saw  what  appeared  to  him, 
after  all,  to  be  a  light,  through  the  crevices  between  two  logs  of 
a  hut  just  ahead  of  him.  His  curiosity  was  aroused  ;  he  ap- 
proached stealthily  to  satisfy  himself  whether  what  he  saw  was 
really  the  light  of  a  candle.  He  noticed  that  the  door  was 
closed,  and  that  the  window,  composed  of  a  single  pane  of 
glass,  was  curtained  within.  But  he  saw  plainly,  now,  that  the 
ray  of  light  nuist  come  from  a  candle  burning  in  that  cabin, 
(living  way  to  the  hnpulse  of  his  curiosity,  he  peeped  through 
the  interstice,  and  saw  a  powerful  negro  seated  on  a  low  stool, 
a  book  upon  his  knees  from  which  he  seemed  to  be  reading, 
but  in  so  l(jw  a  voice  that  Victor  could  not  understand  a  word. 
At  his  side  knelt  a  young  girl,  one  arm  resting  on  the  negro's 
knee,  the  other  holding  the  stump  of  a  candle,  by  the  light  of 
which  he  was  reading.  She  was  evidently  listening  with  close 
attention.  Her  face  was  turned  from  Victor,  so  that  he  could 
not  see  it;  but  her  form,  full  of  grace  and  beautifully  propor- 
tioned, gave  him  the  imi)ression  of  exquisite  loveliness.  On  a 
low  bed,  directly  opposite,  lay  an  old  quadroon  woman,  whom 
Mctor  at  once  recognized  as  the  one  he  had  seen  on  the  evening 
of  his  first  arrival  at  JNIay  Meadows.  This  woman  listened 
as  eagerly  as  did  the  girl.  Unable  to  make  out  a  word  of  what 
the  negro  was  reading,  and  curious  to  know  what  liook  it  could 
be  that  interested  them  so  much,  Victor  knocked  for  admission. 

There  was  no  answer. 

Thinking  that  he  had  not  l)een  heard,  he  repeated  the  knock- 
ing with  more  emphasis. 

"  Who  dat  knocken'  at  de  doah'  ?  "  came,  iu  a  fretful  voice, 
from  within. 


68  THE   RE U EL'S   DAUGIITEU. 

"A  stranger  I  "  said  \'ietor,  surprised  by  the  hesitation  to 
give  him  admission.      ••  May  I  eonie  in  r  '" 

Tlic  door  w:is  now  o[)ened.  liiit  \'ictor  snw  no  light  in  the 
room.  EviTV  thing  was  in  dnri<nes.-,.  Hut  the  moon  shed 
sufficient  light  lor  liim  to  recognize  tiie  negro  that  had  Ijeen 
reading.  He  asked  \'ictor  what  he  wished.  Although  his 
words  were  deferential,  there  was  the  same  peevishness  in  his 
voice,  as  of  one  who  had  been  roused  from  slumber. 

••  I  thouglit  you  were  reading  just  now,"  said  Mctor,  more 
and  more  astonished  at  the  strange  things  he  saw.  ••  Did  you 
not  have  a  light  in  the  room?  '" 

"  Light,  Mars'  ?  Did  yo'  see  light  in  dis  yere  cabin?  " 
asked  the  negro,  the  intlexion  of  his  voice  indicating  the  highest 
degree  of  astonishment  on  his  part. 

Before  Victor  could  answer  he  heard  another  voice,  —  evi- 
dently that  of  the  young  girl  he  had  seen  —  whispering  con  - 
iidentially :  ••  It  is  ^Malist'  Walders.  riicle  Xerxes.  Let  hiiu 
come  in  ;   there  is  no  danger." 

The  negro  meekly  begged  ^'ictor's  pardon,  and  asked  him 
to  come  in.  Not  until  Xerxes  had  carefully  closed  the  door 
again  and  l)olted  it,  did  the  girl  relight  the  stumj)  of  the  candle, 
using  for  the  jiurpose  a  friction  match,  which  she  ignited  by 
drawing  it  through  a  piece  of  doubled    up  sandpaper. 

By  the  hght  of  the  candle  Victor  now  beheld  a  head  of  sur- 
prising l)eanty.  From  a  face  of  purest  oval,  surmounted  hj  a 
luxuriant  growth  of  wavy  Itlack  hair,  a  pair  of  large  dark  eyes 
of  liquid  lustre  met  his  gtize  with  an  appealing,  timid,  yet 
confiding  look  that  strangely  imi)ressed  him.  The  lips  were 
full,  but  exquisitely  formed,  and  of  vermilion  brightness  :  and 
through  the  clear,  transparent  skin  of  her  round  cheeks,  a 
warm  glow  of  rich  carmine  asserted  itself,  even  by  the  dim 
light  of   the  tallow  dip. 

•'  I  am  sorry  to  have  disturbed  you,"  said  Mctor.  •"•  But  I 
saw  yon  reading,  and  have  some  curiosity-  to  know  what  book 
it  is  that  interests  you  so  deeply." 

The  old  quadroon  on  the  bed  and  the  nea'ro  whom  the  o-irl 


A   PEEP  AT    THE   ''PECULIAR    INSTITUTION.        69 

hiid  lueiitiuiied  us  Xerxes,  looked  at  e:u'li  other  witli  troulded 
faces,  but  without  sayintj;  a   word. 

"Don't  fear;  Just  tell  him,"  he  heartl  thi'  uirl  say,  in  a 
soft,  tiute-like  voice.  "  He  has  seen  us  any  how,  and  IVIahst" 
Walders  will  not  V)etray  us." 

The  oirl  accompanied  the  last  words  with  an  aj)|)ealin^, 
precatory  look,  which  so  impressed  Victor  that  it  haunted  him 
for  many  days. 

•'  Betray?  "  he  said  wonderingly.  "  What  is  there  to 
betray?  " 

••You  see,"  said  the  neoro  man,  ••  dis  yere  Cressie  —  we 
calls  "er  Cressie  fur  short,  but  'er  name's  Loocreshy  —  she 
larns  me  read'u'  'cause  she  lanit  it  from  'er  missis,  'n'  I  — 
I  jiss  ben  read'n'  to   'er." 

••And  so  you  can  read?"  asked  Victor,  addressinu'  the 
ii'irl.      ••  And  your  mistress  taught  you  herself? 

••Oh  no!  no,  no!  "  protested  Lucretia,  with  an  earnestness 
in  tone  and  manner,  as  if  she  were  defendino-  her  mistress 
aoainst  a  grave  accusation.  ••  I  only  looked  on  when  she  was 
gettino-  her  lessons,"  she  continued,  with  downcast  eyes,  as  if 
confessing  to  some  serious  offense,  ••  and  I  learned  almost 
without  knowing  how." 

•'You  learned  all  by  yourself  ?  ""  nuised  Victor,  who  was 
not  rejoiced,  somehow,  to  learn  that  it  was  not  his  young 
friend  Nellie  that  was  responsil)k'  for  Cressie's  education.  He 
regarded  the  graceful  llgure  and  im})osing  beauty  of  the 
Octoroon  girl  with  increasing  admiration.  ••  And  you  are 
really  a  —  " 

••  Slave,"  the  girl  said  in  completion  of  tlu'  sentence,  which 
Victor,  l)luslung,  had  left  unllnished.  '•  Y\'s,  I  am  Missis 
Nellie's  own  slave.  And  she  is  the  sweetest,  kindest  mistress 
in  the  world.  Mahst"  May,  he  l)ought  nie  for  her.  because  my 
niaunny  nursed  her,  and  she  always  liked  me." 

••  'n'  der  nevvah.  nevvah  was  a  bettah  niarse  'n'  Mars"  May  ; 
nur  a  better  missis  in  de  wu'ld  !  "  Uncle  Xerxes  i)roclaimed 
with   solenniilv. 


70  THE  llEBEVS  DAUGUTEIt. 

"  I  am  very  iilad  to  hear  you  say  so,"  Victor  remarked. 
"•'  Then  1  suppose  you  are  all  happy  here  at  May  Meadows, 
although  you  are  —  slaves  I  " 

*'  Puftlckly  happy.  Mars'  Wallers,  eff  on'y  —  "  The 
negro  hesitated,  and  left  the  sentence  unlinished.  ButMctor's 
curiosity  prompted  him  to  ask  : 

"  Well  — if  only  what?" 

Instead  of  answering,  the  negro  looked  uneasily  at  the 
others,  and  seemed  to  fear  that  he  had  already  said  too  nuich. 
Victor,  seeing  his  embarrassment,  i)ressed  no  further.  "  But 
you  have  not  yet  shown  me  the  book  you  were  reading  when  1 
lirst  saw  you,"  he  said,  to  change  the  subject. 

"  It's  de  book  o'  books,"  said  Xerxes,  with  solemn  rever- 
ence. He  drew  away  the  stool  upon  which  he  had  been  sitting, 
removed  a  piece  of  the  flooring  of  the  cabin,  and  produced 
from  the  cavity  beneath  a  well-worn  l)ook.  which  he  handed 
to  Victor. 

"•  The  Bible!  "  exclaimed  the  latter  in  surprise. 

"  Yes,  Mars'  Wallers,"  said  the  negro  reverentially.  "  It's 
de  preshus  promise  o'  de  Lo'd  to  'is  lowest  crechahs." 

''  Food  to  dem  w'at's  hungry  :  drink  to  dem  w'at's  thirsty ; 
comfort  to  dem  w'at  lanngAvish,"  recited  the  quadroon  from 
her  bed. 

Victor  was  astonished  at  the  profound  earnestness  of  the 
negroes.  He  l)egged  them  to  read  to  him.  Xerxes  looked 
inquiringly  at  the  girl  and  on  her  nodding  lightly,  took  the 
book  from  Victor  and,  opening  it  at  a  i)lace  marked  with  a 
slender  ribbon,  commenced  to  read  : 

"  Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labor  and  are  heavy  laden,  antl 
I  will  give  you  rest. 

'  •  Take  my  yoke  upon  you  and  learn  of  me ;  for  I  am  meek 
and  lowly  of  heart:  and  you  sliall  lind  rest  unto  your 
souls." 

Xerxes  read  with  a  slowness  and  dilliculty  painful  to  wit- 
ness ;  but  the  solemn  emphasis  with  which  he  pronounced  each 
word   after  he    had    s|)ell('(l   it    out.  invested  him  with  a  dignity 


.1    PEEP  AT   THE   ''PECULIAR''    INSTITUTION.        71 

\vliifli  relieved  his  effort  from  tedioiisness,  and  ^i-eatiy  impressed 
his  audience,  ^'ietor  not  excepted. 

Lucretia  now  took  tlie  Bible  and  proceeded  : 

''  For  my  yoke  is  easy,  and  my  burden  is  liiiht." 

She  read  with  tluenc^v,  and  a  remarkably  correct  pronuncia- 
tion. For  a  moment  slie  paused,  as  if  to  oive  Victor  the 
opportiuiity  ■  to  speak,  if  he  wished;  l)ut  he  I'emained  in  his 
listening  attitude,  and  slie  proceeded,  turning  to  a  passage  in 
the  Old  Testament : 

''He  is  despised  and  rejected  of  men;  a  man  of  sorrows, 
and  acquainted  with  grief ;  and  we  hid,  as  it  were,  our  faces 
from  him;  he  Avas  despised,  and  we  esteemed  him  not. 

'•  Surely  he  has  borne  our  griefs,  and  carried  our  sorrows; 
yet  we  did  esteem  him  stricken,  smitten  of  God,  and  afflicted; 

''  But  he  was  wounded  for  our  transgressions,  he  was  bruised 
for  our  iniquities  ;  the  chastisement  of  our  peace  was  upon  him  ; 
and  with  his  stripes  we  are  healed." 

The  girl  had  long  ceased,  and  given  back  the  book  t(j 
Xerxes.  Victor  pondered  on  what  he  had  heard.  Was  this 
genuine  piety;  was  it  religious  conviction  that  brought  these 
})eople  together  here?  Did  they  find  in  the  word  of  (4od  com- 
fort and  strength  to  l)ear  the  bitter  lot  assigned  them  ?  Did 
the  jn'omise  of  redemption  reconcile  them  with  the  ignominy 
and  debasement  to  which  the  law  of  the  land  condemned  them 
without  guilt  of  theirs?  This  powerful  robust  negro,  in  the 
strength  of  health  and  youth,  —  this  aged,  decrepit  woman, 
near  the  close  of  a  life  of  trouble  and  in-ivation,  —  this  lieauti- 
ful  Octoroon,  of  voluptuous  beauty  and  graceful  presence  — 
Avas  there  for  all  of  them  but  the  one  hope  for  liberation  from 
the  yoke  that  rested  on  their  necks,  —  beyond  the  grave? 

A  feeling  of  depression  came  over  him  as  he  remembered 
the  words  which  Colonel  May  had  once  spoken  to  him.  that  it 
might  prove  dangerous  to  give  expressi<in  to  iiis  views  on 
slavery. 

In  the  silence,  into  whicli  all  present  Inul  relapsed,  the 
thrice  repeated  plaintive  nc^te  of  some  bird  of  the  night  was 


72  THE   REBEL'S   DAUGHTER. 

distinctly  Mudihle.  It  prodiici-d  ;i  stiaiiiic  eliect  on  the  occii- 
|)ants  of  tlir  cnliin  :  wiicii  liic  nit'hiuclioly  soiunl  wns  first 
iieai'd,  tile  slaws  lookt-d  at  i'a(^li  otlu-r  in  evident  alarm.  At 
its  re[)etiti()n  Xerxes  replaced  the  l>il»le  in  the  eavily  nnderthe 
lloor.  and  hurriedly  extinonished  the  candle.  \'ict()r  hardly 
I'ealized  what  was  lioino-  on  when  he  felt  himself  pushed  s>eutlv 
into  a  corner  by  the  soft  arm>  of  the  Octoroon.  "For 
heaven's  sake,  Mahst'."  she  ra])idly  whispered  into  his  ear, 
"  don't  betray  us  I  Kee|)  yourself  hidden,  let  no  one  lind  you 
here  I  "  At  the  same  time  >lie  spread  a  dress,  that  huna-  on 
the  wall  above  his  lu'ad.  in  such  manner  over  his  person,  as  to 
(juite  conceal  him.  As  she  stealthily  joined  the  (piadroon  on 
the  bed.  steps  without  wt-re  heard  ap[)roaclun*i'  the  cabin,  and 
l>efore  \'ietor  had  time  to  rellect  on  the  strange  proceeding", 
and  the  odd  |)redicament  in  which  he  was  placed,  the  rickety 
dooi'  was  thrown  wide  open  by  a  vigorous  kick. 

''  Whar's  the  light  'at's  jist  been  burniu'  yere?  '"  thundered 
an  angry  voice,  Avhich  Victor  recognized  at  once  as  that  of 
.Jeffreys',  the  ovei'seer. 

There  was  no  answer. 

"  Who's  yere,  anyhow  r  "  the  overseer  sternly  demanded. 

"  It'son'y  me,  INIars'  Jeffreys,"  the  negro  airs wered  meekly, 
"  an'  Cassandra,  'n'  C'ressie." 

'•  Light  a  candle,"  .Jeffreys  commanded  in  a  much  moUilied 
tone. 

As  soon  as  the  light  had  l)een  struck,  which  this  time  was 
accomplished  by  nu-ans  of  a  flint  and  steel,  and  a  tinder-box, 
.Jt'ffreys  aj>proached  the  l)ed  upon  which  Cassandra  and  the 
Octoroon  were  now  seated. 

In  doing  so  his  foot  stumbU>d  ovt-r  the  piece  of  plank  which 
the  negro  had  not  accurately  fitted  into  tlu'  lloor. 

"  Hallo!  \>'l.at's  this?  "  lie  cried,  kicking  aside  the  plank, 
and  peering  into  the  hollow  beneath,  from  which  he  soon 
brought  forth  the  liilile  that  had  been  hidden  there.  ••  Hallo  1  " 
he  shouted  in  the  triumphant  tone  of  a  lieadle  having  caught  a 
deliiHiuent    in  Ji(i(jniiit('  rlHirfo^   "is   that    what  you're  up  to  i' 


A    VEEP  AT   THE   'TECULIAir'    INSTITUTION.         t'^ 

llold'n'  ;i  piayiT  iiicutin'.  iirc  ve'r  .Vu"  wliur's  IIr'  [):rs<)n  ? 
VVliich  ()'  yi'"s  bi'cn  do'iT  tlu'  iVMd'ii'  ?  " 

No  oiu'  iimdo  tinswci-. 

"• 'riuinder  an'  blazes!  "  i-oari'd  the  irate  overset'i'.  ••  Ye 
don't  mean  to  poke  it  down  my  throat  'at  ye've  been  sitt'n' 
yere  doin"  noth'n?  Didn't  I  see  the  light  shiueu'  thronoh 
the  eraoivs  o"  yere  mizzible  shanty?  Don't  lie  'bont  it, 
now  I 

The  neo'roes  sat  with  heads  Ijowed  low:  but  none  of  them 
made  answer. 

"If  'twas  you,  me  beaut'."  he  said.  a|)proa('hini>'  the 
Octoroon  with  an  amorous  g-fin,  ''I'll  let  ye  off  easy.  I'll 
not  tell  yer  master,  nur  Hog  ye  nieself,  this  time.  fSay,  was't 
you  ?  ' ' 

The  Octoroon  looked  up.  She  saw  the  other  two  regarding 
her  with  deep  anxiety.  This  seemed  to  arouse  her  to  a  resolve. 
Perhaps  she  eitnsidered,  tliat  tliey,  at  least,  might  be  spared 
the  punishment.  ••  Do  you  promise,  that  none  of  us  will  be 
l)unished.  if  I  tell  you?  "  she  inquired  of  the  overseer,  lixing 
her  eyes  upon  him  in  a  searching  gaze. 

"  Xe'er  a  time  I  "  sneered  Jeffreys.  ••  That's  not  the  bar- 
gain. If  'twas  you,  I'll  let  jiok  off,  mind,  if  ye'll  promise  not 
to  be  so  cantankerously  ugly  to  me,  when  I'm  doiu'  my  level 
best  to  please  ye  I  ' ' 

"It  was  me  I  "  said  Lucretia,  witli  proudly  curled  lips, 
''  I've  learned  to  read  from  my  missis,  and  come  down  to  read 
the  Bible  to  Uncle  Xerxes  and  INIannnie  Cassandra." 

''Now  see,  what  lady-airs  ye  do  [)Ut  on  I  "  said  .Jeffreys. 
"  I  knowed  ye'd  make  a  capital  pa 'son.  Well,  I'll  stick  to 
my  word;  no  Hoggin'  this  time.  See,  how  good  I  am  to  ye  ; 
now  won't  ye  l)e  friendly  an'  return  the  favor?  " 

'•  You  know  that  it  is  not  for  me  to  grant  favors,"  said  tiie 
girl  with  haughty  dignity. 

Jeffreys  cast  an  angry,  threatening  glance  at  her.  ■•  D'ye 
mean  to  defy  me?  "  he  cried.  ''  Look  out  I  Ye  might  rue  it  I 
An"  \()u."  he  turni'd  to  Cassandra  and  Xerxes  with  a  nienaciui^ 


74  THE  liEBEVS  DAUGHTER. 

frown.  •■  let  this  be  the  hist  time  'at  I  keteh  ye  witli  liglit  in 
yer  dirty  sliauty,  after  nine  o'clock,  if  this  yere  stuck  up 
wench  he  with  ye  or  not.  Ye  know  nie,  an'  I'll  stand  no 
foolin'  I  " 

Victor  was  in  a  most  painful  situation.  He  felt  the  hot 
blood  of  shame  rushing  to  his  face  at  the  thought  of  acting  the 
despicable  part  of  an  eavesdroj)per.  Nothing  but  the  fear  of 
compromising  the  poor  slaves,  and  liringing  further  troul)le 
upon  their  heads  —  which  he  instinctively  felt  would  be  the 
case  if  he  were  discovered  there  now  —  prevented  him  from 
stepping  forth  and  making  known  his  presence  to  the  overseer. 

"  Git,  now!  "  commanded  the  latter.  "Off  to  yer  quarters. 
I'm  goin'  to  go  along  —  to  see  ye  safe  home  I  " 

"  I  can  go  alone,"  Lucretia  answered,  preparing  to  leave 
the  cabin.     '•  Where  is  my  shawl,  Mammie?  " 

''There  it  hangs,  Honey!  "  the  quadroon  replied,  pointing 
to  the  corner  where  it  covered  the  very  dress  which  Lucretia 
had  drawn  over  Victor  to  conceal  him  from  the  eyes  of  the 
overseer.  Her  eyes  followed  the  direction  indicated  and 
dropped  instantly,  saying,  as  if  she  had  changed  her  mind,  "  I 
believe  I  don't  want  it;  its  too  warm,  any  how."  And  with 
these  words  she  started  towards  the  door  with  an  air  of  utmost 
indifference. 

"  Stop!  "  shouted  Jeffreys,  who  had  noted  the  sudden  drop- 
ping of  the  girl's  eyes,  and  whose  distrustful  mind  at  once 
suspected  a  secret.  "  Wait  a  spell ;  I'll  jist  git  ye  yere  shawl. 
Ye  might  take  cold  without."  He  had  by  this  time  removed 
the  dress  together  with  the  shawl  from  the  nail  on  which  it 
hung.  There  stood  Victor,  with  downcast  eyes,  shame  and 
confusion  but  too  visible  in  his  burning  face. 

"Mr.  Wallerst  I  "  exclaimed  the  overseer  in  genuine 
astonishment.     "  An'  what  may  yon  be  doin'  yere?  '" 

Victor  was  about  to  answer,  Init  before  he  had  said  a  word, 
Jeffreys  whose  surprise  quickly  gave  way  to  intense  wrath, 
continued : 

"  I  s'pose  this   'ere  ])rayor  meot'n'  's  o'  your  gittin'  u]),  is 


A   PEEP  AT    THE  ''PECULIAR''    INSTITUTION.        75 

it?  'Pears  to  lue  ye're  gittiu'  'long  party  durned  fast  with  tlic 
niggers,  I  do  say,  —  'l)nsin'  yer  friend's  hospitality,  gittin'  u]) 
onlawful  midnight  nu-etin's.  'n'  havin'  rendyvoos  with  'is 
nigger  wenches  I  ' ' 

"'There  is  no  rendezvous,  1  assure  you,"  said  X'ietwr,  rais- 
ing his  eyes,  hut  ([uickly  dropping  them  again  before  the  fierce 
scowl  on  tlie  overseer's  face.  "  My  presence  here  is  quite  by 
accident." 

"  Oh,  3'aars,  in  course  I  "  said  Jeffreys  with  cutting  sarcasm. 
"  At  this  time  o'  night  —  in  yer  friend's  nigger  cabin  —  all  by 
accident  I  " 

"  I  meant  no  wrong,"  Victor  stammered,  deeply  humiliated 
by  the  consciousness  of  having  been  surprised  in  a  dishonorable 
situation. 

"  D'ye  take  me  fur  a  darnation  fool?  "  hissed  the  overseer, 
whose  wrath  increased  as  he  saw  the  dejection  of  the  young 
man.  "  Comin'  yere  in  the  deep  o'  the  night,  an'  lockin' 
yourself  up  with  a  yaller  wench !  Blowin'  out  the  light  an' 
creeping  under  'er  petticoat  when  ye  hear  a  white  man  comin'  ; 
an'  ye  think  a  w'hite  man  '11  b'lieve  ye,  that  ye  meant  uothin'  ye 
need  be  ashamed  of  ?  " 

"  Ask  the  negroes — ask  the  girl  herself,"  Victor  begged 
him.  '^  She  will  tell  you,  that  until  a  few  minutes  ago  we 
never  interchanged  a  word  in  our  lives." 

"  Ye  don't  say  so  !  Ye  want  me  to  ast  the  niggers,  do  ye? 
The  niggers,  —  ha,  ha,  ha  I  "  laughed  Jeffreys,  grimly.  "  The 
go-betweens  —  the  pimps,  d — n  their  black  souls  !  The  cussed 
yaller  wench,  'at  put  'er  petticoat  on  top  o'  ye  to  hide  ye  — 
the  low-lived  strumpet,  'at  lets  an  outlandish  Hessian  Dutch- 
man court  'er  —  " 

"Stop,  sir!  What  do  you  mean?"  exclaimed  Victor 
with  spirit.  Shame  and  the  consciousness  of  thoughtless  folly, 
as  he  now  thought  it  to  be,  had  disarmed  him  against  wliat  he 
thought  justitiable  rebuke  from  a  man  who  was  responsible  for 
the  conduct  of  the  negroes.  But  the  shameful  insult  conveyed 
b\-  the  last  words  stunu-  liini   into  resentment.      "  Do  vou  sus- 


76  THE   REBEL'S   DAUGHTER. 

pect  nil'  of  anytliiuiJ'  wroiiii;  l)Osides  enterinii'  here  without  your 
permission  ?  " 

"  Suspect  r  Oil,  no,  nu'  line  bird.  Wliat  J  see,  I  needn't 
suspect.  I  know  it  I  "  The  overseer  spoke  tliese  Avords  witli 
derisive  triumph.  He  then  turned  suddenly  on  the  Octoroon 
and  hissed  out  witli  increasing  wrath  :  '•  As  fur  30U.  me  liypo- 
critical  wench,  ye  sliall  taste  the  lash  on  yer  naked  skin  to  cure 
ye  of  yci'  runnin'  after  a  Hessian  Dutchman." 

lie  had  seized  tlie  girl  by  the  arm,  and  pressed  and  pinclied 
it  with  such  violence  as  to  extort  from  her  a  sharp  cry  of  pain. 
Victor  sprang  forward  and  tore  her  from  him.  "•  Moderate 
your  passion,  sir  I  "  he  ex(^laimed.  "  ^Vnd  satisfy  yourself, 
that  there  is  no  cause  for  your  shameful  suspicion.  What  has 
ha|)])ened  here,  is  by  my  fault  entirely,  and  I  do  not  mean  to 
shirk  my  responsibility  for  it.  These  poor  slaves  are  not  to 
blame.  But  what  you  say  about  a  preconcerted  meeting  witli 
this  girl,  is  simply  a   lie." 

Victor  had  spoken  with  warmth  and  emphasis.  The  revolt 
of  feeling  caused  ])y  the  overseer's  tyiannical  cruelty  to  the 
defenseless  slaves,  lent  to  liis  voice  a  vigor,  and  to  his 
manner  an  earnestness,  which  was  not  without  effect  on  the 
blustering  tyrant.  Nevertheless,  he  surveyed  the  slender 
form  of  the  young  man  before  him  with  a  menacing  air,  as  if 
he  meant  to  chastise  him  on  the  spot.  lie  concluded  other- 
wise, however.  "  You  call  me  a  liar,  sir?  "  he  cried,  with  a 
haughty  swagger.  ''  Me,  a  free  white  man?  'I'iiat's  an  insult 
to  me,  sir,  'at  I'll  thrash  you  fur,  as  soon  as  I'll  git  ready, 
.list  now,  I  consitler  it  me  duty  to  the  boss,  to  let  'im  know 
what's  goin'  on  behind  'is  l)ack.  It's  "is  liizness  to  settle 
with  you  fur  meddlin'  with  'is  nigger  wencli.  an'  stirrin'  up  'is 
slaves  to  sedition  an'  nnitiny.  You'll  follow  me,  sir,  to  the 
nianshun.  an'  tliar"  ye  shall  answer  Colonel  Mav  fur  \er  doin's 
yi're." 

This  prosjx'ct  (illed  poor  Victor  with  dismay.  What  nuist 
his  generous  friend  think  of  him,  if  he  should  hear  how 
thoughtlessly   and    indiscreetly  he  had  l»eiiaved?      IIow  painful 


A  pi:i:r  at  the  ''PKCULiAir'  institution.      " 

the  pr<)sj)t'ct  of  Imvinjj'  to  talk  with  hhn  on  this  imtortuiiatc 
happeiiino".  Hut  worse  than  this  would  it  lie  to  put  liiiusclf 
in  llic  power  of  fliis  euraux'd  overseer  liy  Itetrayiu^'  fear 
or  liesitation.  lie  would  surely  i>"ive  a  i2;arlile(l  necount  of 
the  matter,  preseiitini>-  the  oecuvreuce  not  only  in  its  worst 
aspect,  tiut  in  a  false  liaht.  So  he  coneluded  to  l»e  pi'esent 
with  Jeff  leys  when  he  made  his  aecusation,  and  promptly 
notified  bini  that  he  was  ready  to  visit  the  Colonel. 

The  Octoroon  had  already  left  the  hut  when  Jeffreys,  havinL>; 
in  vain  looked  for  her,  marched  off  with  Victor  for  the  man- 
sion. 

The  Colonel  had  just  returned  from  Brookfield,  and  seemed 
to  lie  in  excellent  humor.  He  smilingly  commented  on  the 
honor  done  him  l»y  so  late  a  visit  from  the  two  gentlemen. 
Jeffreys  apologized  for  disturhing  him  at  so  unreasonable  an 
hour;  but  the  emergency,  he  said,  was  such  as  to  call  for 
prompt  action.  He  dwelt  upon  the  demoralizing  effect  upon 
the  negroes  by  the  presence  of  white  people,  or  people  that 
thought  themselves  white,  at  surreptitious  and  unlawful  mid- 
night gatherings  at  the  negro  quarters,  who  encouraged  them 
in  their  seditious  spirit,  and  outraged  decency  by  shameful 
behavior  with  lewd  colored  wenches.  Urged  by  the  Colonel  to 
speak  more  plainly,  he  related  much  of  what  he  had  seen  at 
the  negro  cabin,  and  more  that  he  surmised,  not  omitting  gross 
exaggeration  and  mahcious  insinuations.  He  concluded  by 
magnanimously  submitting  the  nature  of  the  punishment  to  be 
inflicted  upon  the  young  foreigner  to  the  Colonel's  discretion, 
but  demanding  for  himself  unlimited  authority  to  deal  with  the 
negroes,  and  particularly  with  the  obstreperous  Octoi'oon, 
whose  condign  punishment  was  necessary  as  a  warning  example 
for  the  upholding  of  discipline  on  the  plantation. 

Astonished  beyond  measure,  Victor  listened  to  the  shameful 
perversions  of  the  overseer.  It  surprised  him  that  the  Colonel 
permitted  such  passionate  language  in  his  presence,  on  the 
part  of  an  employee.  It  shocked  him  to  perceive  that  the 
Colonel  listened  to  the  cruel  threat  against  defenseless  slaves, 


78  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

who  liad  not,  even  on  tlio  overseof's  own  sliowinu',  foniinilU'd 
any  offense,  withont  protest  or  fonmient. 

As  Victor  was  about  to  speak,  a  fonunaiuUng'  gesture  of 
Colonel  May  denuiuded  silence  of  him.  At  the  very  beginning 
of  the  overseer's  report  his  brows  had  contracted ;  but  he 
listened  patiently  until  the  close ;  put  a  few  questions  to 
obtain  a  clear  insight  into  all  the  facts,  and  then  dismissed  the 
overseer  with  the  injunction  to  take  no  stei)s  in  the  matter 
until  he  received  further  instructions,  and  then  addressed 
Victor:  "To  you,  young  man,  I  have  a  word  to  say;  please 
remain." 

In  leaving  the  room  Jeffreys  cast  a  malevolent  look  of 
triumph  at  Victor,  which  forewarned  him  as  to  what  he  might 
exi)ect  at  the  hands  of  Colonel  May. 

The  high  esteem  in  which  Victor  held  the  Colonel,  gave 
double  pungency  to  the  harsh  words.  He  had  not  for  a 
moment  doubted  that  the  Colonel  would  grant  him  a  fair  hear- 
ing, and  that  a  truthful  statement  of  the  occurrence,  such  as 
he  supposed  the  Colonel  would  give  credence  to  in  preference 
to  the  malicious  tissue  of  falsehoods  on  the  part  of  the  over- 
seer, for  whose  wrath  he  found  it  impossible  to  account,  would 
disarm  the  worst  displeasure  of  his  friend.  But  the  Colonel 
had  not  permitted  him  even  to  speak  in  his  own  defense  1 

When,  after  Jeffreys'  departure,  the  Colonel  desired  him  to 
give  his  side  of  the  story,  Victor's  predominant  feeling  was 
one  of  indignation  against  the  injustice  threatened  the  poor 
slaves.  Hence  he  spoke  rather  to  establish  their  perfect  inno- 
cence than  exculpate  himself,  and  the  warmth  with  which  he 
espoused  their  cause  aroused  the  Colonel  not  a  little. 

"Do  you  know,"  he  interrupted  him  on  one  occasion, 
"  that  the  zeal  with  which  you  defend  this  Octoroon  girl  is  a 
very  suspicious  circumstance?  " 

Victor  was  startled.  "What  can  you  mean?"  he  asked 
timidly. 

"Why,"  replied  the  Colonel,  a  scarcely  perceptible  smile 
illumining  his  face,  "  you  are  so  enthusiastic  in  the  description 


.1    I'KEP  AT    THE   "PErULlAir'    INSTITUTION.        79 

ol  ln'i'  woiidcrrul  In'autv  tlial  one  iiiight  well  suppose  you  would 
ahidly  iiii[)i'o\\'  :iii  op[)oiliiiiilv  to  arrange  a  rendezvous  with 
her." 

The  young  man's  I'aee  grew  scarlet.  "  1  give  you  my  sacred 
Avord  of  honor,"  he  exclaimed,  "  that  I  never  in  my  life  saw 
her,  much  less  spoke  to  her,  before!  " 

"  Well,  now,  that  is  remarkable,"  the  Colonel  went  on,  with- 
out changing  a  muscle  of  his  face.  "  Then  why  does  the  minx 
blow  out  her  candle,  as  soon  as  you  knock  at  the  door?  " 

"  I  am  sure  I  do  not  know%"  said  Victor,  still  deeply 
embarrassed. 

"  And  why  did  you  hide  under  a  woman's  dress  as  soon  as 
you  heard  some  one  approach?  " 

"  That  was  the  girl's  doing;  and  what  in  the  world  could 
have  been  her  motive  for  it,  is  a  mystery  to  me." 

The  Colonel  seemed  to  enjoy  the  young  man's  embarrass- 
ment, but  after  a  moment  said,  in  a  kind  and  confidential  tone, 
"  I  Avill  give  you  the  key  to  this  great  mystery,  my  young 
friend.  You  do  not  know,  I  apprehend,  that  the  blacks  are 
forbidden  to  have  candle-light  in  their  cabins  after  a  certain 
hour  of  the  night  ? ' ' 

"No,"  said  Victor,  "  I  did  not  know  that.  It  explains 
their  anxiety  to  prevent  the  light  from  being  seen  on  the  out- 
side." 

"Quite  right!  "  said  the  other.  "Perhaps,  also,  you  are 
not  aware  that  it  is  a  punishable  offense  for  anyone  to  teach 
them  to  read  !  ' ' 

"No,  indeed!  "  exclaimed  Victor,  greatly  shocked,  and  for- 
getting, in  his  indignant  surprise  at  so  inhuman  a  law,  as  it 
appeared  to  him,  his  own  embarrassed  predicament.  "  And  it 
is  hard  to  believe,  although  I  do  not  doubt  your  word.  How- 
ever harsh  some  masters  may  be  in  this  resjoect,  surely  it  is 
strange  that  the  hue  should  deprive  a  race  of  human  beings  of 
the  possibility  of  culture  and  improvement.  You,  Colonel 
May,  are  not  so  cruel  as  to  take  from  your  slaves  the  comfort 
they  might  derive  from  reading,  for  instance  the  Bible." 


80  THE   HEBEI.'S  DAUGIITEU. 

"  Tliuiik  you  tor  the  com])liiiient,"  said  the  Colonel,  with 
quiet  humor.  "  For  I  take  it  that  you  mean  it  as  such,  though 
in  reality  what  you  say  implies,  from  your  point  of  view, 
oravc  censure.  Because  I  do  not  happen  to  think  it  cruel  at 
all  to  depiive  the  slaves  of  what  you  call  culture." 

\'ictor  looked  at  the  Colonel  with  amazement  :  he  found  it 
dittieult  to  harmonize  what  he  heard,  with  his  estimate  of  his 
nolile  friend's  character. 

''  Judge  for  yourself."  the  latter  continued,  addressing  the 
young  man  in  a  gentle  voice.  l)ut  with  an  earnestness  that 
thrilled  him,  "  would  it  be  a  kindness  to  these  j)eoi)le,  Avhom 
we  deprive  —  whether  justly  or  unjustly,  let  us  leave  undecided 
just  now  — of  their  human  I'ights,  to  teach  them  the  magnitude 
and  value  of  that  of  which  we  rob  them?  " 

''  True  enough."  Victor  replied,  after  pondering  a  moment, 
"  they  would  feel  all  the  more  keenly  their  degradation  and 
wrong,  the  higher  they  rose  in  culture  and  refinement.  IJut," 
he  added  more  eagerly,  '^  is  it  permitted  to  brutalize  a  human 
being  just  to  keep  from  him  the  knowledge  of  the  magnitude  of 
the  crime  connnitted  against  him?  Is  it  not  doubling  the  sin 
to  rob  him  not  only  of  his  liberty,  but  also  of  his  dignity  as  a 
human  being?  " 

"'Let  me  suggest  to  you,  young  man,"  said  the  Colonel 
Avith  im])ressive  emphasis,  "  that  no  one  can  be  robbed  of  that 
which  is  not  his.  A  slave  possesses  neither  human  dignity, 
nor  freedom.  No  free  man  has  ever  been  degraded  into 
slavery." 

^'i(•tor  regarded  the  Colonel  with  a  (piestioning  look,  indi- 
cating that  he  did  not  take  in  the  full  force  of  the  remark. 

"  But,"  the  Colonel  continued  in  a  milder  tone,  *'  although 
J  am  sincere  in  my  opinion,  that  the  law.  wliich  deprives  the 
servile  race  of  the  means  of  ac(piiring  education  and  culture, 
accords  with  the  dictates  of  gemiine  humanity,  and  is  there- 
fore a  blessing  to  themselves,  yet  I  do  not  pretend  that  it  was 
enacted  for  their  benefit.  Its  purpose  is  rather  to  serve  as  a 
barrier  against  the  intlammatorv  literature,  the  libelous  and 


A   PKI:P  at    TUE   'TECULIAir'    INSTITUTION.        HI 

seditious  tr;u'1s  nnd  pniiipiiK'ts  lii.-il  .'ire  lK'iii<i-  scnitcicd  Itiond- 
cast  over  tiie  hiiid  by  iiiischievoiis  .-diolitionists,  nml  so,  in  h 
cortaia  sense,  to  protect  our  ■  property,'  if  that  woi'd  is  not 
offensive  to  your  fastidious  ears.  Uut  he  tiiat  as  it  may."  the 
Colonel  added,  reuardinu'  the  youn<J'  man  witii  a  smile,  "  so 
the  law  is  written,  and  you  will  do  well  to  I'ememher  it. 
C'ressie  knew  tiiis,  ;is  well  as  the  other  slaves,  and  for  that 
reason  endeavored  to  conceal  the  fact  that  tlie\  had  leai'ued  to 
read . ' ' 

The  latter  words  had  Iieen  spoken  with  tlie  smile  on  Colonel 
May's  face  that  was  so  fascinating  to  Victor.  He  was  not 
ready  to  assent  to  all  that  the  Colonel  had  said;  hut  he  was  so 
stronoly  attracted  by  the  mao-netisni  of  bis  personality,  that  he 
felt  neither  the  desire  nor  the  al)ility  to  attemi)t  an  answer. 
''  Bnt  I  still  cannot  understand  why  the  Octoroon  was  so 
anxions  to  conceal  /////  presence  in  the  cahin  ?  "  he  said,  after 
a  short  pause. 

"There  are  two  reasons  for  that,"  the  Colonel  informed 
him.  ^"  In  the  lirst  i)lace,  the  girl  most  likely  suspected  that 
your  presence  in  the  cabin  together  with  her  might  l»e  offensive 
to  the  overseer  —  how  true  her  instinct  was  you  have  yourself 
seen — and  then,  in  the  next  place,  there  is  another  law  that 
you  violated.  Neither  negroes,  nor  negroes  or  whites,  are 
permitted  to  assemble  in  the  negro  (piarters  after  dark.  So 
you  see,  it  was  kind  enough  in  the  girl  to  trv  to  shield  vou 
against  the  consecpiences  of  your  own  indiscretion,  or  ignorance, 
if  you  please." 

"  How  thoughtless  1  Ikiw  het'ii  1  "  exclaimed  \'ictor.  '•  And 
how  much  I  need  your  kind  indulgence  to  obtain  your  forgive- 
ness I  May  I  hope,"  he  added  with  precatory  earnestness, 
"  that  you  will  not  permit  the  poor  slaves  to  he  made  to 
suffer  for  my  folly  r 

A  cloud  again  lowi'ied  upon  the  face  of  the  Colonel.  ■•  I 
cannot  promisi-  pei'fect  innuunity  for  them,"  he  said.  ••  The 
authority  of  the  overseer  nuist  not  be  jeoi>arded.  Although  J 
do  not  justify  his  over-severity  in  this  matter,  yet  he  must  be 

6 


82 


THE   REBEL'S  UA  UGH  TEL'. 


upheld  ill  the  enforcement  of  discipline.  But  you  must  excuse 
me  now,  young  friend;  1  am  weary  after  a  busy  day's  work, 
and  it  is  late  in  the  night.  Stay  with  us  until  morning ;  I  will 
have  a  room  made  ready  for  you  in  two  seconds." 

Victor  declined  the  i)roferred  hospitality  for  the  second  tim-e 
this  day.  He  feared  to  displease  his  employer  by  remaining 
away  from  the  store  for  the  night. 

•'  Let  your  mind  rest  easy  about  the  slaves,"  said  the 
Colonel  on  bidding  him  good  night.  *'  I  shall  see  to  it,  that 
their  punislunent  be  not  excessive." 


VI. 

LITERARY    CULTURE    IN    THE    BACKWOODS. 

MON(4  the  i)uhlic  institutions  of  Brooklield,  the  i)riiitiiio' 
ottice,  second  in  importance  only  to  tlie  stores,  tlis- 
j(_  l)uted  priority  witii  the  post-ottice  itself.  Modest 
enough  in  architectural  pretension  —  unitinsj-  in  one  room  of 
moderate  size  the  editor's  sanctum,  the  proprietor's  business 
ottice,  and  the  printer's  press  and  composino;  room,  with 
space  in  one  corner  for  the  pallet  of  the  jjrinter's  devil. 
Thence  issued,  in  reoular  weekly  editions  of  more  than  one 
hundred  (copies,  the  (hark  Argils,  self-appointed  (Guardian  of 
Freedom,  keeping  watch  ovei'  the  interests  of  Vernal  County 
and  the  adjacent  districts.  A\'itli  praisewoi-thy  zeal  and  fidelity 
he  proclaimed  the  gospel  of  Freedom  according  to  the  dogma 
of  the  Democratic  party,  and  lashed,  with  inexorable  severity, 
the  pernicious  heresies  of  the  Whigs.  The  Constitution  of  the 
I'nited  States,  as  interpreted  by  Thomas  .Jefferson,  constituted 
his  Holy  Writ  of  statesmanshij).  To  doubt  the  infallibility  of 
(ieneral  Jackson,  was  rank  treason.  He  was  the  terror  of 
demagogues  and  delincpient  otKce  holders,  of  the  wrong  i)arty, 
as  well  as  the  reliance  and  stronghold  of  political  as[)irants  of 
the  (nthodox  faith.  What  wonder,  then,  that  the  Ozark 
Arijat^  should  be  the  pride  of  Hnjoklield  and  the  oracle  of  its 
])oliticians  of  the  Democratic  stripe? 

The  enteri)rise  and  ])ublic-spirited  activity  of  him  of  the 
hundred  eyes  was  not  limited,  however,  to  the  lield  of  politics. 
He  announced  on  his  title-j)age,  in  bold,  ))lack  type,  that  he 
also  proposed  to  be  an  ■•  Organ  of  Art,  Literature  and 
Science."  This  part  of  his  self-imposed  task  he  performed  by 
[)ublishing  weekly  cliapters  of  love-romances,  or  stories  of 
adventure  with  robbei-s  or   ghosts;   also  by  disseminating  use- 

(S3) 


y4  THE    liEBEL'S  DAUGIITEE. 

fill  receipts  for  the  prepai'ation  of  corn-salve,  or  some^iew  way 
of  making-  excellent  pumpkin  pie,  and  giving  pulilicity  to  the 
sublime  effusions  of  love-sick  village  poets  and  poetesses.  liy 
this  means  he  gained  the  goodwill  of  the  fairer  and  frailer  half 
of  the  backwoods  population  in  s(j  far,  that  is  to  say,  as  these 
were  accessible  to  the  printed  form  of  thought. 

But  the  peculiar  element  of  his  utility,  and  wherein  he  shone 
a  bright  particular  star,  challenging  tlie  admiration  of  his  con- 
temporaries and  of  posterity  as  well,  was  referred  to  ))y  tlie 
modest  phrase:  "And  Chronicle  of  the  Southwest."  lit' 
sought  and  found  his  greatest  pride  in  bringing  to  the  knowl- 
edge of  his  fello\v-(!itizens,  and  particularly  of  the  citizenesses, 
all  cases  of  births,  deaths,  engagements  and  weddings,  as  well 
as  such  other  highly  important  items  of  news  as  serve  to 
enliven  the  hum-drum  of  everv-day-life.  —  who  it  was,  for  in- 
stance, that  escorted  the  beautiful  and  fascinating  Miss  Molly 
Mumps,  on  last  Sunday  evening,  from  the  meeting-house  to 
the  residence  of  her  father,  our  highly  respected  fellow-citizen, 
Mopsey  Mumps,  Esq.,  and  that  the  modest  but  aspiring  young- 
suitor  had  cast  a  timid,  but  signiiicant  glance  at  the  blushing- 
maiden  ;  that  Farmer  Brown's  exceedingly  gifted  housewife 
had  appeared  at  meeting  in  a  highly  tasteful  linsey-woolsey 
dress,  spun  from  home-raised  linen  and  wool,  woven,  dyed, 
patterned,  cut  out,  sewn  and  ornamented  by  her  OAvn  cunning 
hands  ;  and  what  more  there  were  of  such  curious  and  edifying- 
topics. 

That  an  event  of  such  far-reaching  importance  to  the  citi- 
zens of  Brookfield,  as  the  opening  of  a  ''  Course  in  the  Science 
of  Grammar,"  under  the  auspices  of  Caleb  Amos,  Esq.,  the  far 
famed  Professor  of  Lexicography,  A.  B.,  LL.I).,  &c.,  should 
escape  the  hundred  eyes  of  the  ^iri/ns,  was  of  course  out 
of  the  questio-.i.  If  it  had,  l)y  any  accident,  done  so.  there 
was  the  patriotically  inclined  Caleb  Amos  to  prevent  so  deplor- 
able an  omission  of  duty.  For  this  deserving  benefactor  of 
ignorant  humanity,  nnndful  of  the  Savior's  injunction,  was  not 
dis])ose(l  to  hide  his  liglit  under  a  bushel,  but  meant  it  to  shine 


LITERARY   CULTURE  IN    THE   BACKWOODS.  85 

ItriLihtlv  ill  tlic  L'vos  of  in;uikiii(l.  To  this  end  he  souolit  out 
the  editor  of  the  ••  Ciii-oiiiele  of  tlie  Soutlnvest,"  and  imparted 
to  him  the  iilad  tidinys  of  tlie  blessin,<>-s  in  store  for  the  l>e- 
iii»>hted  Itaekwoodsnien.  And  the  ••  ChronieU'  "  sounded  its 
trumpet,  spreadiny-  the  news  in  bold  disphty  of  type  and 
eml)ellislied  with  a  profusion  of  exchimation  points  (at  a  low 
lioure,  and  with  a  discount  for  cash)  so  that  no  reader  of  the 
Ozark  ^Injus  need  lie  ignorant  of  tlie  merit  of  the  new  system, 
nor  of  the  fame  and  liio-h  sounding-  titles  of  C'alel)  Amos.  Esq., 
Professor.  A.  B..  LL.D..  &c. 

Precisely  at  the  appointed  hour  of  the  day  llxed  for  the 
momentous  event,  the  ding-dong:  of  the  bell  in  the  cupola  of 
the  hotel  announced  the  beginning  of  the  •'  Course  in  the 
Science  of  (Grammar."  Thanks  to  the  trumpet-tong-ued  prom- 
ulgations in  the  Ozarl:  ^irc/vs,  the  i)articipants  had  increased 
to  such  a  numlier  that  no  room  in  town  was  sulticient  to  con- 
tain them,  and  the  court  house  was  put  in  requisition.  To  the 
c(_)urt  iiouse,  then,  at  the  lirst  tap  of  the  Ix'll,  trooped  the 
embryo  grammarians,  among  them  sons  and  daughters  of  well- 
to-do  farmers  of  the  vicinity ;  boys  and  girls,  misses  in  their 
teens  and  virgins  of  riper  years,  as  well  as  youths  and  young 
men.  Leslie  May  was  there  Avith  his  sister  Nellie,  and  the 
full  complement  of  their  male  and  female  comrades.  P^mily 
Matlack  eml traced  her  •■  sweet  friend  "  Xellie  with  gush  and 
ostentation,  while  Hettie  Shannon,  a  brown-eyed,  dark-com- 
plexioned lieauty  of  sixteen,  gave  her  S(jft  Itrown  hand  to  the 
brother,  inquiring  anxiously  after  his  health,  and  after  the 
health  of  all  the  dear  friends  at  May  Meadows.  Leslie  squeezed 
the  little  hand  and  made  a  motion  as  if  to  carry  it  to  his  lips. 
whereat  the  little  lady  uttered  a  small  scream,  and  Leslie  moved 
away  to  speak  to  other  ladies.  It  appeared  to  ^'ictor,  who 
patiently  w^aited  at  a  distance  for  an  opportunity  to  speak  to 
the  brother  and  sister,  as  if  Leslie  were  a  decided  favorite 
among  the  fair  ones.  He  noticed  that  he  had  a  friendly  word 
for  each,  and  now  and  tlien  a  Idushing  cheek  or  a  sparkle  of 
the  eye  gave  token  of  the  pleasure  he  conferred.     As  soon  as 


86  THE  llEBEVS  DAUGHTER. 

he  cauo-ht  sioht  of  \'ictor,  hv  stepped  forward  and  seized  him 
l)y  the  arm. 

"•  Come,  my  l>ov."  he  said  pleasantly,  '*  we  are  about  to 
embark  for  a  voyaiie  on  the  Ocean  of  Science,  and  it  will  l>e 
well  for  yon  to  make  the  acquaintance  of  some  of  your  felloAv- 
voyaoers."  Whereupon  he  introduced  Victor  to  a  number  of 
the  l)ystanders  with  many  a  jocose  remark.  Victor  ascribed 
the  politeness  witli  which  he  was  received  to  the  popularity 
of  his  friend. 

Nellie,  too,  was  suiTounded  hy  a  bevy  of  young-  girls,  so 
that  she  was  dillicult  of  a})[)roach.  Jiut  when  Leslie  had 
released  his  arm,  to  speak  to  some  young  farmers  that  had  just 
entered,  Victor  ell)owed  his  way  toward  her,  and  Nellie  came 
to  his  assistance  by  calling  out  to  him  as  sc^on  as  she  saw  him. 
•'  Why.  how  do  you  do,  Mr.  A\'aldhorst?  Come  right  along: 
1  have  some  news  for  you  fiom  May  Meadows,  which,  J  am 
sure,  will  interest  you." 

But  l)efore  she  had  time  to  impart  to  him  the  '^  interesting 
news  "  from  May  Meadows,  the  tinkling  of  a  l)ell  in  the  hands 
of  the  teacher  connnamled  attention.  The  buzz  of  general 
conversation  ceased,  and  the  pu])ils  seated  themselves  on 
benches  and  chairs,  as  they  happened  to  find  them.  Caleb 
Amos  began  his  lecture.  He  sketched  the  plan  u[)on  which 
he  pro2)Osed  to  conduct  the  studies,  and  begged  the  pujiils  to 
give  their  undivided  attention  to  the  matter  before  them. 
"Business  V»efore  pleasure."'  he  said.  '■  This  is  a  sound  and 
thoroughly  American  maxim,  and  we  will  scrupulously  observe 
it,  and  may  then  exj)ect  a  highly  satisfactory  result.  For  my 
(jwn  reminiseenci's  of  the  rosy  time  of  youth  are  not  so  far 
faded,  but  that  1  can  heartily  sympathize  with  the  innocent 
pleasures  of  young  people.  And  I  see  before  me  so  much  youth 
and  beauty,  so  nuu-h  intelligeiu-e  and  manliness  in  the  faces  of 
future  citizens  of  our  Repul)lic,  that  I  |n'omisc  myself  many 
pleasant  hours  in  their  company.      Now.  then,  for  business!  " 

Tt  was  (>vident  that  his  words  had  produced  a  favorable 
impression.      ••  Ilunibug!  "    Leslie   whispered;    but  his  loudly 


LlTEllAUY  CULTURE   IN    THE   BACKWOODS.  87 

clappiiiij;  hniuls  uavc  tlu'  si<>;ii;il  ior  univcisnl  iipphiusc,  in 
which  the  snuiUest  hoys  iiuidc  the  greatest  uoisi',  and  even  tlu- 
hulies  (lid  not  refuse  to  Join.  'I'his  ])ro('ce(liiio-  ustonisiied 
Victor.  It  was  (jnite  dilTeri'iit  from  tiie  prouram  \\v  h:id  ex- 
pected; but  as  he  saw  timt  the  ti-aciici'  sch'uhmI  [)ic;iscd  with  tiie 
approbation  ol'  liis  pupils,  he,  too,  elai)|)ed  his  hands  :  tor 
Caleb  Amos  had  won  his  hearty  goodwill. 

The  plan  of  tuition  was  based  on  '•  Kirkhain's  Lectures  on 
(4raiuniai-."  (from  which  the  teacher  had  also  borrowed  the 
com])arison  of  the  orannnatical  classification  of  words  with 
military  oriianization )  commencing  with  an  essay  on  the  j)hi- 
losophy  of  language  in  general,  and  then  proceeding  to  discuss 
the  system  and  peculiarities  of  the  English  language.  Caleb 
Amos  had  not  a  more  attentive  or  more  diligent  pupil  tiiaii 
Victor  Waldhorst. 

IJnt,  gratifying  as  was  the  |)rogress  he  made  in  his  studies, 
it  gained  him  neither  esteem  nor  goodwill  among  his  class- 
mates. The  fewest  of  them  were  disposed  to  study  with  the 
close  application  demanded  l)y  the  teacher  and  liis  system. 
Many  attended  the  class  for  the  sole  purpose  of  "  having  a 
good  time,"  as  Nellie  and  Leslie  had  suggested,  bv  meeting, 
under  pretense  of  studying,  with  j(^lly  peoj)le  of  their  own  and 
the  other  sex.  Of  course,  tlie  deportment  of  these  was  in 
contrast  with  that  of  Victor,  which  was  felt  by  them  as  a  silent 
but  irksome  reproach.  And  when,  one  day,  the  teacher  took 
occasion  to  publicly  praise  him  and  hold  him  up  to  the  class 
as  an  example  for  imitation,  it  drew  down  upon  him  the  ill-will 
of  them  all.  Even  Nellie,  whose  existence  he,  in  the  fervor  of 
his  zeal,  had  almost  ignored  since  the  opening  of  the  class, 
and  who  had  waited  in  vain  for  him  to  demand  of  her  the 
interesting  news  from  May  ^Meadows  which  she  had  promised 
him,  felt  provoked.  It  was  a  new  experience  to  her  to  be 
slighted  and  to  see  her  advances  i)assed  by  unnoticed.  And 
as  she  was  conscious  of  having  rather  distinguished  him  bv 
her  favor,  she  felt  his  indifference,  and  the  publich'  expressed 
praise  of  the  tea<;her,  almost  as  a  personal  gricAance. 


88  THE   EKBEL\S  DAUGHTER. 

When,  tlu'i'i'forc,  Iut  s(.';it-in'iglil)or,  Miss  Kiiiily  Matlack, 
poiitiuiily  ivniavked,  "How  l)ig  that  a^awkv  Diitclnnau  must 
think  liiiuselfl  "  Nellie  nodded  vig-orously.  and  added:  "The 
scare-crow!"  And  as  pooi-  Mctor's  lioiiri>  occurred  to  her, 
as  he  had  presented  himself  hel'ore  iier  after  her  encounter  with 
the  runaway  lioises.  she  shook  witli  suppn-ssed  merriment. 
The  consecpience  was.  tiiat  siie  had  to  ivlate  tiie  occurivnce  to 
iier  intimate  friend.  nucU-r  the  injunction,  of  course,  of  tlie 
strictest  secrecy.  Nellie  possessed  a  lively  imagination  and 
great  talent  in  rehiting  a  story,  and  so  iier  intimate  fi'iend  was 
vastly  annised.  Tlie  audil)le  titter  and  ciuickling  of  the  latter 
aroused  tile  curiosity  (»f  lu'r  intimate  fi'iend  on  her  other  side, 
and  as  tlu'  tiling  was  too  good,  under  present  circumstances,  to 
keep,  slie  related  it  to  Ilettie  Sliannon,  of  course  under 
injunction  of  strict  secrecy.  And  as  Ilettie  had  another 
intimate  friend,  and  so  on.  \'ictor"s  adventure,  listened  to  by 
a  lot  of  young  and  tlioiigiitless  peo|)le,  most  of  wliom  liad,  just 
then,  a  feeling  of  resentment  against  him,  had  soon  made  tlie 
round  of  tlie  class,  not  without  having  gained,  on  the  way,  in 
[)i(iuancy  and  orna.mentation,  to  add  zest  to  it,  according  to 
the  taste  of  the  individual  chaiuiel  through  which  it  passed. 
Neither  Caleb  Amos,  nor  the  unsuspecting  ^'ictor,  could  account 
for  the  ri])ph's  of  merriment  all  around,  the  eager  whisperings, 
and  halt  siii)pressed  laughter.  But  Nellie,  if  it  really  had 
been  her  intention  to  humble  her  (lerman  friend,  had  accom- 
])lished  more  than  she  had, bargained  for  in  telling  that  little 
story  aljout  the  scare-crow. 

On  the  very  next  day  the  teacher  took  occasion  to  congrat- 
ulate the  whole  class  upon  tlii'  progress  made  by  each  and  all 
of  them  ;  he  was  proud  of  their  acliievements,  and  expressed 
what  he  termed  a  well-grounded  li()])e,  that  each  (Jiie  would 
become  an  excellent  grammarian.  IJut  befort'  entering  on  the 
next  division  of  the  text-book,  he  |)roposed  to  recapitulate 
what  they  had  already  gone  over,  so  as  to  thoroughly  jirepare 
them  for  the  lessons  to  follow.  Ih'  suggested  that  this  could 
be    best    accomplished   by    means   of    an   examination  ;    and   in 


UTKUAUY  CULTUliE   IN    THE    HACK  WOODS.  89 

order  to  cxcilc  m  spirit  of  ciiuihition.  and  also  iiivi'sl  the  pro- 
(•eedini>-  witli  a  hiuiici'  intcrol.  lie  ])roposcd  to  cnlivcii  it  l)y  a 
l)ar»siii*i'  iiiMtcli.  so  tliat  any  nuv  failinii"  to  answer  ])roperly 
should  1)0  ••  turned  down  "'  liy  tlie  next  one  who  ii-ave  a  correct 
answer. 

The  proposition  was  i-eceived  witli  apphiusc. 

••It  remains  now  to  detei'nn'ne.'"  said  the  master.  ••  liow  tlu' 
hidies  and  gentlemen  propose  to  ])e  seated  tor  the  start.  It 
wouUl  he  dillicuh.  it  not  iini)ossible,  to  arrunoe  you  all  accord- 
ing to  your  proliciency.  J  have  therefore  concluded  that  you 
should  tortile  l)ei>inning  Ite  seated  by  lot.  To  that  end  I  have 
l)repared  a  number  ot  ])aper  slips  which  I  will  ])lace  in  a  hat. 
correspondiuii:  to  the  number  of  pupils,  each  containino;  a  num- 
l)er ;  of  these  each  of  you  will  draw  one,  and  take  the  seat 
indicated  by  the  number  he  or  she  has  drawn.  Let  me  request 
you,  ladies  and  gentlemen,  n(.)t  to  open  your  papers  until  the 
drawiuiJ-  is  concluded." 

The  teacher  then  called  the  names  in  the  order  in  which  they 
were  entered  on  the  subscription  list,  hence  ^'ictor  took  the 
lirst  i)aper,  with  which  he  withdrew  without  openino;  it,  mind- 
ful of  the  teacher's  request.  Leslie  was  less  scrupulous.  The 
triunq)h  visilde  in  his  features  lietrayed  that  he  had  secured  a 
small  numl)er.  Nellie  could  not  V)e  expected  to  behave  more 
discreetly  than  her  elder  l)rother,  and  she  also  peei)ed  into  the 
pai)er  she  had  drawn.  Hut  what  she  saw  there  brouo-ht  no 
smile  to  her  face.  There  was  a  very  perceptilde  pout,  rather, 
and  A'ictor,  whom  she  asked  as  she  passed  him,  to  show  her 
his  number,  thought  he  detected  a  tremor  in  her  voice. 

''  I  have  not  looked  at  my  luimber."  he  answered,  •'  l)ecause 
the  teacher  did  not  wish  us  to." 

"  I  did."  said  Nellie,  showing  him  her  number,  which 
proved  to  l»e  one  of  the  highest.  "See  what  luck  I  had  I  " 
she  added.  ••  I  dare  say  that  you  have  l)een  more  fortunate." 
A  scowl  darkened  her  lovely  face,  and  a  sinister  expression, 
as  of  envy,  for  a  moment  disfigured  the  mouth  that  \'ictor 
thought  so  sweet  wlien   it   smiled.     It  pained   him   to  sch'  her 


90  THE   EEBEL'S  DA  UGH  TEE. 

so  impatient.  Acting  upon  a  sudden  inijjulse,  he  said,  with 
a  sparkle  in  his  dreamy  eyes,  ''  Will  you  do  me  a  great  favor, 
Miss  May?  " 

''  What  can  30U  want  of  nic?  "'  she  asked  in  return. 

"  I  have  not  seen  my  luimber;  it  may  be  a  higher  one  than 
yours.     But  1  would  like  to  exchange  with  you." 

'•  Ydii  want  to  swap  with  mp:*  "  she  exclaimed  in  blaniv 
astonishment. 

"  Yes,  if  you  please." 

Victor  was  electrilied  by  the  briglit  snule  tliat  suddenly 
lighted  up  lier  face.  *  "  Here,"  she  said,  '■  take  my  a])omin- 
able  ticket.     Yours  caimot  be  worse." 

She  hastily  opened  the  i)aper  that  Victor  gave  lier,  and  he 
heard  again  that  sweet  voice  in  the  silvery  laughter  that  he 
knew  so  well.  '^  Xumlier  one  I  "  she  proclaimed  in  high  glee, 
holding  uj)  the  paper  for  inspection,  and  dancing  with  it  from 
friend  to  friend.  "  I've  got  the  liead  ])lace  and  I  mean  to 
keej)  it  I  " 

Victor's  pleasure,  though  not  so  demonstrative,  was  |)er- 
haps  fully  as  intense  as  Nellie's,  in  s])ite  of  the  conviction, 
ruefully  entertained,  that  lie  had  now  barred  himself  of  the 
chance  of  attaining  a  high  rank  in  the  parsing  match. 

When  all  the  tickets  had  been  drawn,  the  examination  began. 
At  first  there  was  much  merriment  Avhen  anyone  liad  to  give 
up  his  place  to  a  more  fortunate  comjjetitor ;  l)ut  the  interest 
excited  l)y  the  rivalry  soon  became  so  intense  as  to  exclude 
every  other  consideration.  Save  a  few  of  the  most  indolent  ones, 
all  exerted  their  utmost  al)ility  to  maintain  their  places,  or  turn 
down  some  one  al)Ove  them.  Victor,  originally  one  of  the  last, 
advanced  rapidly,  until  he  reached  somewhere  near  the  middle 
of  the  class  ;  his  progress  then  became  more  and  nioi'e  diffi- 
cult, because  those  above  him  were  more  experienced  scholars. 
Among  the  latter  were  Nellie  and  Leslie.  The  brother  had 
advanced  until  lie  occupied  the  seat  next  to  liis  sister,  who  on 
her  part  bravely  maintained  the  place  of  honor  at  the  head  of  the 
(rlass,  having  siiccessfidly  answei'ed  every  (jiiestion  pul  lo  her. 


LITERAL'Y   CULTURE  JX    THE   BACKWOODS.  91 

Oiiee,  when  it  was  lier  turn,  the  teacher  asked,  "  How  are 
absti'aot  nouns  usually  distinouislied  from  their  adjectives?  " 
Simple  as  the  (luestion  seemed.  Nellie  was  at  fault. 

"  Well,  Miss  May."'  the  teacher  said  encouragiuii'ly,  "  surely 
you  can  tell  us  that?"  But  he  was  mistaken  :  Nellie  could 
not  ffive  the  information,  and  after  the  ominous  ''  (  )ik'  —  two  — 
three  I  "  spoken,  [)erhap.s,  a  shade  more  lingeringly  than  usual, 
he  added.  ••  Why,  then,  Miss  INIay.  you  will  have  to  tjive  up 
the  place  of  honoi'  ti>  your  brother." 

lint  Leslie  could  not.  or  would  not,  at  least  did  not,  deprive 
his  sister  of  iier  preference.  '•  1  don't  know  I  ''  he  answered 
curtly,  when  the  question  came  to  him. 

'•  Well,  this  is  stranoe,"  said  the  teacher.      "  Next  I  " 

But  neither  the  next  nor  a  number  of  those  following,  gave 
the  answer. 

Miss  Hettie  Shannon,  when  the  cpiestion  was  put  to  her, 
answered  timidly:    •'  By  their  meaning! 

"  Very  good  I  "  said  the  teacher.  ''  One  knows  a  lady  by 
her  —  being  a  lady.  But  that  does  not  answer  the  question. 
Next:  " 

Victor  watched  the  proceeding  with  eager  interest.  His 
face  colored  with  excitement.  He  thought  he  knew  the  an- 
swer which  the  master  expected,  and  was  astonished  that 
no  one  el^e  had  thought  of  it.  If  it  should  coine  his 
turn  —  " 

The  next  answer  was  wrong  again.  ]Mr.  Caleb  Amos  grew 
impatient.  ••  Miss  Matlack,  do  you  clear  u[)  the  matter."  he 
said,  as  he  came  u\)  to  her.      •'  How  —  " 

"  By  the  form,"  answered  the  young  lady. 

"  Well,"'  exclaimed  the  teacher,  •'•that  is  something.  But 
the  goose  has  a  form  as  well  as  the  swallow  ;  and  by  the  test 
you  have  given  us  we  would  not  be  able  to  distinguish  one 
from  the  othei'.      Next !  '" 

Victor's  heart  beat  violently  in  breathless  suspense.  \\'hen 
the  cpiestion  reached  his  next  neighbor,  lie  was  almost  sure 
that    the    answer  would  come  :   for  he  had   been  told  that   this 


d2  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTEIi. 

young  man  had  been  a  student  at  a  colleg-e  for  some  years. 
But  Kalpli  Favton,  instead  of  answering  the  question,  seemed 
disposed  to  (juarrel  witli  the  teacher. 

"  A  swallow  is  distinguished  from  the  goose,  among  other 
things,  by  its  tail,"  he  exclaimed,  to  the  great  amusement  of 
the  class.  "  IJut  I  fail  to  see  that  either  adjectives  or  nouns 
have  tails." 

''You  do?"  counter-(|Ucried  the  l^rofessor,  opening  wide 
his  eyi's,  and  betraying  surprise  l»y  the  inilection  of  his  voice. 
"'  You  must  l)e  exceedingly  averse  to  ligurative  language,  or 
jiossess  a  tame  imagination.  I  see  no  impropriety  in  com})aring 
sullixes  of  words  with  lails.  \\\\-,\\  think  you.  ]\Ir.  ^>'aldhorst ? 
How—  " 

Victor.  trenil)ling  with  excitement,  fairly  jumped  from  his 
seat,  and  shouted  before  the  question  was  linisju'd.  •'  liy  the 
end-syllable  n-e-s-s  I  " 

■•  You  sec,"  the  master  spoke  up.  '•  ^Ir.  U'aldhorst  has 
saved  the  honor  of  the  class.  He  has  discoveri'd  the  tail  of 
abstract  nouns,  and  so  raised  himself  to  the  head  <jf  the  class. 
Take  yoxxY  seat  at  the  right  hand  of  Miss  INIay." 

Victor  complied  with  palpitating  heart  and  Hushing  cheek. 
His  blazing  eyes  were  bent  to  the  (loor ;  but  he  could  not  con- 
ceal the  exultant  triumph  that  radiated  from  them.  Both 
Nellie  and  Leslie  welcomed  him  with  pleasant  smiles  and 
encouraging  nods,  and  when  he  sat  down  by  the  side  of  Nellie, 
the  young  conqueror  was  reveling  in  unalloyed  bliss. 

But  he  was  not  long  to  enjoy  his  triumph.  Energetic  whis- 
pers were  heard  all  around  the  circle  of  i)Ui3ils,  which  soon 
swelled  into  open  expressions  of  discontent  and  anger.  "  It 
is  not  right  I  "  was  plainly  heard.  "  The  teacher  is  partial  — 
He  helped  him  —  He  always  did  favor  the  Dutchman  —  This 
foreignt'r  siia'nt  make  fools  of  us  —  \\v  won't  stand  it  ' —  and 
other  like  accusations  and  criminations  were  heard  on  all  sides. 
The  temper  of  the  pupils  was  wrought  up  to  a  |)itch  threaten- 
ing ojx'u  revolt.  Let  the  teacher  connnand  silence  never  so 
authoi'itatively,  —  he  succeeded  in  (pielling  the  uproar  for  brief 


HTHUAUY    CULTURE    IN    THE    BACKWOODS.  do 

moments  only,  and  then  it  vvonid  break  out  anew  witli  increased 
violence.  In  vain  he  appealed  to  their  self-respect  and  sense 
ol'  dignity  :  in  vain  to  his  antlunity  as  teaciier.  ••  You  liave 
abused  your  autliority  1  "  Ralph  l*ayton  exclaimed  in  a  loud 
voice.  '■  Uy  your  silly  metaphor  of  the  word  tails  you  indi- 
cated to  your  pet  the  answer  you  wanted,  and  heli)ed  him  to 
an  honor  which  is  a  shame  and  a  disg-race  to  him  and  to  you." 
The  speaker  was  uot  a  popular  member  of  the  class.  A 
show  of  haughty  reserve,  as  Avell  as  a  considerable  degree  of 
self-conceit,  which  he  took  no  pains  to  conceal,  had  madi'  him 
more  opponents  than  friends.  But  in  giving-  vent  to  his  spite 
against  the  young  "  Dutchman  "  he  had  expressed  the  feeling 
ni)perinost,  just  then,  in  the  minds  of  most  of  the  i)ui)ils,  and 
they  heartily  applauded  him. 

'^And  besides,"  the  young  orator  went  on,  emboldened  by 
the  success  that  had  attended  his  first  speech,  '•  your  question 
and  the  answer  to  it  were  equfilly  false  and  absurd.  Abstract 
nouns  have  no  connnon  ending.  It  was  nonsense  to  say  that 
they  ended  in  '  ness  '.  And  the  promotion  of  the  Dutchman 
for  giving  such  an  answer  is  a  shame,  and  an  insult  to  free  and 
independent  Americans. ' ' 

The  -'free  and  indei)endent  Americans"  i)resent  in  the 
class,  including  the  fairer  half  of  them,  expressed  their  sym- 
pathy with  the  sentiment  uttered  l)y  the  speaker,  by  vociferous 
applause.  Victor  was  at  a  loss  to  understand  all  this  commo- 
tion. The  teacher  lost  the  coolness  and  self-possession  so 
necessary  for  the  control  of  an  assemblage  under  excitement, 
though  it  be  but  of  school-lioys.  He  permitted  himself  to  be 
betrayed  into  an  angry  reply,  undertaking  to  defend  both  the 
(question  and  the  answer  as  perfectly  correct,  and  designated 
the  statement  of  the  sjieaker  as  a  pitiful  attempt  to  cover  his 
own  defeat.  This  added  fuel  to  the  liames  of  discontent;  for 
Ralph  Payton's  accusation  gave  a  color  of  justice  to  the  assault 
upon  Victor,  without  which  the  clamor  against  the  latter  might 
seem  to  arise  out  of  envious  jealousy.  Hence  the  attack  on 
Payton's   position   was   equivalent   to   an   attack  on  their  own 


^4:  THE  HE  BEL'S  DAUGllTEE. 

conduct.  ••Payton  is  riorht  I  "  resounded  through  the  hall. 
"We  will  not  suffer  him  to  he  insulted  I  "'  And  a  voice, 
louder  tluin  the  rest,  shouted:  "  Jt  is  a  disgrace  to  our  class, 
to  have  at  its  Iteatl  a  iniserMhle  Dutch  abolitionist  and  —  scare- 
crow I  ' ' 

Victor,  notwithstanding  tlie  warning  received  from  Colonel 
May  on  the  sul)ject  of  aliolitionism,  was  not  aware  of  the  full 
extent  of  the  insult  intended.  Jiut  the  word  "  scare-crow  " 
wounded  him  deeply.  lie  cast  an  invohuitary  glance  at  his 
neighbor,  as  if  lookiug  for  explanation  from  her.  She  dro])ped 
her  eyes  before  his  appealing  glance,  while  a  Hood  of  scarlet 
suffused  her  face  and  neck.  Hut  (luickly  looking  n\)  again, 
her  eyes  met  liis  untlinchingly,  and  with  her  sweetest  smile  she 
Avhispered:  "Don't  be  angry  I  I  have  been  silly  and  thought- 
less, liut  that  fellow,"  she  continued,  throwing  her  eyes  with 
a  withering  glance  in  the  direction  of  the  last  speaker,  ••  is 
low  and  mean.  I  hope  you  will  care  as  little  for  his  cowardly 
insult,  as  for  my  thoughtless  folly." 

In  the  earnestness  of  her  request,  she  had  placed  the  tips  of 
her  lingers  on  his  arm,  and  Victor  felt  a  thrill  of  delight  at  the 
soft  pressure.  He  knew  not  what  answer  to  make,  nor  was 
there  time  to  say  anything;  for  Leslie,  — who  had  jumped  up 
on  hearing  the  word  "  abolitionist,"  and  placed  himself  in 
front  of  Victor,  as  if  to  shield  him  against  harm, —  now  spoke 
loudly,  but  without  passion  or  excitement : 

''  Boys,  it  is  my  opinion,  that  the  greatest  shame  and  disgrace 
to  our  class  is  to  forget  what  we  owe  ourselves  and  to  our  teacher. 
In  the  presence  of  the  ladies,  tool  Let  us,  before  the  gentler 
sex,  at  least,  behave  like  gentlemen,  and  not  like  silly  school- 
boys who  are  put  out  because  somclxxly  I'lsc  has  learned  liis 
lesson  better." 

Leslie's  words  met  with  favorable  reception.  The  noise 
subsided  percei)tilily.  liut  l)efore  the  master  could  folloAV  u]) 
tiie  advantage  so  gained,  and  restore  order,  Orlando  .Tones, 
who  had  spoken  the  offensive  words,  again  arose,  and  said: 

•■  Li'slie  Mav.  \«)u  ouuht  to  be  the  last  one  to  undertake  the 


YoK  lue  u  liiir !  "    N'ictor  iiuiiud  buck. 


LITEUAliY   iJVLTVllE  IN    THE   nMJKW'OUDS.  '-'o 

defense  of  a  sneaking  spy,  who  stirs  up  your  father's  slaves  to 
disobedience  and  revolt,  —  who  in  his  own  person,  teaches 
tlieni  to  read  and  to  write,  —  an  outlandish  rudlan,  who  don't 
know  anythinii-  about  propriety  and  decency,  and  who  lias 
shamefully  insulted  your  own  sister." 

This  was  more  than  ^'ict()r  could  stand.  lie  was  stunned 
at  the  audacious  perversion  of  the  affair  in  the  negro  cabin, 
shocked  at  being  called  a  s[)y  and  a  rultian  ;  but  to  be  accused 
of  indecency,  and  more  than  all,  of  having  insulted  Miss 
iMay,  —  here  in  the  ])resence  of  the  young  lady  herself,  befoi'e 
the  whole  class  —  this  could  not  ])e  tolerated.  Forgetting  all 
else  in  his  intense  indignation,  he  leaped  to  his  feet  and 
shouted,  his  eyes  Hashing  with  wrath,  his  voice  trembling  with 
passion:  — •'  This  is  an  infamous  lii- 1  And  he  who  says  it,  is 
an  infamous  liar  I  " 

Orlando  .bnies,  as  the  backwoods  code  of  honor  i)rescril)ed, 
nuist  chastise  the  offender  on  the  spot.  He  {)romptly  stepjjed 
forward  with  clenched  hsts  and  threatening  gestures, 

"Who  do  you  call  a  liar  I  "  he  yelled  hercely.  "Take 
l)ack  that  word  or  I'll  knock  your  teeth  down  your  insolent 
tlu'oat  !" 

^  Yon  are  a  liar  I  "  Victor  hurled  l)ack.  ••  You  and  auy- 
Ijody  who  says  that  1  intentionally  insulted  Miss  May." 

Young  Jones  drew  back  his  arm  for  a  blow  at  Victor.  But 
Victor,  whose  blood  was  boiling,  anticipated  him.  He  was  not 
an  adept  in  the  noble  art  of  boxing;  had  never  been  engaged 
in  a  list-light  in  all  liis  life.  13ut  he  was  in  a  furious  passion, 
and  sprang  blindly  at  his  antagonist,  dealing  him  a  ))low  in 
the  face  that  felled  him  to  the  floor.  At  this  moment  Halpli 
Payton  rushed  up.  evidt'utlv  to  the  rescue  of  his  fallen  [)ar- 
tisan. 

"  Back  I  "  was  heard  the  loud,  but  still  unim[)assioned,  and 
therefore  all  the  more  authoritative  voice  of  Leslie.  '•  Fair 
play  I  Let  these  two  light  out  their  quarrel,  Ralph  Payton  : 
and  if  your  list  itches  for  a  light,  try  it  on  me  I 

••Let    him    come  I  "    shouted   Victor.      "He   wh(j  lies   is   a 


9G  THE  nSBEVS  DAUGHTEU. 

coward,  and  I  am  not  uirnid  of  all  the  liars  in  the  ela«s.  if  they 
are  as  bio-,  every  one  of  them,  as  the  oiant  CJoliathI 

Victor  could  not  have  adopted  more  ellicient  means  to  secnre 
the  respect  of  his  fellow-pupils,  than  this  display  of  }>ersonat 
intrepidity.  Many  of  the  old  settlers  remembered  the  time 
when  prudence  and  v:\lor  were  indispensable  re([uisites  for  the 
})rotection  of  life  and  i)ro])erty  aoainst  treacherous  and  cruel 
enenues,  and  courage  was  still  looked  on  as  the  chief  manly 
virtue.  \'ictor  knew  notliiu<>-  of  this,  nor  that  lie  was  brave  or 
couraoeous.  Jiut  Hal[)h  I'ayton  knew  it,  and  saw  to  his  cha- 
grin that  so  far  the  assault  on  the  foreiofner  had  resulted  to  his 
decided  advautao-e.  And  Orlando  Jones  knew  it,  and  felt  the 
disgrace  of  defeat  all  the  more  keenly. 

Threatening  dire  vengeance  he  arose  from  the  lloor.  He 
permitted  himself,  with  feigned  resistance,  to  V)e  led  away, 
rej)eating  when  beyond  the  reach  of  Victor's  long  arms,  his 
slanderous  charges,  counting  on  the  popular  intolerance  against 
abolitionism,  and  emphazing  \'ictor's  low  instincts.  "  You 
have  all  seen,"  he  cried  when  at  a  safe  distance,  ''  how  this 
rowdy  attacked  me  like  an  assassin.  That  proves  the  truth  of 
what  I  say,  that  he  is  a  dangerous  abolitionist,  who  will  bring 
bloodshetl  and  servile  insurrection  into  the  land.  I  tell  you  he 
is  ripe  for  the  penitentiary.  For  a  monster  wIkj  will  assassi- 
nate a  defenseless  num  uuawares,  and  disgi-ace  a  harmless 
girl,   is  capal)le  of  any  crime." 

Again  Mctor's  passion  carried  him  Iteyond  control.  He 
tore  away  from  those  surrounding  him  and  rushed  upon  his 
adversary,  striking  at  him  in  blind  fury.  Jones  scarcely  re- 
sisted, seeking  only  to  i)rotect  his  face  and  head  against  the 
weighty  blows  that  Victor's  arm  indicted. 

"  Enough  I  "  Jones  presently  shouted,  thus  proclaiming  his 
defeat.  Victor  ought  now  to  have  desisted  ;  but  he  was 
lamentably  ignorant  of  the  code  nmong  tlie  backwoodsmen, 
and  kei)t  pounding  his  adversaiy  in  di'liaiice  of  code  and 
etiquette. 

"  Ahl  "  and   ••  Oh  I  "   came  from  the  lips    of  some  of    the 


LITKUABY  CULTURE   IN    TIIK   BACKWOODS.  97 

timid  fair  ones;  •'  shame  I  "  and  ••  mercN  I  '"  fi'oiu  othei's. 
The  teacher,  in  tiuinder  tones,  eonnnanded  order:  but  \'i('tor 
heard  liini  not.  Ralph  Payton  au^aiu  spranu' ti>  the  rescue  oJ'  iiis 
l)arty  friend,  and  a<>ain  Leslie  interposed,  di'niandinii-  fair  play. 

"  Do  you  eall  that  fair  phiy  when  the  up])er  man  heats  the 
one  that  is  down,  afti'r  he  has  aeknowledfivd  his  defeat  ?  " 

Leslie  saw  that  Payton  was  riuht.  "  Jt  is  enouo'h  now, 
Vietorl  "  he  saicL  l>ut  \'ietor  still  heard  not.  lie  was  liter- 
ally beside  himself  with  furious  passion. 

Nellie  had  witneissed  the  contest  with  sparkling  eyes  and  in 
l)reathless  suspense.  Her  sympathy  was  evidently  with  Victor  ; 
but  when  she  saw  that  he  continued  to  beat  his  opponent  after 
he  had  said  ••  enough  I  "  her  l)rows  contracte(L  and  she  shook 
her  head  in  decided  disaj)proval.  Then  she  sprang  forward, 
laid  her  hand  on  Victor's  arm,  and  said:  "  That  will  do,  Mr. 
^yaldhol•st.  You  must  not  strike  a  man  after  he  says 
'  enough.'  " 

The  touch  of  that  little  hand  at  once  paralyzed  Victor's  arm. 
He  stood  speechless  and  motionless  while  Orlando  .Tones  made 
good  his  retreat,  and  gazed  at  the  intrepid  gii'l. 

The  whole  affair  had  lasted  probably  not  longer  than  a 
minute  or  two  ;  but  to  Victor  it  seemed  an  age  since  he  had 
conquered  the  place  at  the  head  of  the  class,  and  the  privilege 
to  sit  by  the  side  of  Nellie.  And  now  she  stood  there,  looking 
at  him  so  reproachfully.  With  the  return  of  his  self-possession 
came  the  bitter  self-accusation,  that  by  giving  way  to  his  pas- 
sion he  had  forfeited  the  esteem  of  his  friends  —  that  he 
proved  himself  guilty  of  the  ruffianism  with  which  Ralph  Payton 
and  Orlando  Jones  had  charged  him. 

"  Par-don  me  I  "  he  stammered,  manfully  fighting  back  the 
tears  that  would  force  themselves  into  his  eyes,  as  if  taking 
advantage  of  the  weakness  and  depression  that  followed  the 
tension  of  his  nerves  during  his  late  excitement.  "  I  —  I  — 
meant  not  to  insult  you  I  " 

"Of  course  not  I  "  spoke  Nellie,  in  her  clear,  bell-like 
voice,  so  as  to  attract  general  attention.     "  I  know  von,  Mr. 


98  THE   BEBEL\S  DAUGllTKB. 

Waldliorst,  for  a  thorouo-h  o-entlonian  and  a  brave  hero,  who 
saved  my  life  at  the  peril  of  his  own.""  And  ha  vino-  thus 
made  ample  re})aratioii  for  the  unintentional  injury  she  had 
done  him,  she  held  out  her  hand  to  him  and  said  ?'  cornel  " 

He  followed  her,  not  able  to  thank  her  in  words.  Before 
they  reached  their  seats  he  heard  Leslie  say,  also  addressino; 
the  whole  class : 

"  I  deem  it  my  duty  to  add  a  word  in  justiiication  of  my 
friend.  It  has  been  [)ulili(tly  charged  here  that  he  is  an  abo- 
litionist, and  carries  on  illicit  intercourse  with  my  father's 
negroes.  I  can  give  a  shrewd  guess  at  the  source  whence  this 
infamous  slander  emanates.  The  originator  of  it  is  a  dastardly 
liar,  whoever  he  is.  The  disseminator  is  a  no  less  dastardly 
slanderer.  One  such  has  to-day  received  well-deserved  chas- 
tisement at  the  hands  of  my  friend,  and  the  like  treatment 
awaits  all  that  may  follow  the  slanderer's  example.  1  wish  to 
add,  that  whoever  doubts  my  word  in  this  matter,  may  say  so, 
and  I  am  ready  to  settle  with  him  at  any  time  or  ])lace,  as  soon 
as  the  class  will  be  dismissed." 

In  speaking  the  latter  words,  Leslie  cast  a  look  of  deliance 
at  Ralph  Pay  ton,  of  which  that  gentleman  chose  to  take  no 
notice. 

"And  now,  fellow  students,"  concluded  Leslie,  "  let  us, 
with  the  j)ermission  of  our  highly  honored  teacher,  give  a  hur- 
rah to  the  young  man  who  by  his  natural  capability  and  indef- 
atigable diligence,  has  won  the  lirst  place  in  our  class,  and 
by  his  personal  courage  and  prowess  has  won  our  respect  and 
esteem.     Hip  —  hip  —  hurrah  !     Hurrah  !     Hnrrah  !  !  !  " 

The  class  —  at  least  the  great  majority  of  them — heartily 
responded.  The  ladies  were  not  tardy  in  their  demonstra- 
tions. Miss  Emily  Matlack  and  Miss  Ilettie  Shannon  waving 
their  handkerchiefs  almost  as  enthusiastically  as  did  Nellie 
May;  even  the  teacher  smiled  approliation.  When  the  noise 
had  subsided,  the  latter  declared  the  class  dismissed  for  the 
day,  and  admonished  the  {Hipils  to  return  jjromptly  in  the 
morniuii'  for  the  renewal  of  their  studies. 


VII. 

A  CANDIDATE    IN  A   QUANDARY. 

bt;  IC'TOK  left  the  court  house  iu  :i  state  of  bewiklennent 
\w//  brought  on  by  eonllieting  emotions.  Elation  over  his 
'  signal  success  in  the  class  ;  shame  and  poignant  dis- 
tress at  thought  of  the  spectacle  he  had  made  of  himself  Ijy 
giving  way  to  his  passion  ;  exultant  delight  over  the  decided 
partiality  shown  him  by  Nellie  and  Leslie,  —  all  these  con- 
tended for  the  mastery  in  his  bosom.  And  above  it  all  the 
puzzling  experience,  that  he  had  been  most  applauded  for  that 
of  which  he  was  most  ashamed,  —  the  disgraceful  broil  witli 
Orlando  Jones.  Not  even  the  teacher  had  reprimanded  him 
for  his  unseemly  violence  I  Jiut  he  felt  keenly  the  humiliation 
that  lay  in  Nellie's  gentle  rebuke.  What  must  she  have 
thought  of  his  temper,  and  of  his  manuers,  to  lind  it  necessary 
to  remind  him  of  his  cowardice  toward  a  helpless  adversary  I 

The  l)rotlier  and  sister  had  cordialh'  invited  him  to  accom- 
l)any  them  to  May  Meadows.  It  needed  very  little  coaxing 
to  induce  him  to  accept  the  tempting  invitation.  He  felt  that 
nothing  would  so  effectually  restore  his  mental  equililirium,  as 
the  delightful  companionship  of  his  young  friends. 

"Tell  me,  Victor,"  said  Leslie  with  a  jocular  smile,  when 
all  three  were  on  their  way  to  the  Colonel's  residence,  "  were 
you  born  with  a  caul,  and  did  some  benevolent  fairy  stand  god- 
mother at  you  baptism?  That  was  a  happy  inspiration,  this 
morning,  that  prompted  you  to  the  one  only  course  to  stop  the 
mischievous  gadding  of  those  rowdies  in  the  class.  I  confess, 
that  I  was  always  afraid  that  your  excessive  modest}',  the  like 
of  which  no  maiden  in  Vernal  County  is  blessed  with,  would 
ruin  your  prospects  in  life,   at  least  before  the  public.     But 

(99) 


100  THE   BEBEVS  DAUGHTEB. 

to-dav  you  luive  convinced  mc,  that  yon  liavc  tlic  stuff  in  you 
for  a  politician  who  Avill  lind  \'ernal  County  too  narrow,  some 
day,  for  his  a.niV)ition.'" 

This  swct'ijino-  anuounccniciil  startled  and  puzzled  Mctor. 
He  was  afraid  his  friend  Avas  (piizziny-  him.  "  What  is  a  pol- 
itician? "   he  incpiired. 

'■  Wliat  a  question  I  "  exclaimed  Leslie.  "  ^^liy,  politician 
comes  from  politics.  A  politician  is  a  man  who  engages  in 
politics." 

"•  Papa  is  a  politician,  is  he  not?  "  suggested  Nellie. 

"  I  should  think  so !  "  the  young  man  asserted.  "And 
what  a  politician  I  He  has  made  most  wonderful  progress 
in  the  line  art  of  humbugging  since  this  campaign  began." 

"  Is  humbugging  the  height  of  a  politician's  art?  "  Victor 
inquired  naively. 

"■  Why,  of  course!  "  Leslie  answered  promptly,  regarding 
his  companion  with  an  amused  smile.  "  A  politician  goes  in 
to  win;  and  to  win,  he  must  stand  in  with  the  people.  If  he 
wants  an  office,  he  must  make  the  honest  voters  believe  that 
he  accepts  it  from  motives  of  sheer  patriotism,  at  great  per- 
sonal sacrifice  to  himself ;  and  he  Avheedles  them  into  voting 
for  him  by  promising  all  sorts  of  impossible  things, — that  the 
millennium  will  come,  if  they  only  will  elect  him,  —  and  such  — 
humbug." 

"  Then  your  father  is  not  a  politician  I  "  Victor  proclaimed, 
with  an  air  of  conviction  that  precluded  doubt. 

"  Well,  and  why  not?  " 

"  Because  INIr.  May  is  too  thoroughly  a  gentleman  to  do  so 
dishonorable  a  thing!  "  Victor  responded  with  enthusiasm. 

Nellie  gave  him  a  proud  and  grateful  look,  while  Leslie, 
looking  a  little  ashamed,  cordially  shook  him  by  the  hand, 
saying  "  I  think  you  are  right,  \'ictor.  In  that  view  of  the 
case,  the  governor  is  not,  perhaps,  a  politician.  But  we  are 
so  in  the  habit  of  using  the  word  to  describe  a  man  who  makes 
a  business  of  politics  ;  who  hangs  out  the  show-bill  of  patriot- 
ism, and  makes  of  patriotic  party  platforms  so  many  cloaks 


A   CANDIDATE  IN  A    qUANDAllY.  101 

for  liis  ainhitious,  or  ('(n'l'toiis.  Inil  alwnys  sc'llisU  (.'uds.  Is  not 
that  luunhug':'  " 

''  And  why  do  you  think  that  1  will  bi'  a  successful  politi- 
cian? "  ^'ictor  asked. 

"  You  prove  it  just  now  by  dealing  nie  this  poser^"  said 
Leslie,  laughing-.  ''  It  would  be  diiticult,  indeed,  to  imagine 
you  as  dealing  in  hypocrisy  or  humbug,  or  believe  you  capable 
of  deceiving  even  a  babe.  But  I  am  right,  for  all  that. 
Wrong  perhaps  in  applying  the  Avord  in  this  sense,  to  the 
governor.  And  yet,  has  he  not  produced  an  infiuite  amount 
of  humbug  and  nonsense  during  this  campaign?  Let  me  re- 
mind you  of  the  precious  stuff  he  got  off  on  the  occasion  of 
his  introducing  Professor  Caleb  Amos  to  the  people  of  Brook- 
lield.  But,  my  friend,"  he  added,  turning  with  smiling  face 
to  Victor,  "there  are  politicians,  also,  in  a  nobler  sense. 
.Statesmen,  if  you  please,  who  devote  themselves  to  the  science 
of  political  economy  ;  who  organize  parties  on  political  princi- 
l)les,  and  w'ho  are  as  innocent  of  ottice-hunting,  in  the  vulgar 
sense,  as  you  or  the  governor.  You  would  not  object  to  being 
a  politician  in  this  sense,  would  you?  " 

"  Still,  I  cannot  imagine  how  you  connect  my  behavior  to- 
day with  this  subject,"  Victor  remarked. 

'•  I  will  tell  you,"  the  other  rejoined.  "  You  were  in  a  most 
critical  predicament  to-day.  How  near  you  came  to  being  a 
victim  to  the  base  slanders  of  your  jealous  detractors,  you 
probably  never  suspected,  nor  realize  even  now.  People  stand 
no  tom-foolery  in  this  part  of  the  country  from  abolitionists, 
nor  allow  the  negroes  to  be  encouraged  in  their  discontent  and 
wild  notions  of  bettering  their  condition.  And  that  is  just 
what  they  represented  you  as  being  and  doing.  That  is  why 
it  pleased  me  so  well  to  see  you  nip  the  foul  conspiracy  in  the 
bud  l)y  an  emphatic  word  and  a  stinging  t^low,  which  at  once 
made  you  the  master  of  the  situation." 

''  1  can't  imagine  how  that  helped  me  I  "  said  Victor,  shaking 
his  head  dubiously. 

••  lint    I    can   see!  "  Nellie  exclaimed  eagerlv.      "  It  was  a 


102  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

mean  thing  of  Orlando  Jones  to  state  publicly  what  I  had 
meant  for  a  harmless  joke,  to  an  intimate  friend,  and  then  to 
pervert  it  so  shamefully,  and  make  a  public  accusation  of  it. 
And  so  everybody  was  glad  that  you  thrashed  him  for  it." 

"  Let  it  be  a  lesson  to  you,  my  giddy-headed  little  sister,  to 
keep  that  unruly  tongue  of  yours  under  better  control!  " 
moralized  the  liig  brother. 

"I  know  I  You  needn't  preach  me  a  sermon  alxjut  it," 
said  Nellie,  trying  honestly  but  with  indifferent  success,  to 
put  a  sober  expression  on  her  face. 

"  liut  that  wasn't  the  main  thing,"  said  Leslie.  "That 
was  only  a  private  affair  between  you  and  Nellie — " 

"  But  it  Avas  an  infamous  lie  I  "  Victor  shouted,  with  return- 
ing indignation. 

"  Of  course  it  was  I  "  Leslie  assented.  "•  And  your  tower- 
ing i>assion  and  the  energy  with  which  you  hurled  the  lie  at 
him,  showed  uj)  not  only  this  infamy,  but  also  —  and  that  was 
of  greater  importance  —  the  utter  groundlessness  of  the  cock- 
and-bull  story  about  the  negroes.  And  this  is  what  1  meant, 
when  1  said  that  you  had  the  stuff  in  you  for  a  thorough  poli- 
tician, who  knows  how  to  do  the  right  thing  at  the  right  time." 

"  Ah,"  said  Victor,  with  an  admiring  glance  at  the  little 
lady  and  her  brother,  and  blushing  with  pleasure,  "  it  was  not 
my  doing  that  rescued  me  from  disgrace,  but  yours.  Miss  May, 
and  yours,  Leslie.  You  both  stood  by  me  so  bravely,  and 
everybody  admires  and  loves  you  so  nuich,  that  for  your  sake 
they  finally  pnt  up  with  me  also.  Plow  immensely  popular  you 
are  I  " 

"  I  hope  you  are  right  I  '"  said  I^eslie,  laughing.  ••  A  little 
popularity  just  now  would  not  come  amiss  to  the  governor. 
The  cam])aigu  is  getting  hot,  and  there  is  no  telling  what  the 
end  will  ]»e.  It  would  be  a  deuced  nuisance,  if  that  sneaking- 
whig  \\'a(l(lie  were  to  beat  him." 

"Your  father?"  (In  a  tone  of  incredulity.)  "Why. 
surely,  that  cannot  be.  Kveryltody,  I  should  think,  is  going 
to  vote  for  Colonel  Mnv." 


A    CANDIDATE   IN  A    QUANDARY.  103 

"  ^V  f(insuiiim:ili()ii  dcvoiitlN  to  hi-  wislied  I  "'  (.'xcl:iiiiic(l  the 
son.  ••  But  I  would  unicli  [)i'efer  certainty  to  the  liopi-.  'I'linl 
business  about  -lelTrevs  is  uo;ly.  If  only  the  oovernor  were 
free  to  deal  with  him  as  he  ought  to  be  dealt  with  for  his 
insolence  I  " 

''  With  .Jeffreys,  your  overseer?  "  asked  Victor,  eaoerly. 

'•Why,  yes,"  Nellie  spoke  up.  •' Did  I  not  tell  you  ;i 
week  ago,  that  I  had  news  to  tell  you  from  May  JNIeadows  tliat 
Avould  interest  you  ?  lint  you  never  once  came  near  me,  so 
that  I  could  tell." 

'*  How  stupid  of  me  1  "  he  replied,  and  then  added  eagerly: 
■  •  Please  tell  me  now . ' ' 

"  It  concerns  you  somewhat,  also,"  Leslie  answered  for  his 
sister.  "  Jeffreys  insists  on  it  that  you  were  stirring  up  the 
negroes,  were  teaching  them  to  read  and  write,  and  such 
nonsense,  —  well,  about  the  same  thing  that  rowdy  Jones  said 
in  the  class.  Now  the  governor  did  not  want  to  believe  every- 
thing he  said,  and  they  quarreled.  There  were  not  many  words, 
but  pretty  sharp  ones.  Jeffreys  will  have  it  that  there  must 
l)e  exemplary  punishment  of  the  negroes.  Among  the  rest, 
he  wants  Cressie  publicly  Hogged.  He  says  that  she  is  one  of 
the  worst  ringleaders,  and  openly  defied  his  authority.  But 
Cressie  belongs  to  sister  Nellie,  and  she  has  taken  it  int(j  her 
head,  that  Cressie  shall  not  be  whipped,  and  the  governor  takes 
Nellie's  view  of  the  matter." 

"  Don't  you  think  it  would  be  cruel  and  wrong  to  punish 
Cressie,  just  because  the  overseer  is  mad  at  something?  " 
Nellie  spoke  these  words  with  an  inquiring  look  at  Victor,  as 
if  she  hoped,  but  was  not  quite  sure,  that  he  would  agree 
with  her. 

•' It  would  be  the  heiglit  of  tyrannic  injustice!  "  the  hitter 
exclaimed  warmly.  "  But  is  not  Colonel  May  tlie  master? 
And  if  he  will  not  permit  this  wrong  to  be  done,  does  not  that 
settle  the  matter?  " 

"  Under  ordinary  circumstances  it  would,  of  course," 
Leslie  explained.    "  But  Jeffreys  is  headstrong  and  vindictive. 


104  THE  UEBEL\S  DAUGllTEU. 

:uul  thivatoiis  to  leave  the  place  if  he  does  not  yet  his  way. 
If  he  makes  o-ood  his  threat,  of  coiirse  there  will  he  a  big  row 
about  it  and  all  sorts  of  talk  ainoiio-  the  peoj)le.  Jeffreys  will 
certainly  put  the  matter  in  the  worst  ])ossil)le  light,  that  is  too 
plain  U)  be  doubted.  The  whigs  would  make  tremendous 
capital  out  of  it,  and  defeat  the  governor  almost  to  a  certainty." 

''  How  in  the  world  can  this  thing  injure  your  father?  " 
(pieried  Victor,  in  anxious  surprise.  "  It  is  not  wrong  for  a 
master  to  discharge  a  servant  who  will  not  obey,  is  it?  And 
whose  business  is  this,  but  his  own?  "' 

"  80  I  say!  "  Nellie  j)ut  in.  ••  Papa  must  know  Ijest  what 
to  do  al)out  his  own  affairs,  and  if  he  lets  Mr.  Jeffreys  go, 
because  they  cannot  l)otli  be  boss,  nobody  can  object." 

''  No  one,"  replied  Leslie,  speaking  more  soberly  than  was 
his  custom,  "  who  knows  the  facts  of  the  case.  On  the  con- 
trary, every  one  that  will  take  the  trouble  to  examine  the  facts 
at  all,  will  say  that  he  is  right.  But  the  (piestion  is  not  so 
much  whether  he  is  right  or  wrong,  but  how  to  avoid  a  scand.-d 
that  will  certainly  prove  disastrous  on  the  eve  of  the  election." 

It  troubled  \'ictor  to  notice  tlie  seriousness  of  his  friend 
Leslie,  and  he  listened  \\'ith  a  solicitude  arising  from  a  guilty 
feeling  that  his  own  im[)rudence  had  brought  on  all  this  trouble. 

Leslie  continued:  "You  see,  if  Jeffreys  is  discharged,  the 
whigs  will  take  up  his  side  of  the  story  and  magnify  it  so  as 
to  make  it  a  hundred  times  worse  than  even  Jeffreys  now  puts 
it.  The  governor  will  l)e  held  up  as  a  renegade  on  the  slavery 
(question,  Avhich  just  now  causes  so  much  excitement  all  over 
the  South.  They  will  make  him  out  a  hypocrite,  who  secretly 
does  that  which  he  publicly  i-ondenuis  ;  a  traitor  to  the  cause 
of  the  South,  by  permitting  sedition  and  insurrection  to  be 
taught  to  the  negroes  of  his  own  household,  'i'he  discharged 
overseei'  will  pose  as  a  martyr,  who  would  rather  sacrilice  a 
})rolitable  position  than  l)ecome  a  tool  in  the  hands  of  a  traitor 
to  his  country  I  Orlando  Jones  has  shown  you  this  very  day. 
how  t'asy  it  is  to  spivad  lies,  and  how  readily  they  are  Itelieved." 

"  Hut  you  have  also  shown  how  easy  it  was  to  put  down  Ihe 


.4    CANDIDATE  IN  A    QUANDAHV.  105 

lies!"  Victor  oxclaiined  exultantly.  ••  A  word  Iroiii  Miss 
Nellie,  a  simple  statement  l»y  you,  were  sulHcient  to  sweep  away 
their  wel)  of  lies." 

"  You  lia[)[)en  to  he  mistaken,  young  man,"  said  Leslie. 
''  Your  thundering  •  liar  I  '  and  your  ready  list  did  that.  But, 
you  see,"  he  continued,  relapsing  into  the  sober  tone  in  which 
he  had  been  speaking,  '•  we  cannot  lock  up  the  whole  body  of 
voters  in  a  schoolroom  :  nor  can  the  governor  demonstrate 
to  them  all  with  his  list,  that  his  enemies  are  lying.  No 
harm  can  come  to  him  from  any  one  whom  he  can  meet  face 
to  face  ;  danger  threatens  only  from  the  lie  that  sneaks  in  the 
dark,  like  the  snake  in  the  grass  that  shuns  the  open  light  of 
day." 

They  walked  on  in  silence  for  a  while,  pondering  the  situa- 
tion. Presently  Victor  inquired,  '"  What  has  your  father  con- 
cluded to  do  in  the  matter?  " 

''  Nothing  as  yet,"  answered  Leslie.  "  liut  1  fear  that  he 
will  yield  to  Jeffreys." 

"Yield!  "  Victor  repeated,  emphasizing  the  word  so  as  to 
almost  make  Leslie  blush. 

"  AVill  Jidre  to  yield,"  the  latter  added  quickly.  ••  Would 
you  have  him  throw  away  his  chance  for  the  election,  just  to 
shield  a  slave  from  a  Hogging  which  she,  ])erhaps,  after  all, 
deserves  ? ' ' 

The  young  German  shook  his  head  dubiously,  but  made  no 
reply. 

They  had  now  reached  the  grounds  of  May  Meadows.  In 
passing  the  place  from  which  the  negro  quarters  could  be  seen, 
Victor  looked  eagerly  in  that  direction.  He  seemed  to  regard 
with  his  eyes  the  hut  in  which  he  had  surprised  the  negroes 
reading  the  Bible. 

•*  Cressie  is  not  there,"  said  Nellie,  who  liad  followed  the 
direction  of  his  look,  with  a  smile.  "  I  ordered  her  to  remain 
in  the  house  until  this  matter  is  settled." 

"That  will  do  C'ressie  no  good,"  Leslie  remarked.  "Jef- 
freys will  not  be  tlnvarte<l  in  iiis  [)urj)ose  ])\  your  opposition." 


106  THE  BEBEVS  DAUGHTER. 

"We  shall  see  I  "  said  Nellie,  proudly  lioldiiiiJ-  up  lier 
shapely  head. 

Dinner  was  just  about  to  be  served  at  the  mansion  when 
they  arrived  there.  Victor  was  kindly  received,  particularly 
by  the  Colonel,  who  had  not  long  before  returned  from  an 
electioneering;  tour,  and  was  in  high  spirits.  He  expressed  his 
pleasure  at  seeing  the  young  man  as  a  guest  at  his  table,  and 
inquired  about  the  progress  he  was  making  in  his  grammatical 
studies.  Of  course,  Nellie  at  once  launched  into  a  narration 
of  the  important  events  that  had  transpired  at  the  class.  Her 
vivacious  description,  spiced  with  droll  imitations,  put  the 
com}mny  at  the  table  in  the  pleasantest  humor,  and  so  engaged 
their  attention,  that  none  of  them  noticed  how  the  entrance  of 
Lucretia,  who  was  waiting  at  table,  affected  the  guest.  He 
found  the  girl  still  more  beautiful,  if  possible,  in  the  full  light 
of  day,  than  when  he  had  seen  her  by  the  flicker  of  the  tallow- 
candle.  She  was  of  the  same  age  as  Nellie,  but  taller  and 
more  fully  deVeloi)ed.  The  plainness  of  the  garb  she  wore  did 
not  altogether  hide  the  soft  outlines  of  her  voluptuous,  Junonic 
form.  Her  whole  appearance  contrasted  strongly  with  that  of 
her  sjjrightly,  vivacious  young  mistress ;  yet  it  seemed  to 
Victor  that  the  charms  of  each  were  heightened  by  the  com- 
parison. Especially  remarkable  did  he  lind  the  features  of  the 
two  maidens,  when  Lucretia  stoo])ed  by  the  side  of  her  mis- 
tress to  pass  her  some  dish  from  the  table,  and  brought  the 
two  faces  into  close  juxtaposition,  enabling  him  to  note  the 
hapi)y,  child-like,  yet  piquant  and  highly  intellectual  look 
beaming  from  Nellie's  clear  grey  eyes,  in  contrast  with  the  soft, 
dreamy,  almost  plaintive  expression  characterizing  the  liquid, 
dark,  yet  lustrous  eyes  of  the  Octoroon. 

But  it  was  not  the  ap})earance  of  the  two  girls  that  en- 
gaged Victor's  busy  thoughts.  He  pondered  over  the  political 
necessity  which  subjected  the  faithful  servant  to  the  cruel 
caprice  of  a  brutal  hireling,  uotwithstandiug  the  desire  of  a 
kind  mistress  to  protect  her.  and  the  conviction  of  her  master 
that    she   wns   inuoccnt  —  Ix'caiisc   the   soveiTJon   voters  uiiuht 


.1    CANDIDATE   IN  A    QU AND  AMY.  107 

choost'  to  look  oil  her  inipuiuty  as  a  proof  of  u  tiv:isoiial)l(' 
heresy  in  the  master,  from  wliom  they  must  withhold  their 
suffrages. 

"  Now  seel  "  exclaimed  the  Colonel,  with  a  pleasant  lautih, 
as  Nellie  related  the  triumph  achieved  by  Victor,  in  giving"  tiie 
correct  answer  to  the  ([uestion  that  battled  the  rest  of  the 
class,  '*  What  an  honor  for  us  to  entertain  the  Corypheus  of 
grammatical  science  at  our  table  I  " 

"Yes,  indeed,"  Nellie  continued;  "and  that  was  the 
smallest  of  his  victories."  And  she  went  on  to  relate  the 
remainder  of  the  morning's  experiences,  interrupted  now  and 
then  by  a  correction  or  explanation  on  the  part  of  Leslie. 
The  Colonel  listened  with  attention,  his  interest  in  the  narrative 
increasing  when  the  slanderous  charges  against  Victor  were 
mentioned.  His  face  took  on  a  sober  expression.  When 
Leslie,  who  had  assumed  this  part  of  the  narration,  mentioned 
the  intrepidity  with  which  Victor  had  met  the  charges  and 
hurled  the  lie  at  the  accusers,  he  threw^  an  approving  glance  at 
the  young  man  which  brought  a  blush  to  his  cheek.  After 
listening  with  evident  satisfaction  to  the  further  development 
of  the  fracas,  he  whispered  a  fcAv  words  into  his  wife's  ear, 
whereupon  the  latter  sent  Lucretia  on  an  errand  resulting  in 
her  protracted  absence. 

"  It  is  high  time,"  said  the  Colonel,  after  Lucretia  had  left 
the  room,  without  lietraying  h\  look  or  gesture,  how  much  she 
would  have  liked  to  remain  —  •' it  is  high  time  that  I  should 
come  to  an  understanding  with  -Jeffreys  about  that  unpleasant 
dispute  between  us.  I  infer  from  what  you  related  of  the 
occurrence  in  the  class,  that  he  has  already,  partially  at  least, 
made  good  his  threats.  What  those  silly  boys  tattled  out  in 
the  grammar  school  is  l)ut  the  beginning  of  the  attack  on  me. 
.Jeffreys  has  evidently  spread  the  matter  and  colored  it  to  suit 
his  purposes.  His  plnu  is  to  corner  me  by  prejudicing  the 
public  opinion.  It  is  a  l)ad  business  1  "  There  was  a  pause 
during  which  the  Colonel  thoughtfully  paced  the  room.  ••  If 
only  llie  chM'tion   were  a  little  further  off  I  "  he  ])res('ntly  cim- 


108  THE  HE  BEL'S  DAUOHTER. 

tinned.  "  1  haw  but  a  single  day  to  spare  for  Broolviield  ;  all 
the  remainder  of  the  time  Ijetore  the  first  Monday  in  Angnst 
is  cnt  ont  for  bnsiness  elsewhere.  And  if  this  talk  gets  ont, 
my  presence  here  will  ]>e  indispeusal)le."' 

"  It  is  aggravating  to  think  that  this  insolent  Jeffreys  is  to 
have  his  own  way,  after  all!  "  said  Leslie. 

"I  jnst  hate  him  I  "  Nellie  chimed  in;  and  the  cloud 
gathering  upon  her  forehead  looked  even  more  portentous  than 
that  on  her  Ijrother's  face.  ''  And  I  hoi)e  that  you  will  show 
him  who  is  master  here." 

"  What  do  jioii  think  of  this?"  asked  the  Colonel,  turning 
round  toward  Victor. 

''  I?  "  stammered  the  young  man,  disconcerted  by  the 
sudden  (juestion.  ••  I  cannot  presume  to  express  an  opinion. 
1  cannot  judge  what  your  situation  demands." 

''  But  you  liafp  an  opinion':'  " 

"  It  is  Avorth  nothing  to  you." 

"  Speak,  nevertheless.     I  wish  to  know  your  opinion." 

•*  I  have  spoken.  You  know  Avhat  I  think,"  Victor  said  in 
a  low  voice,  and  with  downcast  eyes. 

"  And  do  you  persist  in  your  view,  after  all  I  tolil  you  the 
other  night  about  })ublic  opinion  in  this  country?  " 

"  I  nuist  repeat,  that  I  cannot  judge  as  to  your  })ersonal  in- 
terests," said  Victor,  in  almost  a  whisper,  and  under  evidently 
Ijainful  eml)arrassment. 

''  tSui)i)()sing  that  it  will  cost  me  my  election  if  I  discharge 
this  Jeffreys?  " 

"  If  the  Octoroon  girl  is  to  be  punished  for  learning  to 
read,"  said  Victor,  with  a  rapid  glance  at  Leslie  and  Nellie, 
who  were  both  listening  attentively,  "  or  because  she  went  in 
the  night  time  to  her  uncle  and  mother,  to  read  tlie  J5ible  to 
them,  it  is  very  cruel,  but  may  be  just,  under  your  law.  JJut 
if—  " 

"  Don't  be  so  pathetic  about  the  uncle  and  mother,"  the 
Colonel  interrui)ted  him  with  a  smile.  ''  Xerxes  is  neither  the 
uncle,  nor   Cassandra    the   mollier  ol'    Cressie.      Tliat    is  a  wa\' 


A    CANDIDATE   IiV  A    QUANDAEY.  109 

(larUic^  liuvc  ol'  tMlkiiiji'  siboiit  ciicii  otlii'i'.  (';iss:iii(lr:i  was  tin- 
nurse  of  Ci'ossic,  as  she  was  of  Xcllie.  I>ut —  \\\va\  were 
you  u'oiuii  to  say  ? 

\'i('tor  cast  a  basliful  look  al  Nellie  and  eoiitiuued  wilh 
downcast  eyes:  '^  IJut  if  the  auger  of  JMr.  Jeffreys  is  due  to 
another  cause,  that  is  an  honor  to  her,  then  lier  jjunishnient 
would  be  a  cruel  and  tyrannical  mockery  of  justice'.  And," 
he  added,  suddenly  raising  up  his  head  and  looking  the 
Colonel  full  in  tiie  face,  ''  in  such  case  you  will  not 
permit  it." 

'•'■  Not  even  if  I  were  to  lose  my  election  in  consequence?  " 
the  Colonel  asked  him,  with  a  look  that  puzzled  Victor. 

''  Not  even  then  I  "  he  promptly  exclaimed,  his  eyes  spark- 
ling with  eager  enthusiasm.  "  But  I  do  not  understand  how  a 
simple  act  of  justice  should  endanger  your  election." 

''Victor  is  right  I  "  shouted  Nellie,  leaping  to  her  feet. 
''  Papa  is  not  afraid  of  Mr.  Jeffreys,  1  know.  Cressie  has 
learned  to  read  long  ago,  and  no  one  has  ever  found  fault  with 
her  for  it;  and  papa  is  not  going  to  have  her  flogged,  just 
because  Mr.  Jeffreys  wishes  it." 

Colonel  May  looked  at  his  children  with  a  peculiar  smile. 
"  1  think  we  will  hear  what  Jeffreys  has  to  say  for  himself," 
he  remarked.  '■  And  you  will  oblige  me  by  remaining,"  he 
added,  as  Victor  rose  to  leave  the  room.  '•  What  is  about  to 
transpire  here,  will  hardly  remain  a  secret.  And  then,  you 
know,  you  are,  in  a  measure,  personally  interested  in  the 
matter." 

Jeffreys  appeared.  When  he  learned  for  what  purpose  he 
had  been  calletl,  he  cast  a  sinister  glance  at  all  present.  His 
face  assumed  a  sullen,  almost  defiant,  expression  when  his  eye 
fell  on  Victor.  "  Are  all  these  to  stay  yere  while  we  do  our 
talkin' ?  "  he  moodily  inquired. 

"Mr.  Waldhorst  has  done  me  the  iionor  to  consent,  at  my 
request,  to  be  present  at  our  interview,"  said  the  Colonel, 
quietly.  '*  Your  respective  statements  do  not  harmonize  on 
all  the  facts  of  the  case." 


110  THE  BEBEVS  DAUGHTEIL 

"  D^xi.'  moan  me  to  defend  me  words  aoin  tliis  —  Hessian?  " 
asked  the  overseer,  in  a  tone  iK'traying-  irritation. 

"  Mr.  Jeffreys,  pray  do  not  forget  that  Mr.  A>'aldhorst  is  a 
guest  at  iny  house,  and  a  gentleman,"  said  the  Colonel,  some- 
what severely. 

''Time  was,  when  a  sneakin'  abolitioner  wa'n't  allowed  to 
count  fur  a  gentleman,"  said  Jeffreys,  with  increased  ill  humor, 
"  An'  as  to  Ms  bein'  yur  guest,  'e  shamefully  'bused  yer  hos- 
pitality fur  dirty  doin's —  " 

Victor  sprang  to  his  feet.  He  was  about  to  utter  his  indig- 
nant protest,  when  the  Coloiu'l  interruj^ted  liim  and,  with  a 
peremptory  gesture,  demanded  his  silence.  Then,  turning  to 
the  overseer  with  the  dignity  of  a  Southern  gentleman  vindicat- 
ing the  honor  of  his  house,  he  sternly  said:  "Not  another 
word,  Mr.  Jeffreys,  of  this  kind.  Remember  that  you  are 
addressing  me.  and  that  there  are  ladies  present." 

The  connnanding  attitude  assumed  l>y  Colonel  May,  and  the 
dignified  emphasis  of  his  voice,  failed  not  of  their  effect.  The 
overseer  made  an  effort  to  moderate  his  inanner.  ■'  I'm  real 
sorry,"  he  said  lowering  his  eyes  before  the  keen  glance  of  his 
master,  "  'at  nur  me  actions  nur  me  words  are  to  the  likin'  o' 
the  ladies.  I  aint  got  the  gift  'o  tiatterin'  speech  :  'n'  1  like 
to  name  things  be  thar  right  names." 

"  I  learn  from  Mr.  Waldhorst,"  the  Colonel  continued, 
"that  on  the  evening  in  question,  his  curiosity  led  him  to 
Xerxes'  cal)in,  where  he  found  the  negroes  reading  the 
Bil,le  — " 

Jeffreys  interrni)ted  him  with  a  scornful  laugh,  and  the 
question  "  Is  that  what  made  "im  blow  out  the*  light  r  " 

"  No  interruptions,  sir  I  "  the  Colonel  exclaimed  severely. 
''  You  are  aware,  are  you  not,  that  the  light  was  blown  out  by 
the  negroes,  because  they  feared  to  be  discovered  l)y  you? 
Now,  it  is  against  orders  for  them  to  have  a  light  in  their 
cabin ;  and  it  was  w^'ong  in  Lucretia  to  go  there  without  first 
obtaining  permission  from  you.  But  the  offense  is  not  so 
orave  a  (jue  as  to  call  for  the  infliction  of  the  lash — " 


A    CANDIDATE   IN  A    QUANDARY.  HI 

"Oil,"  .Ic'l't'rcys  ao'iiiii  iiilcMrii])tO(l  with  :i  iiKilicioiis  siicoi', 
"  'twas  all  right  fur  that  'ere  sassy  wench  'ii  tin'  Hessian 
thar —  " 

"Silence,  sir!  "  exclainiecl  the  Colonel  in  a  voice  so  stern 
as  to  awe  the  overseer  into  compliance.  Upon  a  significant 
gesture  from  her  husband,  Mrs.  May  left  the  room,  taking 
Xellie  with  her.  "  1  had  hoped,"  he  then  continued,  "  that 
the  presence  of  the  ladies  would  lie  a  sutiicient  restraint  upon 
your  rudeness  of  speech:  1  was  mistaken.  You  have  made  it 
l)lain  enough  what  foul  purj)ose  you  impute  to  Mr.  Waldhorst's 
presence  there,  and  with  the  mention  of  which  you  were  about 
to  insult  the  ladies.  1  now  repeat  to  you,  that  your  surmises 
are  utterly  without  foundation.  From  this  you  may  infer,  that 
I  do  not  deem  the  whole  affair  worthy  of  further  notice.  Let 
it  drop  right  here." 

The  overseer  regarded  his  chief  with  unconcealed  rage. 
"  D'ye  mean  this  fur  yer  List  word?  "  he  linally  hissed  out. 

"  1  have  nothing  to  add  to'  it." 

"  But  me  inllooence  over  the  niggers  '11  not  be  wuth  shucks, 
if  ye  balk  me  in  this  way!  "  he  cried  with  increasing  wrath. 
"  If  1  can't  be  'lowed  to  have  me  own  Avay,  I  can't  be 
responsible  fur  the  niggers —  " 

"  I  will  assume  the  responsibility,"  said  the  Colonel. 

"  Then  take  the  work  too  I  "  A  look  of  tierce  defiance,  not 
unmixed  with  lurking  triumph,  accompanied  these  words  of  the 
overseer,  which  contained  an  open  declaration  of  war ;  for  he 
deemed  it  impossible,  under  the  circumstances,  that  his  services 
would  be  dispensed  with. 

"  Yon  mean  —  " 

"  I  mean,"  interrupted  Jeffreys,  giving  full  sway  to  his 
violent  rage,  "  'at  I'm  not  goin'  to  stay  at  a  place,  whar  the 
master  takes  sides  'ith  the  niggers  agin'  the  overseer,  'n'  whar 
the  whim  of  a  bal\v  counts  more  nur  the  discipline  of  the 
slaves;  'n'  whar'  an  outlandish  'venturer  's  openly  'lowed  to 
'pint  randyvous  with  lewd  nigger  wenches  —  " 

"  Enough!  "  the  Colonel  exclaimed.     His  brows  contracted, 


11^2  '  rilE   BE  BEL'S   DAUGUTEli. 

and  liis  eyes  Hashed  Ihivatciiiiiiilv.  "  Your  iulauious  suspicion 
proclaims  unmistakably  the  source  of  your  jealous  rage.  Jt  is 
well,  Mr.  Jeffreys,  that  you  are  minded  to  (juit  my  service.  It 
saA'es  me  the  necessity  of  dischargina"  you." 

•Jeffreys  liad  not  t-ounti'd  on  being  discharged.  •'  Are  ye 
thinkin'  o'  the  crops  'at  hain't  been  put  l»y  yet?  "  he  asked  in 
a  moderated  tone.  "  'N'  'at  this  is  'bout  the  bizziest  season 
o'  the  year?  " 

•'The  negroes  will  luiA'e  to  get  along  without  your  superin- 
tendence," the  master  promptly  replied. 

"  'N'  now,  with  yer  'lection  on  hand,  ye  hain't  got  time  to 
be  lookin'  after  the  niggers,"  the  overseer  suggested  meekly. 

"  Permit  me  to  manage  my  own  affairs,"  the  Colonel  re- 
plied. 

.Teffreys  saAV  that  he  had  gone  too  far.  lie  had  deemed  the 
threat  of  leaving  sufUcient  to  compel  compliance  with  his  de- 
mand and  was  not  i)repared  for  the  contingency  of  its  accept- 
ance. To  Victor's  unbounded  astonishment,  and  immensely 
to  his  relief,  the  overseer  changed  his  tone  of  defiance  to  one 
of  almost  cringing  meekness,  as  he  replied:  "But  lue  time's 
uot  up.  J'm  not  goin'  to  leave  ye  Jest  when  ye  need  me 
uiost." 

"  I  have  already  indicated,'"  the  Colonel  said  quietly,  ''  that 
I  deem  myself  capable  of  managing  my  own  Vtusiness.  You 
iteed  not  remain  on  my  account." 

"  But  me  contract  binds  me,  'n'  gives  me  the  right  to  stay 
vere  till  the  crops  are  in  in  the  fall.  1  shan't  break  me  con- 
tract, nur  'low  you  ter  break  it." 

"  Does  that  mean,"  asked  the  Colonel,  "  that  you  take  back, 
without  reserve,  the  threat  to  leave?  " 

"  Well,  yes,  if  you  want  me  to  say  so." 

"  And  you  will  obey  my  orders  without  gainsay?  " 

"  About  the  niggers?  Well,  yes,  then.  Say  no  more  about 
'em.  But  ye'll  have  to  take  the  consequences  on  yer  own 
head." 

Victor  had  followed  the  conversation  with  intense  interest. 


"  Apologize  —  to  him?     To  this  greenhorn  of  ti  Dutehniani:'  " 


A    CANDIDATE   IN  A    (QUANDARY.  113 

Hetwccii  his  indignation  over  tlic  tliiciitcncd  crui-lty  1o  llic 
slaves,  tlie  etliical  baseness  of  Avliieh  lie  felt  all  the  more  keenly 
l»y  reason  of  the  liioh  esteem  in  whieh  he  held  Colonel  May 
and  all  his  family,  and  the  disastrous  eonse(inenees  to  l)e  ap- 
[)rehended  from  the  vindietive  .lelfreys  if  he  should  earry  oul 
his  threat,  his  feelinos  were  wrouoht  up  to  a  painful  tension. 
lie  felt  profoundly  relieved,  therefore,  when  the  interview  be- 
tween the  two  men,  that  had  beoiin  so  stormily,  took  this  pacilie 
turn.  He  east  a  look  of  triumphant  joy  at  his  friend  Leslie. 
This  young  man  smiled  misehievously,  and  whispered:  "  Just 
wait ;  the  fun  is  not  over  yet.  The  governor  is  not  the  man  to 
be  played  with  so  easily." 

"  Let  me  understand,  then,"  said  the  Colonel,  "  that  the 
matter  is  settled  on  this  basis.  There  is  not  to  lie  another 
word  about  it ;  neither  to  Xerxes,  nor  to  Cassandra,  nor  to 
any  living  soul.  And  now,  just  one  thing  more.  You  have 
deeply  insulted  my  friend,  Mr.  Waldhorst,  and  I  deem  it  due 
to  him,  and  to  my  honoi',  to  demand  that  you  should  apologize 
to  him.  When  you  have  done  so,  I  expeet  from  his  courtesy 
to  me,  that  he,  too,  will  make  no  further  mention  of  this  dis- 
agreeable matter." 

•'What  I  To  him?  To  this  greenhorn  of  a  Dutchman  ?  " 
fairly  yelled  the  overseer  in  newly  kindled  wrath.  ''  Apolo- 
gize—  to  him?     Not  by  a  d d  sight  I      Why,   I'd  ruther 

beg  pard'n  o'  the  luggers  'emselves,  uur  o'  this  d d  Dutch 

abolitioner !  " 

"  But  you  will  do  jt,  if  we  are  to  remain  friends  I  "  said  the 
Colonel  with  that  air  of  (juiet  determination,  which  brooked  no 
resistance. 

Jeffreys  gnashed  his  teeth,  and  regarded  the  young  man  with 
a  look  of  intense  hatred. 

''Please,  Colonel,  omit  thisl"  begged  \'ictor,  wiio  felt 
exceedingly  uncomfortable,  in  a  beseeching  tone.  ••  I  wish  no 
apology  from  ]\h'.  Jeffreys." 

'"  It  nuist  be  I  "  the  Colonel  answered,  unmoved  by  Vict(n''s 
recpiest  and  by  Jeffreys'  rage.      "  Mr.  Jeffreys  himself  under- 

S 


Ill  rui'j  nh:i;i:us  daughter. 

stands,  that  an  insnlt  to  a  gut'st  in  my  honse  is  an  insult  to  nij 
lionor,  which  I  cannot  permit  without  dcmandino;  reparation." 

"  ]  shan't  do  it  1  "  roared  Jeffreys. 

"  You  mean  then,  to  carry  out  your  throat?  " 

•'  Me  contract  don't  bind  me  to  no  sich  conditions,"  fumed 
the  overseer. 

''You  forget,  JMr.  Jeffreys,  tliat  you,  not  I,  canceled  the 
contract,"  said  Colonel  May  with  emphasis.  "•  You  will  either 
give  me  the  satisfaction  which  I  demand,  or  the  contract  be- 
tween us  is  at  an  end.  1  do  not  permit  terms  to  be  dictated 
to  me  by  my  —  servant." 

The  scarcely  perceptible  emphasis  upon  the  last  word  seemed 
to  sting  dee])ly.  "  T^on't  forget,"  roared  the  overseer  in  a  fit 
of  ])assion  in  wiiicli  he  disregarded  every  consideration  of  pru- 
(h'nce  and  pi-o]>riety,  ''  'at  the  '  sarvant  '  is  a  free  American 
citizen  1  You'll  lind  out,  on  'lection  day,  what  it  is  to  insult 
a  free  voter  I  This  country  isn't  sunk  so  low,  yet,  as  to  'leet 
a  sneak,  'n'  a  traitor,  'n'  a  hy])ocrit  I  I'll  see  to  it,  'at  the 
people  iintls  out  who  'tis  'at's  whinin'  fur  thar'  votes  I  I'll 
show  'em  the  wolf  in  sheep  skin  I  A  mau't  pretends  to  be  a 
Demicrat,  'n'  cringes  to  an  outlandish  abolitioner  I  Think  o' 
me,  Kuruel  May,  when  'lection  day  comes!  " 

The  Colonel  regarded  his  adversary  with  ])rou(l  contempt. 
The  scornful  smile  that  curled  his  lips,  proclaimed  more  sting- 
ingly  than  the  keenest  words  could  have  done,  how  utterly  he 
des[)ised  his  now  openly  avowed  enemy.  ''  You  wish  to  show 
the  people  a  wolf  in  sheep's  clothing,  do  you?  A  traitor?  A 
tyrant?  A  hyimcrite?  You  will  not  fail  to  accomplish  your 
purpose.  To  be  sure,  I  have  never  enjoyed  the  ojjportunity  to 
admire  your  eloquence,  except  when  you  stood,  lash  in  hand, 
before  a  trembling  slave;  but  to  show  the  ])eople  a  low 
sneaking  wolf,  whose  I'apacity  is  visible  even  through  his 
sheepish  physiognomy,  yon  need  no  other  eloquence  than  your 
own  appearance.  l>ut  yon  will  no  doubt  understand,  Mr. 
Jeffreys,  that  it  is  high  time  for  you  to  begin  your  patriotic 
mission.      The  sooner  you   begin   it,"  he  added,  pointing  with 


A    CANDIDATE   IN   A    QUANDAL'Y.  115 

iiiipcM-ious  o-cstiirc  to  tlu'  door.  ••  the  li(>t1('r  it  will  \)v  for  your 
Itodily  \vi'lt';in'.'" 

Leslie  riihlu'd  iiis  IkukIs  in  liioli  <r\vv.  \'ielor  was  clmriued 
l)y  the  (lionity  and  loftiness  of  the  Colonel's  bearing",  bvit 
exceedingly  a|)|)i-eluMisive  of  the  consequences  that  he  might 
have  lirought  down  upon  himself.  Jeffreys  had  been  lashed 
in.to  fury.  —  less  by  the  cutting  words,  than  by  the  intense 
scorn  and  contempt  of  the  tone  and  manner  in  which  they  had 
been  uttered.  He  stood  with  gnashing  teeth  and  clenched  list. 
For  a  while  it  seemed  as  though  he  meant  to  rush  n])on  his 
eni'my  and  fell  him  to  the  ground  :  but  the  Colonel  stood  linn, 
not  moving  a  muscle,  and  the  steady  look  that  met  the  over- 
seer, out  of  the  Colonel's  clear,  grey  eyes,  cowed  him.  He 
slowly  retreated  toward  the  door.  Not  until  he  had  gained  it 
did  he  say  a  word  :  but  then  he  raised  his  list  menacingly,  and 
shouted  :    "  Ye'U  hear  from  me  on  'lection  day  I 

When  he  had  gone.  Colonel  May  turned  with  smiling  face  to 
A'ictor  and  said:    •'  Did  I  right,  my  young  friend?  "" 

"Indeed  you  did  I  "'  exclaimed  Victor  with  unfeigned 
admiration.  ''  Nothing  could  surpass  the  dignity  and  nobility 
of  yonr  bearing.  But,"  he  added,  as  the  Hush  of  admiration 
passed  from  his  cheeks,  "  was  it  politic  to  challenge  his  wrath 
to  the  utmost  ir  Have  you  not  made  of  him  an  implacable 
enemy  ?  ' ' 

"  What?"  cried  the  Colonel,  in  a  tone  of  mock  surprise, 
"  do  I  hear  aright?  Does  my  (Tcrman  friend  inquire,  whether 
I  acted  prudently?  Has  your  keen  sense  of  rectitude  already 
suffered  demoralization  in  this  land  of  politics?  " 

Victor  made  no  answer.  But  Leslie  shook  his  father's  hand, 
and  exclaimed :  "  You  hit  the  nail  squarely  on  the  head  this 
thne.  Pal  The  pronounced  enmity  of  this  scoundrel  is  far 
less  to  l)e  feared,  than  his  underhanded  machinations  in  the 
dark,  while  still  in  your  service." 

"  Of  course,"  said  the  Colonel.  "  Half-way  measures 
would  have  accomplished  nothing  here.  Besides,  his  stay  at 
May  Meadows  was  impossi))le  for  the  further  reason,  that  his 


110  THE   RE  BEL'S  1)  AUG  H  TEH. 

I'uiming  after  the  Octoroon  girl  would  have  given  rise  to 
scandal  and  offense.  It  is  clear  from  your  statement  of  the 
affair  at  the  grammar  class,  that  he  has  talked  about  it  to 
others  ;  and  though  he  did  this  simply  out  of  jealousy  of  our 
young  friend  here,  I  could  not  permit  it  to  go  on.  Yes,  yes," 
he  continued,  with  a  mischievous  smile  toward  Victor,  "you 
have  made  him  fiercely  jealous  by  your  meeting  with  Lucretia. 
Quite  .without  reason,"  he  made  haste  to  add,  as  Victor,  1)lush- 
ing  deeply,  gave  him  a  beseeching  look  ;  "it  is  only  his  guilly 
conscience  that  has  conjured  up  the  preposterous  idea." 

"  But  will  not  Mr.  Jeffreys  do  everything  in  his  power  to 
defeat  you  at  the  election?  "  asked  Victor,  to  cover  his  con- 
fusion. "  I  fear,  that  my  silly  conduct  has  greatly  endangered 
your  success." 

"  Have  no  fear,  young  man,"  said  the  Colonel,  with  an  air 
of  such  confident  assurance,  as  tended  greatly  to  relieve  Vic- 
tor's anxiety.  "  J  even  expect  to  make  some  capital  out  of 
the  affair.  It  is  fortunate,  that  in  this  case  the  public  good 
is  identified  with  my  personal  interest.  I  am  much  mistaken 
in  the  temper  of  my  fellow  citizens,  if  I  do  not  succeed  in 
furthering  my  own  prospects  by  exposing  this  villain." 

"  You  see,"  Avhispered  Leslie,  "  therein  the  governor  shows 
his  greatness  as  a  politician." 

"  I  see  nothing  wrong  in  it  I  "  Victor  replied,  cheerfully. 

"  But  now  we  must  reassure  the  ladies,  who  have  been 
driven  away  by  this  ruttian,"  the  Colonel  remarked.  "I 
apj)rehend  that  they  are  anxious  to  learn  the  upshot  of  our 
doings  here.  And  I  must  take  measures  to  supply  the  place 
of  Jeffreys  in  directing  the  work  of  the  negroes." 

When  Mctor,  on  his  way  home,  again  passed  the  neighbor- 
hood of  the  negro  huts,  he  suddenly  saw  the  Herculean  frame 
of  Xerxes  before  him.  He  approached  meekly,  holding  in  his 
hand  a  tattered  rag  that  served  him  for  a  hat. 

"  Mars'  Wallers,"  the  negro  addressed  him  in  a  low, 
mysterious  whisper,  "am  it  true — is  Mars'  Jeffreys  gone  — 
f  ui"  good  ?  " 


A    CANDIDATE  IN  A    qUxiNDARl'.  117 

Victor  assured  him  tliat  Jeffreys  would  return  no  nic^re. 

Tlie  negro  reverently  folded  his  hands,  raising  his  eyes  to 
the  sky  and  spoke,  in  a  voii-e  whose  solemnity  and  deep 
earnestness  profoundly  impressed  Victor:  "  De  Lawd  hah 
heard  de  pra'er  ob  his  unwutliy  sa'vent.  (Tlory  be  to  Gawd 
on  high  I  Amen  I  "  Then  he  added  with  a  signilicant  look  at 
Victor,  *•  now  JMay  JMeadows  am  a  ])ai'adise.  an'  de  sarpent's 
gone." 

While  Xerxes  was  yet  speaking,  two  cither  ligures  appeared, 
\'ictor  knew  not  Avhence.  Cassandra,  led  by  the  Octoroon 
girl,  seized  his  hand  and  spoke  reverently:  "  De  Lawd  hab 
sent  his  angel  fur  our  salvation.  (Jlory  to  (^awd  fur  ebber 
and  el)l)er  I  " 

When  she  had  dropped  his  hand,  the  Octoroon  knelt  before 
him,  seized  the  hem  of  his  coat  and  pressed  it  to  her  lips. 
•'  JMiss  Nellie  has  told  me,"  she  said  in  a  feverish  wdiisper. 
••  And  it  was  grand  and  noble.  God  bless  you!  And  (nrod 
bless  Miss  Nellie:      (;od  bless  you  both!  " 

Before  \'ict(jr  had  fully  realized  what  had  taken  place,  the 
girl   had  arisen  and  disappeared  with  the  others. 


VIII. 

BARBECUE   AND   SPREAD    EAGLE. 

W/HE  oraininar  school  class  met  uext  day,  as  usual;  but 
^-  Kalpli  Payton  and  Orlando  Jones  knew  it  no  more 
^"^  forever.  Victor  remained  at  its  head  to  the  end. 
This  procured  for  him  tlie  I'eputation,  wliether  rightfully 
or  otherwise  has  never  l)een  authoritatively  decided  —  of 
being  the  best  grammarian  in  Vernal  County,  —  a  distinction 
of  which  no  one  boasted  more  loudly  than  Mynheer  Van 
Braakeu.  He  was  really  grateful  to  his  apjjrentice  for  having 
redeemed  liis  vaunt  of  having  the  smartest  boy  in  the  county 
in  his  store.  His  speculation  had  proved  a  prolital)le  one; 
for  ^'ictor  was  much  talked  about,  autl  when  his  name  was 
mentioned,  the  ■•  Dutch  St(U-e  "  was  mostly  alluded  to  also. 
Motor,  in  turn,  was  grateful  to  his  chief,  to  whose  lil)erality 
he  owed  the  advantage  gained  by  his  connection  Avith  the 
grannnar  class.  He  applied  himself  diligently  to  his  duties  at 
the  store,  where  he  likewise  made  good  progress,  excejjt  in  the 
one  particular  in  which  he  was  so  lamentaldy  remiss,  —  the 
ability  to  deceive  customers  as  to  the  quality  and  value  of  the 
goods  kept  for  sale.  The  involuntary  faltering  of  his  voice 
and  the  tell-tale  blush  upon  his  cheeks,  just  when  bold-faced 
effrontery  or  insinuating  cajolery  was  wanted  for  the  l)usiness 
in  hand,  rendered  all  his  efforts  at  improvement  in  this  direc- 
tion fruitless.  Not  even  the  example  of  his  colleague.  Bolt 
Rountree,  availed  him,  although  he  soon  convinced  himself 
that  most  customers  greatly  preferred  to  deal  with  Bolt,  because 
they  were  assured  that  they  got  their  goods  from  him  at  less 
than  their  cost  to  the  merchant  himself,  by  the  simple  process 
of  permitting  himself  to  l)e  ••  beat  down  "'  from  a  prici-  jjlaced 
))Ui'posely  high  at  first    to  admit  of   this  pi'ocess  witlioiit  loss. 

(118) 


BARBECUE  AND   SPREAD    EAGLE.  119 

JJiil  soon  niter  the  closiiiti-  of  tlie  chiss  ;i  coiiiiiiu'  event  of 
even  liiulier  interest  to  the  pnlilic  ;it  laroc  niono|)oli/.e(I  the 
town-talk  aniono-  the  gossips  of  Brooi^lield.  'I'lie  Fourth  ot 
.Inly  was  approacliinii- 1  And  tiie  politicians  had  dftei-inined 
to  make  it  the  oeeasion  of  a  threat  festival  tor  tiie  inhaliilants 
not  only  of  IJrooklield  and  vicinity,  l)ut  of  ail  Vernal  C'ountv, 
whereat  the  natal  day  of  American  Jnde[)endence  was  to  he 
honored  l)y  patriotic  speeches  and  the  roasting-  whole  and  eat- 
ing' of  oxen.  \'ictoi-'s  expectation  was  raised  to  tlie  top  notch 
by  the  excitement  which  stirred  the  Brooklleldeis  in  respect  of 
the  magnillcence  of  tlie  coming  demonstration,  whicii  was  to 
eclipse  anything  of  the  kind  that  had  ever  heen  seen  west  of 
the  Mississipi)i  River.  It  was  to  he  a  feast  tit  for  the  gods, 
not  only  in  a  culinary  point  of  view  l»ut  also  as  an  intellectual 
treat,  steeping  back-woods  Americans  in  the  ])liss  of  self-con- 
scious patriotism.  Hob  Kountree  indulged  in  i)old  prophesies 
of  the  grand  surprise  in  store  for  the  friends  of  his  friend, 
Ralph  Payton  :  regretting,  however,  that  he  was  not  permitted 
to  go  into  i)articulars.  These  vague  hints  Mctor  was  disposed 
to  attribute  to  a  touch  of  envy  on  the  part  of  his  young  col- 
league, which  had  been  noticeable,  now  and- then,  particularly 
since  the  grammar  class  had  made  him  a  rather  prominent  sub- 
ject of  gossip.  But  even  the  prosaic  head-clerk,  Mr.  Miller, 
grew-  enthusiastic  over  the  prospective  event,  and  ventured  the 
remark,  that  Victor  would  see  something  to  cherish  in  memory 
for  the  remainder  of  his  life. 

Leslie  had  nuich  to  say  about  the  fun  ahead.  ••  You  will 
get  to  see  a  wIk^Ic  menagerie  of  all  the  species  of  the  (/(-ims 
//o//;o,"  he  said  to  Victor,  ''  who  will  stand  around  open- 
mouthed,  eagerly  swallowing  the  i)atriotic  clap-trap  and  worn- 
out  phrases  used  in  tickling  the  ears  of  independent  American 
citizens.  On  the  galleries  you  will  l)ehold  the  fairer  half  of 
Vernal  County  in  all  the  colors  of  the  rainbow,  gaudy  with  o-av 
ribbons  and  the  latest  monstrosities  usui'ping  the  name  of  bon- 
nets.    Look  out  for  fun  I  " 

Nellie  had  conlided  to  him  that  she  had  an  invitation  from 


120  THE  REBEL'S   DAUGHTER. 

Ralph  Paytou.  —  •'  that  liatclul  IVllow  in  the  chiss,  you 
know,"  as  slie  ackU'd,  to  Victor's  orcat  satisfaction,  —  to 
accept  him  as  her  t'scort  to  the  l)ar))ecue  on  In(U^i)en(lence 
Day  ;  and  slie  adtU'c],  to  his  even  o-reater  disgnst,  that  she  knew 
of  no  plausible  excuse  to  decline  the  proffered  honor.  This 
last  piece  of  information  had  an  unaccountabh'  dei)ressino; 
effect  on  A'ictor.  It  was  suliicient  to  tone  down  his  anticii)ated 
enjoyment  of  the  jjlorious  I^'onrth. 

In  the  store  too,  and  in  the  business  (.lone  there,  the  exi-ite- 
ment  was  apparent.  Customers  made  [)urchases  with  reference 
to  the  festival  ;  u;ossii)s  criticised  the  merits  of  the  speakers  in 
advance;  even  the  negroes  of  both  sexes  whispered  and  tittered 
among  one  another  how  they  meant  to  enjoy  Indi'pendence 
Day,  and  resni-rected  their  hoai'ih'd  up  (pmrtt'rs  and  dimes  for 
the  accpiisition  of  fineries  :uid  gee-gaws  to  l»e  displayed  on  the 
festive  occasion. 

-  Mynheei'A'an  lii'aaken,  whose  absorption  by  and  devotion  to 
the  cares  of  his  business  i-endere<^l  him  callous  to  the  sentiment 
of  patriotism,  was  drawn  into  the  vortex  of  pul)lic  excitement 
on  his  own  level.  When  the  connnittee  appointed  to  solicit, 
donations  for  the  celebration  called  on  lum,  Victor  was  api)re- 
hensive  that  the  chief  might  refuse  to  respond  and  thereby 
incur  the  displeasure  and  invite  the  criticism  of  the  public. 
But  therein  he  greatly  underrated  the  business  abilities  of  his 
chief.  For  no  sooner  had  he  —  wary  merchant  that  he  Avas  — 
discovered  that  his  rival  on  the  other  side  of  the  scpiare  had 
distinguished  himself  by  the  donation  of  *'  one  whole  ox," 
than  he  subscribed  his  name  to  the  list,  and  set  opposite 
thereto:  One  sack  Java  coffee  (scarce 'in  those  days,  in  Ver- 
nal County,  and  dear)  ;  One  barrel  sugar;  One  barrel  line  rye 
whisky;  live  ])oxes  Princijje  cigars.  "  Yes,  yes,"  he  said,  as 
the  connnittee,  speechless  with  astonishment  at  this  unparalleled 
liberality,  received  l)ack  the  paper,  "  they  shall  not  say  that 
the  Dutchman  is  niggardly.  Mr.  liaiiies  need  not  brag  about 
his  '  wlK)le  ox  !   '  " 

Such  munilicence  was  witiiout   |)recedeiit  in  \'ernal  County. 


UAUBECUK   AND    SPBEAD    EAGLE.  121 

Till'  two  li'ciillciiicii  coiiiposiiiu-  the  (•oiiiiiiittt'c  ('X|>r('ssc(l  llicir 
tlitmks  ill  l»i'li;ill'  n\  tlic  ariiti'lul  ('(»ii)imiiiity  and  in  tlic  iiame 
of  tlic  "(ioddi'ss  of  Liberty,"  liopiiijj'  tliilt  so  si<>ii;il  a  proof 
of  whole-souled  liberality  of  the  generous  donor  would  be  duly 
ap[)reeiated.  S(),  too.  iioped  Mynheer  \i\\\  IJraakeu  ;  and  the 
secpiel  j)roved  that  he  had  reekoned  well.  For  though  the 
IJarnes  ])arty  hinted  at  pompous  lioasting  and  a  transparent 
attempt  to  bias  public  opinion,  yet  the  citizens  l(^oked  with 
great  favor  on  the  generous  offering,  and  the  party  of  the 
Dutcli  Store  scored   several    points    in   their  favor. 

lk'f(^re  sunrise  of  the  eventful  day  \'ictor  appeared  at  May 
^Meadows  ;  for  he  and  Leslie  had  agreed  to  make  the  trip  to 
the  s[)ot  where  the  festival  was  to  come  off,  on  horsel)ack. 
Notwithstanding  the  early  hour  of  the  morning,  he  found  everv 
one  on  the  place  uj)  and  stirring.  The  negroes  were  unusually 
alert,  and  busily  engaged  in  the  various  preparations  for 
starting.  Leslie  had  two  tine  horses  under  saddle,  which 
stood  pawing  impatiently  in  front  of  the  dwelling  house.  For 
Nellie,  a  pretty  pony  st(Jod  ready  to  be  mounted  l»y  his  young 
mistri'ss.  The  Colonel  issued  what  orders  he  deemed  neces- 
sary for  the  c(Miduct  of  the  darkies  at  the  barl)ecue,  and  then 
joined  Mrs.  May  in  the  traveling  carriage,  where  Lucretia  and 
Cassandra  had  already  been  placed,  and  started  for  the  scene 
of  the  day's  festivities. 

After  the  departure  of  the  family  carriage  the  good  humor 
of  the  negroes  seemed,  if  possible,  to  increase.  They  teased 
each  other  in  merry  mood,  i)aying  but  little  heed  to  the  pres- 
ence of  the  young  master  in  preparing  to  get  away  ;  while  he, 
on  liis  part,  excited  boisterous  laughter,  by  many  a  rough  jest. 
Some  of  the  negroes  were  oljliged  to  travel  to  the  grand  rendez- 
vous on  foot.  They  left  in  groups  of  two  and  three,  chatter- 
ing freely  as  they  went  their  way.  Others  made  free  use  of 
the  remaining  draught-animals  and  vehicles  of  the  most  varied 
description,  to  save  the  lalior  of  walking.  One  whole  family 
foiiiKl  accommodation  on  an  ox-cai't :  quite  a  number  of  voung 
and   old  of  t)otli  sexes  climbed  upon  a  hav-wauon.  di'awii  bv  a 


122  THE   BEBEVS  DAUGHTEE. 

yoke'  ol'  oxen  and  a  snperannuatod  nuile.  Some,  also,  ntilized 
old  plongli-liorses  to  ride,  single  ov  donble,  as  the  temper  of 
the  animals  ])ermitted,  oi'  the  riders  eould  agree,  to  the  place 
of  great  attraction. 

Victor  was  interested  in  and  naich  anuised  by  the  stirring 
and  pictnresciue  scene  developing  l)efore  him. 

Presently  Nellie  ai)peared.  She  wore  the  dress  which  Victor 
had  selected  for  her.  and  he  thonght  he  had  never  seen  her  so 
beantifnl. 

'■How  charming  yon  look  in  yonr  new  dress!"  he  ex- 
claimed, almost  involuntarily,  Init  witli  such  I'vident  and  sin- 
cere admiration,  that  the  young  Uuly  blushed  with  ])leasure. 

•'  Why,  iNIr.  Waldhorst,  you  have  actually  i)aid  me  a  com- 
pliment I  "  she  said,  with  a  gracious  smile.  "I  have  never 
heard  you  make  so  gallant  a  speech  before.  You  have  learned 
that  from  brother  Leslie,  I  su})pose.  J5ut  let  me  caution  you 
not  to  contract  his  outrageous  habit  of  flattering  young  girls. 
lie  is  incorrigible  in  this  respect." 

"  You  shall  iKjt  say  that  I  am  dishonest  with  you.  at  least," 
the  brother  retorted,  while  scanning  her  ligure  from  head  to 
foot.  '■  It  is  painfully  evident  to  me,  that  your  glass  and  your 
maid  have  l»oth  played  you  false  to-day.  You  look  as  dowdy- 
ish as  an  unkempt  owl  in  daylight." 

■'You  unmannerly  slanderer!  "  pouted  Nellie.  "  Why 
can't  you  l_)e  as  nice  to  your  sister  as  you  are  to  other  young- 
ladies?  " 

■•  because  my  sister  wants  me  to  be  honest,"  sand  Leslie, 
regarding  her  with  a  mock-serious  mien. 

"  Jf  you  were  honest,"  said  ^'ictor  warmly,  "you  would  not 
have  found  fault  with  Miss  Nellie's  toilet.  It  is  not  more 
honest  to  censure  unjustly,  than  to  praise  without  cause." 

"  Now  you  hear  the  words  of  wisdom!  "  Nellie  exclaimed 
triumphantly,  and  botli  she  and  Leslie  indulged  in  merry 
laughter,  keenly  enjoying  Victor's  sober  earnestness.  "  Let 
me  advise  ifon  to  learn  from  Mr.  Waldhorst  iiow  to  appreciate 
your  sister's  excpiisite  taste.      And  I    am  sure  tiiat  "Slv.  Payton 


BARBECUE   AND    SPREAD   EAGLE.  123 

will  a<ii*'i'  with  him  ;  Ik-  will  tell  you  so  to  3'oiir  face  wIrmi  he 
comes." 

•'  Tf']w  eoiiu's,  you  mean  !  "  teased  Leslie.  •'  You  may  have 
to  wait  a  loiiii'  time  for  //////.  He  has  his  grand  oration  to  pre- 
pare tor  the  barbecue.  With  his  head  full  of  so  big  a  j)roject, 
it  will  not  be  surprising  if  he  forgets  the  little  school-girl  he 
has  promised  to  escort  on  the  way." 

''•  Is  it  true?  "  Nellie  inquired,  showing  such  evident  interest 
in  the  subject  as  caused  Victor  to  wonder.  ••  Will  Mr.  Payton 
sjjcak  to-day  ?  ' ' 

••Of  course  I  "  the  l)rother  answered.  -'He  is  down  as 
the  lirst  orator  on  the  program.  Immediately  after  the  Decla- 
ration of  Independence,  he  will  see  justice  done  to  the  sjjread 
eagle,  and  demonstrate  that  without  it  there  could  be  no  liberty, 
nor  equality,  nor  independence.  I'nder  such  (arcumstances  you 
must  excuse  him  if,  until  the  supreme  moment  has  come,  when 
the  eyes  of  Vernal  County  literally,  and  those  of  the  whole 
unbounded  continent  iiguratively,  hang  upon  his  lips,  he  shall 
l)rove  a  little  tacitui'n  and  distracted,  or,  what  is  more  likely 
to  happen,  if  he  shall  forget  all  about  the  existence  of  the 
patient  young  girl  so  anxiously  awaiting  his  coming." 

The  news  imparted  by  Leslie  had  a  strangely  depressing- 
effect  on  Motor  ;  but  Mr.  Payton's  appearance  at  that  moment 
precluded  further  discussion  concerning  him.  Nellie  returned 
his  greeting  very  graciously,  and  announced  herself  ready  t(j 
start.  As  she  stepped  toward  her  pony,  Ralph  sprang  from 
his  horse  to  assist  her  to  mount.  Victor  thought  he  had 
never  seen  a  more  graceful  act  of  gallantry  in  his  life.  Ralph, 
whose  powerful  frame  at  this  moment  seemed  to  him  the 
embodiment  of  manly  vigor  and  beauty,  seized  the  bridle  of 
the  pony  with  his  left  hand,  and  held  out  his  right,  so  as  to 
form  a  convenient  purchase  for  Nelhe's  foot,  from  wdiich.  with 
an  agile  spring,  she  leaped  into  the  saddle,  thanking  him,  as 
she  adjusted  herself,  with  a  bright  smile  and  gracious  nod,  for 
his  knightly  service.  Victor  was  enchanted  by  the  elegance 
and  grace  of  the  lovely  maiden  on  horsel)ack.       When  Ralph 


124  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

joined  licr,  slie  tunit'd  to  him  a  face  beaiuiiig  in  youtlifiil 
vivacity  ;  and  as  Victor  Avatched  thein  cantering  away,  eno^aged 
in  spirited  conversation,  he  wished  in  liis  lieart  to  l)e  in  Pay- 
ton's  ])lace. 

"Well,  don't  yon  think  we  had  better  follow  them  ?"  the 
voice  of  Leslie  broke  in  u])on  him,  as  he  gazed  in  perfect  for- 
getfnlness  after  the  eqnestrians.  ''  The  snn  is  rising,  and  we 
Avill  have  a  piece  of  shar])  riding  to  do,  if  we  mean  to  be  off 
tlie  road  ])efore  the  heat  of  the  day  sets  in." 

Victor,  thus  aroused  from  his  reverie,  mounted  his  horse, 
and  the  two  set  out  on  their  journey. 

Their  I'oad  at  lirst  traversed  the  open  [)rairie.  and  the 
riders  urged  their  horses  to  a  lively  pace.  They  overtook 
other  travelers  on  foot  and  in  all  manner  of  vehicles.  To 
Victor  it  seemed  as  if  the  i)opulation  of  all  Vernal  County  had 
turned  out  upon  a  pilgrimage.  The  charm  of  novelty-,  the 
refreshing  inUuence  of  the  balmy  morning  breeze,  and  Leslie's 
sparkling  conversation,  turning  every  occurring  incident  into 
a  droll  joke,  soon  elevated  Victor's  s^jirits  ;  and  by  the  time 
they  had  overtaken  the  other  coujjle  he  heartily  enjoyed  the 
drolleries  of  his  friend. 

"  Come  !  "  exclaimed  Leslie,  spurring  his  horse  into  a  gallop, 
as  they  passed  Pay  ton  and  Nellie,  the  latter  listening,  as  it 
seemed,  to  a  narration  from  her  escort;  "  let  us  not  disturl) 
mighty  genius  in  its  bold  flight.  It  is  evidently  big  with  a 
grand  idea,  and  if  we  interrupt  it  in  its  la])or.  it  might  bring 
forth  a  frightened  little  —  mcjuse  I  ' ' 

They  dashed  past  the  two  in  a  sweeping  gallop,  \'ictor  to  the 
right,  Leslie  t(^  the  left.  If  Payton  really  engaged  the  atten- 
tion of  his  fair  companion  Avith  a  rehearsal  of  the  si)eech  he 
intended  for  the  grand  occasi(jn,  the  exercises  Avere  abruptly 
closed,  for  XeUie,  as  soon  as  the  tAvo  horsemen  came  alongside, 
touched  her  pony  with  the  riding  Avhip,  and  in  a  very  fcAv 
seconds  she  was  riding  betAveen  her  brother  and  Victor. 

"  You  Ihink  you  can  leave  my  pony  behind?  "  she  said  to 
\'ictoi'.  in   :i   tone  clearlv  showing  tliat  she  meant  to  challenge 


''  You  think  you  can  leave  my  pony  behind?  "    she 
said  to  Victor. 


BARBECUE   AND    SPBEAD  EAGLE.  125 

him  t(»  a  trial  of  tiu'  speed  of  tiieir  respective  horses.  ^  '■  If  you 
do,  you  are  mistaken.  I  eau  beat  you  thi'ce  leu<i;ths  at  least 
in  reacliing'  that  yrove  ahead  of  us." 

Again  the  Avhip  tell  smartly  on  the  pony's  hide,  and  sent 
him  forward  at  the  toj)  of  his  sj)eed.  Of  course,  there  was 
nothino-  for  Victor  to  do  but  accept  the  challenuv.  So  he  like- 
wise ur<>ed  his  horse  to  his  utmost,  and  for  a  while  maintained 
his  j)lace  at  her  side.  But  it  soon  became  apparent  that  it  was 
not  the  pony's  speed  that  was  to  decide  the  victory,  but  rather 
the  skill  of  the  rider.  Xellie  dexterously  avoided  the  passen- 
"•ers  and  vehicles  on  the  road  without  in  the  least  interferin<)- 
with  the  pony's  gait,  while  Victor,  less  skilled  in  the  handling 
of  his  horse,  seriously  impeded  his  speed  by  awkward  at- 
tempts to  turn  out,  fearing  danger  to  those  whom  he  passed, 
or  to  himself,  so  that  Nellie  easily  came  off  winner  in  the  race. 

"  iSii",  your  gallantry  is  getting  the  better  of  your  honesty  I 
Nellie  exclaimed,  with  uplifted  finger  and  a  rej)i'oachful  smile. 
''  You  are  not  just  to  the  horse  you  are  riding." 

''  What  do  you  mean?  "   queried  Victor. 

-'I  know  that  my  pony  is  swift  of  foot,  and  that  there  are 
not  many  horses  in  this  part  of  the  country  that  can  show  him 
their  heels  in  a  race,  particularly  when  I  ride  him  myself. 
But  Grace  Darling,  —  that  is  the  mare  papa  had  saddled  for 
you — can  give  him  several  lengths  in  a  quarter  and  always 
beat  him.     You  have  lost  the  race  on  purpose  to  please  me." 

'"  Upon  my  word,  I  did  not  I  "  said  ^'ictor,  deeply  morti- 
lied.  ''  I  did  my  best;  but  poor  Grace  Darling  was  not  swift 
enough  to  make  up  for  your  superior  skill  in  horsemanship.  — 
But  what  a  pretty  name  —  Grace  Darling  I  She  must  be  a 
great  favorite  of  yours." 

"  She  is,"  said  Nellie,  as  they  trotted  along,  without  wait- 
ing for  Leslie  and  Ralph  Payton  to  catch  up  Avith  them.  '^  1 
selected  the  name  myself.  She  is  papa's  favorite  saddle-horse. 
We  raised  her  on  the  plantation,  and  papa  allowed  me  to  name 
her.  I  am  proud  to  know  that  you  approve  of  the  choice  I 
made." 


12G  THE   HE  BEL'S  DAUGHTEIi. 

Tlie  remainder  of  the  road  took  them  through  a  rather  dense 
piece  of  wood,  and  Motor  maintained  his  plaee  at  Nellie's  side, 
even  after  tiie  otliers  had  come  uj).  until  they  arrived  at  their 
destination. 

The  i)lace  selected  for  tlie  day's  enjoyment  was  a  grove  of 
considerable  size,  quite  free  from  undergrowth,  dotted  sulfi- 
ciently  with  nuvjestic  forest  trees  to  afford  protection  against 
the  sun,  without  excluding  the  grateful  l)reezes  of  the  hot  sum- 
mer day  nor  seriously  obstructing  the  outlook.  The  grassy 
sward  was  smooth  as  a  carpet,  sloping  gently  toward  the  east, 
where  a  brook  of  clear  water  meandered  gracefully  along  the 
vale,  offering  its  liquid  treasures  to  the  tliirsty  and  panting 
animals.  For  the  delectation  of  the  human  kind  numerous 
gourds  had  l)een  jirepared  as  drinking  vessels,  and  hung  up 
near  a  sj)ring,  inviting  the  nuiltitnde  t<^  quencli  their  thirst 
with  its  pure,  clear  water. 

A  murmuring  of  many  voices,  sounding  in  tl>e  distance  like 
the  buzzing  of  a  swarm  of  bees,  arose  from  the  place.  Along 
the  lirook,  and  all  around  the  spot  selected  for  the  day's  exer- 
cises, inclosing  it  on  all  sides  like  a  corral,  stood  the  wagons 
and  other  vehicles  of  those  who  had  arrived  before  them,  dis- 
phiying  in  motley  array  the  Avealth  of  the  county  in  vehicles  of 
every  imaginable  kind,  size  and  construction  —  everything,  in 
fact,  that  the  county  had  on  wheels.  Within  the  inclosure  thus 
formed  there  was  a  scene  of  lively  commotion,  —  men  and 
women  moving  to  and  fro,  grown  people  and  children,  black 
and  white,  all  preparing  for  the  coining  frolic.  And  still  they 
kept  coming,  —  whole  families  on  horseback,  in  wagons  and 
cari'iages,  and  on  foot:  well  dressed  men  and  women,  and  men 
and  women  in  gaudy  llnerv  :  stalwart  farmers  in  suits  of  liut- 
ter-nnt  jeans,  and  portly  farmer's  wives  in  neat,  home-spun 
linsey-woolsey  dresses ;  sturdy  youths  and  l)nxom  nu\idens. 
ruddy  and  rosy  mostly,  yet  among  them  faces  paled  and 
pinched  by  rcfieated  attacks  of  fever-and-ague.  Slaves,  too, 
in  all  colors  and  shades,  from  the  honest  jet-black  of  the  wool- 
capped  African,  to  the  yellow  of  tlie  nudntto  and  the  counter- 


r.AUr.ECUE   AND    SPllEAD    EAGLE.  1^7 

feit  pallor  of  the  ([uadroou  and  octoroon,  —  some  but  scantily 
clad,  others  decked  with  kerchiefs,  ribbons  and  feathers  of  the 
brightest  hues. 

Victor  oazed  in  wonderment  at  the  kaleidoscopic    panorama. 

Nellie  had  joined  some  girl  friends  whom  she  met  there,  and 
Ralph  Pavtou  disappeared  as  soon  as  the  horses  had  l)een 
given  in  charge  of  the  darkies.  Leslie  took  Victor  with  him, 
to  show  him  the  preparations  for  the  barbecue. 

••  What  is  this  scaffolding  for?  "  Victor  inipiired,  pointing 
to  a  doul»le  row  of  boards  nailed  on  i)Osts  set  in  the  ground, 
and  inclosing  a  large  sc^uare  on  three  of  its  sides. 

''That  is  the  gallery  for  the  ladies,"  Leslie  informed  him. 
•■  One  should  think  that  here  were  space  enough  for  the  whole 
po|)ulation  of  Vernal  County  ;  but  not  a  male  soul  will  lind  room 
when  the  exercises  begin.  Pro  Ikk^c  rice,  as  the  lawyers  say, 
we  men  will  assume  an  upright  standing,  and  look  down  upon 
woman-kind  with  the  proud  consciouness  of  our  superiority." 

"  And  that  little  house  there,  hung  all  round  with  oak 
leaves  and  garlands,  and  a  ladder  leading  uj)  to  it.  —  what 
does  that  mean?  " 

"  Why,  that  is  the  platform  !  "  Leslie  explained,  with  some 
liveliness  of  manner.  "  A  literal,  dcnvnright  platform,  made 
of  honest  planks  from  FulUiright's  saw-mill.  It  doesn't  look 
overly  strong  ;  but  I  dare  say  that  the  governor  will  feel  more 
at  home  upon  it  than  u[)on  the  rickety  concern  which  his  party 
has  constructed  and  calls  the  platform  of  its  candidates.  — Up 
yonder,"  Leslie  continued,  "  the  speakers  will  hold  forth. 
From  thence,  the  gospel  of  Liberty  is  to  be  proclaimed ;  up 
there  our  friend  Pay  ton  will  cull  his  laurels,  —  or  put  up  with 
oak  leaves  instead. — By  the  bye,  he  confessed  to  me,  after 
you  and  Nellie  had  galloped  away  from  us  in  that  wild  goose 
race,  that  he  had  gathered  his  inspiration  for  his  maiden  speech 
from  you." 

"  From  me!  "  exclaimed  Victor,  in  great  surprise. 

"From  you!  "Leslie  repeated  laconically.  "But  ask  no 
questions;   you  will  soon  lind  out  how." 


128  THE  HE  BE  us   DAUGHTEli. 

Tliey  walked  on  miuI  soon  (.'aiiR'  to  the  eating- lahlcs.  —  tliat 
is  to  say,  to  a  long  row  of  un])laned  boards  i)laeed  upon 
slender  stakes  stuck  in  the  ground.  Here  there  was  great  display 
of  activity.  Huge  baskets  were  brought  forth  from'  various 
of  the  wagons,  yielding  lil)eral  supplies  of  delph,  cutlery  and 
other  eating  utensils,  picturesque  in  their  variety,  if  not  re- 
niarkal)le  for  elegance.  Not  far  off  there  were  numerous  lires, 
utilized  by  cohered  cooks  for  the  roasting  and  cooking  of 
coffee.  IJusy  darkies  ran  hither  and  thither,  fetching  fuel,  and 
water,  and  executing  other  orders  of  their  masters  or  mis- 
tresses, to  Avhom  the  superintendence  of  this  department  had 
been  conlided.  Down  by  the  brook  experienced  huntsmen 
were  engaged  in  the  i)reparation  of  the  barl)ecue  proper, — 
the  roasting  of  poultry,  game,  mutton,  pork,  and  ))eef  —  each 
animal  being  carefully  cleaned  and  split  in  halves  left  hanging 
together  by  the  back  lione,  and  in  this  condition  roasted 
whole,  —  from  tip  to  tail  —  ''  htirh>'-((-<jiieii«^  "  —  on  live  coals. 
To  this  end  trenches  were  dug  in  the  ground  and  lilled.  to  the 
depth  of  a  foot  or  more,  with  the  glowing  coals  of  hickory  or 
pecan  wood.  Poles  were  laid  across  the  trenches,  and  u})on 
these  the  meat  was  spread,  as  upon  a  gigantic  gridiron.  None 
but  experienced  campers  were  intrusted  with  the  responsible 
oliice  of  directing  the  barbecuing  process,  and  greatly  im- 
pressed were  they  with  the  dignity  of  their  position.  (Travely, 
like  generals  marshaling  their  troops  in  a  charge  on  the  enemy, 
did  they  order  about  the  busy  darkies  :  directing  a  fresh  supply 
of  live  coals  where  the  lire  burned  low  ;  now  ordering  a  piece 
done  to  the  precise  shade  of  brown  desired,  to  be  taken  from 
the  lire,  or  to  be  turned  over,  or  to  ))e  replaced  1)V  another ; 
then,  after  critical  inspection,  causing  hot  gravy  to  be  poured 
over  it,  and  the  projier  quantity  of  salt  to  be  api)lied  ;  keeping, 
all  the  while  the  willing  darkies  Hying  busily  from  ]ilace  to 
|)lace. 

In  order  to  furnish  a  sullicieiit  supply  of  live  coals,  great 
lires  of  hickory  and  pecan  wood  were  kei)t  uj)  at  different 
places.      It  was  a  novel    and  interesting  sight   to  Victor,  to  be- 


BxiUBECUE  AND    ^rUEAD    EAGLE.  \'1[) 

hold  tlie  briiihtly  ^ilowiiiti-  (^);ils  (illt'd  into  colossul  kettles  and. 
suspi'iuU'd  on  lon^-  poles,  cari'ied  about  l)y  powerful  negroes 
from  place  to  place  as  wanted.  And  tlien  the  lono-  lines  of 
lieiy  ditciies  upon  whicli  tlie  hui>e  inasst's  of  meat  lay  siz- 
zliuii'  and  seudiiio-  ont  an  appetizinu'  odor, — the  u'rave, 
critical  fetitures  of  the  diiinilii'il  cooks, —  tlie  merry  <>amhols 
of  the  tleliuhted  nciiroes.  —  the  picturesque  ""roups  and  couples 
of  chatterinii'  and  lauiihiuu'  humanity, — Victor  would  not  soon 
foro'et  the  strikiiiu'  and  fascinatino-   pan(jrama. 

Toward  eleven  o'clock  in  the  morniuii'  a  lono--dra\vn,  shrill 
blast  on  a  conch  announced  the  l)eo'inning  of  the  festivities. 
The  crowd  poured  in  from  all  sides  toward  the  u'alleries,  which, 
as  Leslie  had  foreseen,  were  monopolized  by  the  female  [lortion 
of  the  audience.  "•  Come,"  said  Leslie,  taking  his  friend  by 
the  arm,  '^  let  us  pick  out  a  [ilace  where  we  can  nuister  the 
lieauties  on  exhibition  here.  Jt  will  lie  a  h^ng-  time  before  you 
will  again  see  such  an  agtrregation  of  feminine  loveliness,  and 
lind  so  inviting  an  oppoi'tuiiity  of  witnessing  how  sweetly  the 
dear  creatures  blend  envious  jealousy  and  haughty  [iride  with 
dove-like  meekness  and  cocpiettish  innocence.  See,  how 
charmingly  patriotism  sits  u])on  the  faces  of  our  country 
daisies  I  ' ' 

Victor  followed  without  gainsay.  They  ap[)roached  the 
platform,  on  which  the  most  i)rominent  citizens  of  the  county 
were  now  taking  seats.  C)ne  of  the  foremost  of  them  was 
Kalph  Payton,  who  climbed  up  the  ladder  with  an  air  of 
conscious  superiority. 

*•  See,"  whispered  Leslie,  "  does  he  not  ape  a  Roman  sena- 
tor to  perfection?  It  needs  but  the  toga  now,  to  make  him 
forget  that  he  is  —  a  silly  youngster  I  " 

Colonel  May,  too,  was  among  those  who  ascended  the  lad- 
der :  likewise,  to  Mctor's  wonderment.  Mynheer  Van  Braaken. 
(Gratitude  for  his  lil)eral  donation  had  procurt'd  for  him  tliis 
distinction.  Of  c(jurse,  a  like  honor  was  due  to  Mr.  Barnes, 
as  the  pioneer  merchant  of  Brookiield.  Among  the  prominent 
(Mtizens,  were,  also,  ]\rr.  Rountree,  the  father  of  Bob  Kountree, 

y 


130  THE  llEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

sheriff  of  the  county.  '•  Yes,"  said  Leslie,  as  Victor  called 
his  attention  to  the  presence  of  the  sheriff,  ''and  yonder  is 
liol)  hinisell'  —  see  liim?^ — talking  to  our  discharged  overseer. 
These  two  are  up  to  some  niiscliief,  you  may  depend  upon  it ; 
and  let  me  advise  you,  Vietor,  to  be  on  your  guard  against 
that  precious  eoUeague  of  yours.  Birds  of  a  feather  you 
know."  It  was  very  evident  that  the  suV)ject  of  conversation 
between  them  was  of  absorbing  interest  to  both  and  the  scowl 
on  the  overseer's  face  i)ortended  no  good.  Victor  turned  to  his 
(U)mpanion,  as  if  for  explanation  ;  but  the  latter  found  no  time 
to  enlighten  him,  if,  indeed,  he  possessed  the  requisite  infor- 
mation ;  for  just  then  they  Avere  l)rought  in  contact  with  two 
young  ladies,  —  the  Misses  Emily  Matlack  and  Hettie  kShan- 
non  —  both  of  Avhom  claimed  the  attention  of  Leslie,  for  a  few 
words  of  friendly  chat,  at  least.  While  they  were  yet  talking, 
Mrs.  May  came  toAvard  them  leading  Nellie  by  the  arm.  and 
beckoned  her  son  to  her  side  the  moment  she  saw  hhn. 

•'  You  nuist  accompany  us,"  she  said  to  him.  "  Mr.  Pay- 
ton,  Avho  Avas  to  escort  Nellie,  is  wanted  on  the  platform  Avhere 
the  speakers  are  assembling." 

"  Ah,  yes,"  said  Leslie,  offering  his  arm  Avith  ready  acqui- 
escence, "  the  American  Eagle  needs  his  sustaining  eloquence. 
I  told  you,"  he  added  AAith  a  mischievous  glance  at  his  sister, 
''  that  your  lieau  Avould  forsake  you.  But  you  needn't  get 
jealous;  the  American  P^agle  will  drop  him  soon  enough,  and 
then  you  can  go  and  comfort  him."' 

Nellie  had  disengaged  herself  from  her  mother's  arm.  l>ecause 
they  found  it  impossible  to  Avalk  three  abreast  in  the  dense 
throng,  and  conlidingly  took  that  of  Vietor,  Avhereat  the  young 
man  l>lushed  with  pleasure. 

The  seats,  Avhich  Leslie  skillfully  captured  for  the  ladies, 
eommanded  s.  luie  vicAv  over  the  whole  gallery,  and  were  near 
enough  to  the  platform  to  enable  every  word  spoken  there  to 
be  easily  heard.  The  male  portion  of  the  audience  formed  a 
dense  circle  on  the  outside  of  the  gallery,  in  Avhich  Victor  and 
Leslie  stood   in   the  iciir  of  their  ladies.      It  Avas  indeed  a  mot- 


liAllBECUE   AND    Sl'liEAD  EAGLE.  131 

ley  yet  imposing  siglit  tliat  met  Victor's  gaze,  and  he  listened 
with  but  half  an  ear  to  Leslie's  droll  comments  on  the  various 
people  and  their  doings. 

Another  loud  blast  on  the  couch,  sounded  by  one  of  the 
men  on  the  platform,  had  the  effect  of  silencing  the  immense 
crowd. 

"  I  move  that  the  Honorable  Thomas  Shannon  be  elected 
president  of  this  grand  assemblage  of  the  people  I  "  proclaimed 
a  stentorian  voice.     "  All  favoring  this  motiou  say,  aye  I  " 

A  thousand  voices  assented ;  whereupon  the  same  voice  an- 
nounced the  unanimous  election  of  the  Honorable  Thomas 
Shannon,  requesting  him  to  step  forward  and  take  his  seat  as 
president  of  the  meeting.  To  execute  an  awkward  bow,  and 
comply  with  the  request  to  take  his  seat,  seemed  to  exhaust 
the  sphere  of  the  president's  duties  ;  for  not  a  word  did  the 
portly  old  gentleman,  thus  distinguished,  say,  and  not  another 
thing  did  Victor  see  him  do  after  taking  his  seat. 

"  Is  this  gentleman  a  })roniinent  citizen:'  "  Victor  whispered 
into  Leslie's  ear. 

''  You  see,"  said  the  latter,  •'  that  he  is  a  man  of  consider- 
able weight.  He  is  Justice  of  the  Peace  of  Clear  SiJring  town- 
ship, and  possesses  the  merit  of  being  Miss  Hettie  Shannon's 
father." 

After  the  applause,  with  which  the  weighty  president  had 
been  recognized,  had  subsided,  the  voice  moved  the  further 
election  of  a  numlier  of  vice-presidents,  one  for  each  of  the 
thirteen  original  States,  all  of  whom,  as  Victor  wonderingly 
ol)served,  happened  to  be  present  on  the  platform,  and  all  of 
them  were  unanimously  elected.  As  the  name  of  Mynheer 
Van  Braaken  was  put  to  the  vote.  Victor  betrayed  some  un- 
easiness as  to  the  result.  ''  Don't  be  afraid,"  Leslie  whis- 
pered. "  On  an  occasion  of  this  kind  everybody  votes  aye. 
To  make  sure  of  unanimity,  the  nays  are  not  taken.  The 
otlicers  are  all  selected  lieforehand  :  the  whole  program  is  cut 
and  dried." 

With  the  election  of  the  thirteen  vice-presidents,  the  organ- 


132  THE   EEllEL^S  DAUGllTElL 

izatiou  of  the  "grand  assemblage  of  people  "  was  complete, 
and  the  oftieial  celebration  ])egan.  Reverend  Joel  Hayden 
stepped  to  the  front  of  the  platform,  and  read  the  Declaration 
of  Inde})endenc'e  in  a  clear,  sonorous  voice.  IJiit  few  of  those 
present  had  never  read,  or  heard  read,  this  ever  memorable 
document,  by  which  a  nation  had  announced  its  right  to  i)oliti- 
cal  autonomy  ;  yet  every  one  of  them  listened  with  proud  self- 
consciousness  and  profound  attention  to  the  eloquent  logic  of 
the  words,  in  which  Thomas  Jefferson  had  given  expression  to 
a  people's  demand  of  their  right.  Upon  Victor  the  simple, 
yet  convincing  language  of  the  alleged  founder  of  the  DeuKi- 
cratic  party  wrought  a  powerful  effect.  Long  after  the  julti- 
lant  applause,  which  had  rewarded  the  eloquent  reader,  had 
died  away,  the  closing  words  rang  in  his  ears:  "  And  for  the 
support  of  this  declaration,  with  a  (inn  reliance  upon  the  protec- 
tion of  Divine  Providence,  we  mutually  pledge  to  each  other 
our  lives,  our  fortunes,  and  our  sacred  honor." 

The  appearance  of  Ralph  Payton  tit  the  front  of  the  plat- 
form, announced  as  the  first  of  the  speakers,  aroused  him  from 
his  revery.  The  applause,  with  which  the  young  man  was 
greeted,  involuntarily  increased  Victor's  respect  forliim.  JJut 
when  he  saw  Nellie  wave  her  handkerchief  and  regard  the 
young  orator  with  sparkling  eyes  and  an  indescribal)ly  sweet 
smile,  a  keen  pang  shot  through  his  heart,  and  he  would  have 
given  worlds  to  be  in  his  place,  —  to  stand  thus  before  a  con- 
course of  peo])le,  reveling  in  the  incense  of  their  applause, 
and  gathering  inspiration  from    the  smiles  of  a   lovely  maiden. 

Ralph,  however,  enjoyed  his  happiness  for  but  a  brief 
moment.  As  the  applause  died  away,  so  faded  the  color  from 
his  face.  Leslie  lient  down  t()  liis  sister  and  whispered  into 
her  ear:  "  We  nuist  conu'  to  the  rescue  of  your  Demosthenes  ; 
his  knees  are  shaking  I  ""  and  without  heeding  lier  reproving 
''  be  ashamed  of  yourself  I  "  lie  started  a  new  roinul  of  vigor- 
ous cheering. 

"My  fellow-citizens  I  "  came  in  a  faint  voice  from  the  lips 
of  the  orator. 


BAllBEGUE  AND   SFUKAD   EAGLE.  133 

"  Louder  I    Louder  1  "  was  shouted  ou  all  sides. 

''Ladies  and  (4eutlenien  I  "  Kalph  continued.  His  voice 
still  trembled;  but  the  exertion  to  make  himself  heard  served, 
in  a  measure,  to  break  his  staoe-frioht.  "  This  is  a  free 
country  I  Yes,  my  fellow-citizens,  it  is  a  free  and  a  great 
country  I  It  is  free,  because  Americans  made  it  free,  and 
have  enriched  it  with  their  heart's  blood  I  " 

This  announcement  was  a  bold  one,  and  was  innuediately 
rewarded  by  a  round  of  vociferous  cheering.  "  Good  I  "  whis- 
pered Leslie,  loud  enough,  however,  to  be  heard  by  Nellie  and 
A'ictor,  ''  Heart's  blood  of  free  Americans  makes  excellent 
manure  I 

'•  And  this  is  an  independent  country  I  "  the  orator  went  on. 
•' An  independent  country  of  all  the  world !  It  is  independ- 
ent, liecause  the  noble  American  Eagle,  the  proud  American 
bird,  striking  his  talons  in  the  Alleghany  Mountains  on  the 
one  hand,  and  grasping  the  Rockies  with  the  other,  dipping 
his  beak  here  into  the  Atlantic  and  thei'e  into  the  Pacific 
Ocean,  and  laving  his  breast  in  the  mighty  Huron,  while  his 
tail  sweeps  the  boundless  plains  — ." 

The  sketch  of  the  American  bird  was  too  magnilicent  not 
to  arouse  the  enthusiasm  of  the  backwoodsmen.  A  loud  and 
prolonged  round  of  hurrahing  and  cheering  interrupted  the 
speaker  before  he  had  placed  the  wings.  Ralph  had  by  this 
time  fairly  overcome  the  nervousness  attending  his  opening- 
words,  and  wiped  the  perspiration  from  his  forehead.  Leslie 
Avas  one  of  the  loudest  in  his  demonstrations  of  ai)proval,  and 
exclaimed:  "  r4ood !  Now  engage  the  Eagle  in  a  set-to  with 
the  British  Lion,  so  as  to  give  him  something  to  do  with  his 
wings  I  " 

"  Fellow-citizens!  "  Ralph  spoke  on,  "•  this  is  an  independ- 
ent country.  ])ecause  the  valiant  American  Eagle  has  rescued 
it  from  the  claws  of  the  IJritish  Lion.  (Renewed  cheering.) 
And  not  only  from  the  British  Lion,  Init  also  from  the  Hessian 
hirelings,  who  helped  him.  And  we  conquered  them  all.  And 
therefore  this  is  n  free  :uid  independent  country." 


134:  rilE  HE  BEL'S  DAUGHTEU. 

The  speaker  piui.sed  and  again  drew  the  luindkercliief  over 
his  face,  then  continued  with  unction: 

"  But,  fellow-citizens, ^thc  price  of  liberty  is  eternal  watch- 
fulness. Therefore  let  us  be  watchful  against  the  British  Lion, 
and  also  against  the  Hessian  hirelings.  America  belongs  to  the 
Americans;  therefore  let  us  suffer  no  Hessians  among  us!  " 

"  That  is  meant  for  you,  ^'i(•tor,"  said  Leslie.  '"  The  milk 
in  the  cocoanut  is,  that  he  is  appealing  from  the  school-master 
in  the  class  to  the  prejudice  of  the  masses  here  asseml)led. 
He  thinks  he  has  got  you  at  a  disadvantage  here,  and  that  he 
can  get  his  revenge  for  your  turning  liim  down.  But  in  that 
he  is  mistaken,  unless  1  am."" 

Strange  to  say,  the  pause  which  the  orator  here  made,  was 
not  lilled  up  by  the  applause  of  the  audience.  He  therefore 
concluded  to  bring  his  big  guns  to  bear:  "What  says  the 
Father  of  his  Country?  "'  he  asked.  "  What  says  Washing- 
ton,—  he  that  was  iirst  in  war,  lirst  in  peace  and  first  in  the 
hearts  of  his  countrymen?  (Enthusiastic  cheering.)  He  says. 
'  History  and  experience  prove  that  foreign  intluence  is  one  of 
the  most  baneful  foes  of  Republican  government.'  And 
again,  he  says,  '  Against  the  insiduous  wiles  of  foreign 
intluence  (I  conjure  you,  fellow-citizens,  to  believe  me)  the 
jealousy  of  a  free  people  ought  to  be  constantly  awake.'  So 
spoke  Washington,  the  first  in  war,  the  iirst  in  peace,  and  the 
lirst  in  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen.  (Renewed  cheers  for 
Washington.)  Therefore,  fellow-citizens,  like  Washington  1 
say  to  you,  let  us  suffer  no  foreigners  among  us  I  I  make  this 
appeal  to  you  to-day,  on  the  auspicious  birthday  of  American 
Independence,  and  on  the  natal  day  of  American  liberty  I  I 
say,  let  us  lirmly  resolve  to  stand  manfully  by  America,  for 
American  Jndependence !  I^et  us  thrust  forth  from  us  the 
foreigners, — be  they  Bi-itishers,  or  be  they  Hessians  —  lest 
their  baneful  inlluence  rob  us  of  our  l)irthi'iglit  as  Amei'icans ! 
This  is  the  parting  advice  given  to  the  American  people,  by 
the  greatest  of  men,  Washington,  that  was  lirst  in  war,  lirst 
in  ponce,  and  first  in  the  hearts  of  his  countrymen." 


liAHIiKCUl-:   AND    SPlil'JAD    NAGLh'.  loO 

Sly  Ralph  luul  couiitcMl  on  the  assistance  oi  the  lalhci-ol  his 
country  foi'  an  clTcctivc  peroration  to  his  speech.  IJnt  Toi- 
some  reason  incomprehensible  to  him,  the  charm  tailed  to  \v(,ik. 
Probably  the  ehxpient  quotation  had  been  repeated  once  too 
often,  so  as  to  wear  off  the  spice  of  novelty.  Even  after  he 
had  made  his  bow  to  the  audience,  to  indicate  that  he  would 
quote  Washiuiiton  no  more  to  them  on  that  day,  there  was  but 
a  faint  nuirnuir  of  applause,  the  lukewarmness  of  which  divw 
from  Leslie  the  stale  reproach  of  the  ino-ratitude  of  re|)ublics, 
seeino-  that  Ralph  Payton  had  oenevously  given  uj)  the  lloor  to 
other  speakers. 

C)f  these  there  were  quite  a  number.  The  star-spangled 
t)anner,  the  land  of  the  free  and  the  home  of  the  Itrave,  and 
otlier  patriotic  themes  obtained  due  recognition  after  the 
spread  eagle.  At  last,  Colonel  May  was  announced  as  the 
"Orator  of  the  Day."  The  simple  mention  of  his  name  had 
the  effect  to  stay  the  demoi-alizing  tendency  of  the  audii'iice 
to  scatter.  After  some  pleasant  introductory  remarks  and  an 
anecdote  or  two,  to  put  his  hearers  in  good  humor,  he  con- 
tinued : 

"The  lirst  of  the  talented  speakers  who  addressed  you  on 
this  auspicious  occasicni,  observed,  that  this  is  the  land  of 
freedom.  That  was  a  liappy  thought,  my  friends.  —  a  great, 
a  noble  thought  I  Yes,  this  is  indeed  the  land  of  freedom,  — 
the  land  of  free  thought,  of  free  speech,  of  a  free  press!  We 
are  free  to  worship  Almighty  (xod  according  to  the  dictates  of 
our  own  conscience,  and  to  act  as  we  think  riaiit,  so  lono-  as 
we  infringe  not  the  rights  of  others.  Ilei'e  indeed,  divine 
Lil>erty  has  reared  her  tiMn|)le,  and  l)eck()ns  to  the  {)ersecuted 
and  opi)ressed  of  all  nations,  holding  out  to  them  the  promise 
of  their  ])irthright,  that  Godlike  quality  of  man,  —  freedom, 
given  of  (-rod  to  freemen  only  I  " 

Victor  listened  with  closest  attention.  It  escaped  his 
notice,  that  Ralph  Payton  had  approached  Nellie,  and  was 
probably  claiming  his  reward  for  the  morning's  brilliant  per- 
formance  ;   nor  did  he  perceive  the  gii-Ps  curt  manner,  refusins," 


136  THE   llEBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

to  have  Ikt  attention  diverted  from  her  father's  address. 
Victor's  eyes  were  riveted  npon  the  speaker,  his  ears  closed  to 
everythino-  Imt  the  oM'rpowerino'  words  issuinu'  from  those 
eloquent  h'ps.  The  orutor  depicted  in  glowing'  words,  yet 
simple  and  diieet,  the  dionity  and  sacredness  of  freedom. 
The  conviction  Itegan  to  dawn  in  ^'i(•tor's  mind,  that  freedom 
is  the  one  essential  attribute  of  man. 

From  this  introduction  the  speaker  passed  on  U)  a  panegvi'ic 
on  the  work  accomplished  by  tiie  revolutionary  fathers  in 
erecting  that  magnilicent  temple,  in  which  Lil)erty  is  now 
enthroned,  —  the  central  piUar  and  keystone  of  which  is  the 
Constitution  of  {\\v  I  iiited  States.  In  crisp  and  pointed  words 
he  sketched  the  fundanuMital  principh's  of  tlie  government,  as 
embodied  in  that  instrument  :  autonomy  of  domestic  interests, 
unity  in  national  functions  and  foreign  relations.  As  the 
State  is  a  unit,  though  compost'd  of  individuals  possessing 
inaliena])le  rights,  so  is  the  Nation  a  unit,  though  composed  of 
States  which,  under  that  constitution  possess  rights  that  ma\- 
not  l)e  disregarded. 

"•  One  dissonant  element,'"  lie  then  continued,  '■  has  tempted 
internal  demagogues  and  foreign  enemies  of  free  government  to 
assail  that  sacivd  instrument :  its  implied  sanction  of  slavery. 
As  if  slavi'ry  had  beiMi  created  by  that  instrument  I  As  if  it 
had  not  been  forced  upon  the  colonies  by  tiie  mercenary  policy 
of  the  mother  country,  and  was  uot  a  deeply  rooted  institution 
with  which  the  framers  of  the  constitution  were  confronted  I 
As  if  the  glorious  boon  of  freedom  could  ever  have  been 
secured  to  this  blessed  land  upDU  any  other  condition  than  the 
perfect  autonomy  of  the  States  I 

This  part  of  tlie  Colonel's  oration  impressed  \Mctor  deeply. 
It  seemed  to  him,  sometimes.  —  and  the  hot  blood  rushed  to 
his  face  at  the  tiiought  — that  the  speaker's  argument  was 
aimed  at  him  pi-rsonally  even  as  the  speaker's  eye  most  often 
sought  out  his. 

Elaborating  the  impossibility  of  the  formation  of  the  Inion 
witiiout  a  recognition  of  the  existeuci'  of  slaverv,  and  dwelliuii' 


f       ,"  ti 


BAHBECUE  AND   SPREAD   EAGLE.  137 

upon  the  (lisaslmus  coiisi'ijiu'iici's  to  tlic  cDuft'di'i'iitioii  timt  must 
have  attended  its  jihandonnieut,  he  once  more  indulged  in  a 
o-lowino-  eulooy  upon  tiu'  pros[)erity  and  lil)erty  that  had  been 
secured  thereliy,  and  then  asked:  ''  Wiiat  would  have  been 
your  choice,  iny  friends,  if  you  had  had  the  constitution  to 
frame.  —  a  I'nion,  such  as  we  have  it,  leaving-  tlu;  questi(jn  of 
slavery  to  l)e  decided  by  the  States  themselves,  with  the  right 
to  abolisli  it.  if  they  deemed  it  right,  or  wise,  to  do  so?  Or 
would  you  have  sacriliced  the  I'nion  to  the  barren  assertion  of 
an  abstract  principle,  which  would,  in  all  human  probability, 
have  resulted  in  the  sulijugation  of  the  States  l)y  some  foreign 
power,  remembering  that  Inited  we  Stand,  Divided  we  Fall?  "' 

The  jubilant  applause,  in  which  even  Victor  joined,  left  wo 
doubt  as  to  the  views  of  the  audience  on  this  point.  Then 
followed  the  argument,  which  Victor  had  already  heard  from 
the  Colonel's  lips  in  private  c(jnversation,  against  the  party  of 
fanatics  and  hypocrites  who  made  it  their  mission  to  cast  the 
firebrand  of  insurrection  and  civil  commotion  among  the  people, 
accusing  the  slave-holders  of  the  l:)lackest  of  crimes  for  simply 
claiming  their  inherited  rights,  guaranteed  l)y  the  laws  of  God 
and  num.  —  whiHjranded  that  sacred  constitution  as  a  cove- 
nant witii  hell,  and  sought  to  paralyze  the  power  of  the  South 
and  West  by  means  of  iniquitous  tariff  laws,  and  making  war 
upon  its  thne-honored  institutions.  Ju  a  scathing  diatribe,  the 
speaker  depicted  the  hyi)ocrisy  of  the  Croesuses  of  the  North 
and  P2ast,  who  grew  fat  ujuju  the  Ijlood  and  marrow  of  the 
operatives  in  their  mills  and  factories,  extorting  from  them  the 
labor  of  their  l)est  years  for  scanty  wages,  and  leaving  them  iu 
their  old  age.  with  their  heli)less  wives  and  children,  to  starva- 
tion and  misery,  while  they  turned  up  their  sanctimonious 
eyes  in  make-believe  horror  at  the  sins  committed  in  the  South 
against  their  black  lirctlircn. 

The  speecli  of  the  Colonel,  whatever  may  have  been  its  de- 
merits, created  the  wildest  enthusiasm  of  his  audience.  They 
questioned  neither  the  truth  of  his  statements,  nor  the  logic  of 
his   reasoning,  but   abandoned  themselves  to  the  i)ower  of  liis 


138  THE   BE  BEL'S   DAUGllTEB. 

eloquence,  which  so  triunii)hautly  demonstrated  to  them  the 
truth  of  what  they  wished  to  be  convinced  of.  But  A'ictor 
listened  as  to  the  annunciation  of  a  new  gospel  —  a  revelation 
of  the  orandeur  of  the  laud  of  his  adoption.  In  his  exultation 
lie  then  and  tliere  vowed  to  liiniself  to  love  and  cherish  this 
i^lorious  land,  and  to  defend  and  serve  it  to  tlie  utmost  of  his 
humble  ability,  lint  the  sentiment  upi)ermost  in  liis  heart  was 
that  of  admiration  and  reverence,  amounting  ahnost  to  adora- 
tion, for  the  man  whose  words  were  so  grand  and  eiuiobliug, 
whose  elocinence  was  so  overpowering. 

The  Colonel  was  too  experienced  a  sj)eaker  to  conclude 
without  a  striking  climax.  Pointing  to  some  of  the  slaves 
skipping  blithely  about  the  grounds,  and  beckoning  to  some 
of  his  own  servants  to  approach,  he  exclaimed:  "Look  there 
my  fellow-citizens!  Oliserve  the  jolly,  shining  faces,  l)eaming 
with  contentment  and  good  cheer;  imagine,  alongside  of  them, 
the  [)inched  physiognomies  of  Northern  factory  operatives, 
their  scantily  fed  children,  care-worn  wives  and  emaciated  old 
men,  and  tell  me,  which  class  of  slaves  ajjpeals  most  to  the 
sympathy  of  good  men?  '' 

When  the  thousand-voiced  cheers  elicited  by  this  t-ompa- 
rison  had  subsided,  the  Colonel  ])egged  permission  to  add  a 
word  in  defense  of  himself,  and  alluded  to  the  slanderous  re- 
ports industriously  circulated  against  him.  as  he  had  heard. 
l)y  his  enemies.  Without  mentioning  names,  he  proceeded  to 
narrate  trutlifully  the  occurrences  already  detailed  between 
Victor,  the  negroes  and  the  overseer,  ^'ictor  blushed  deeply 
as  he  listened  ;  Nellie  regarded  him  witli  smiling  face,  and 
Leslie  whispered  into  his  ear:  "  This  is  the  milk  in  the  cocoa- 
nut!  His  whole  speech  was  but  tlie  introduction  to  this 
llagellation  of  that  miserable  .Jeffreys.  Do  you  believe,  now, 
that  the  governor  understands  his  Inisiness  as  a  ])olitician?  " 

The  llippanl  words  of  Leslie  gratecl  hai'slily  on  \'ictor's  car. 
How  could  his  own  son  speak  so  irreverently  of  the  man  whom 
he  himself  worshiped  in  his  inmost  heart? 

The  Colonel  closed  witli    an   appeal   to   those  ])resent.  all   of 


BARBECUE   AND    SI'L'EAD   EAGLE. 


131) 


Avliom  luid  known  him  long  and  well,  for  a  just  and  inipaitiul 
judgment  between  him  and  his  tiaducers,  and  left  the  phitforni 
amid  the  deafening  cheers  of  the  applauding  nudtitnde. 

This  eoneluded  the  ■•  intelleetual  part  of  the  program."  as 
Leslie  descril)ed  it,  and  a  third  blast  on  the  eoneh  announced 
the  beginning  of  the  more  lively  exercises  at  the  tables.  Tiiat 
the  excited  crowd  rushed  forward  to  the  tables  set  in  the  shadv 
grove  in  picturestpie  confusion,  and  devoured  the  tempting 
viands,  prejiared  according  to  the  most  approved  rules  of  the 
l»arbecue,  with  ravenous  ai)petites,  —  that  the  crowd  of 
human  ])eings,  so  long  condemned  to  silence,  now  sought  to 
indemnify  themselves  liy  lioisterous  chatting  and  laughter,  — 
that  Colonel  May  was  shaken  by  the  hand  and  congratulated 
on  all  sides,  goes  without  saying. 

As  Nellie  succeeded  in  getting  at  him,  she  threw  her  arms 
about  him  and  kissed  him  in  view  of  all  the  people. 

Victor  regarded  him  in  silent  admiration.  The  Colonel 
took  him  by  the  hand  and  said,  with  his  winning  smile,  "  Well, 
my  friend,  how  did  you  like  my  speech?"  Whereat  Victor 
made  no  answer  in  words,  but  reverently  kissed  the  hand  that 
had  been  offered   him. 

"  Some  of  my  arguments  were  meant  for  your  especial 
consideration,"  said  the  Colonel,  and  led  Mrs.  May  to  the 
table. 


IX. 

POST-PRANDIAL  PLOTTING. 

^^ffl'HE  profound  imiu'esssion  made  upon  Victor  by  the  speech 
[[[  of  Colonel  May  unlitted  him  for  the  enjoyment  of  the 
"  scenes  which  grew  livelier  and  more  boisterous  as  the 
day  wore  on.  He  felt  the  need  of  solitude  to  dig'est  and 
assimilate  the  mio-hty  thoughts  that  he  had  heard  expounded. 
In  his  exalted  mood  he  felt  the  clamoi'ous  applause  accorded  to 
the  rude  jokes  of  s(^me  rural  Demosthenes  as  a  jarring  dis- 
cord. His  soul  was  not  attuned  to  the  hilarious  mood  of  those 
around  him.  Thus  it  happened  that  he  paid  but  little  heed  to 
the  lionizing  attentions  received  by  Ralph  Payton  as  the  just 
tril)uti'  to  his  genius;  that  even  lovely  Nellie's  lavish  smiles 
upon  the  petted  orator,  and  the  complaisance  Avith  which  she 
permitted  him  to  entertain  her,  failed  to  arouse  ^'ictor's 
uneasiness.  Nor  did  it  attract  his  notice  that  one  of  the  post- 
prandial orators,  when  the  whiskey  donated  by  his  chief  was 
being  tapped  and  distributed  to  tiie  thirsty  revelers,  gave,  as  a 
toast  in  honor  of  JNIynheer  ^'an  Hraaken,  the  sentiment  :  "  To 
the  liberal  Dutch  ^Merchant  I  "  and  heard  but  as  in  a  dream, 
that  liis  fi'ieiid  Li'slic  undertook  to  answer  (wlu-n  INIynheer 
failed  to  respond,  except  by  vigorcMisly  nodding  his  head  and 
winking  with  his  twitching  eye).  It  may  as  well  l)e  men- 
tioned iiere,  that,  although  \'ictor  lost  the  full  benelit  of  his 
friend's  lemarks,  Leslie  was  lavish  in  his  praise  of  ''  the 
liberal-minded  and  generous  (h)nor,'"  and  "  took  this  festive 
occasion  '"  luilhei'inore.  to  exjU'ess  tht' gratitude  of  the  com- 
nnmity  to  this  ■•  distinguished  and  highly  honorable  foreigner  " 
for  the  impetus  given  Ijy  him  to  the  pr()si)erity  and  commercial 
progress  of  Hrookliejd,  and  of  all  the  Southwi'stern  part  of  the 
State.  Of  course,  Victor  failed,  also,  to  notice,  that  Leslie, 
(14U) 


POST-PliAXDIAL    PLOTTING.  141 

under  guise  of  extravaguut  encomiums  upon  Kalpli  Payton's 
maiden  speech,  dealt  tliis  gentleman  some  ugly  left-handed  com- 
pliments and  that  ho  aroused  the  adherents  of  ISrynheer  to  wild 
enthusiasm,  to  whicli  the  Barnes  party  could  not  even  make  oi)[)<)- 
sitioii.  Nor,  of  course,  did  he  see  how  Kalpli  Payton  changed 
color  when  Leslie  alluded  to  his  oration,  and  al)rui)tly  de{)arted 
from  Nellie's. presence  without  so  much  as  taking  leave  of  her, 
although  this  demure  maiden,  barring  a  sparkle  in  her  eye, 
seemed  imiocence  itself.  As  soon  as  opportunity  offered, 
\'ictor  left  the  scenes  of  gayety  and  sought  the  solitude  of  the 
woods  to  connnune  with  his  thoughts. 

Ralph  Payton,  for  his  part,  was  not  disposed  to  seek  soli- 
tude. He  moved  about  among  the  excited  crowd  until  his 
eyes  fell  upon  a  small  group  engaged  in  earnest,  though  low- 
voiced,  conversation,  toward  which  he  straightway  directed  his 
steps.  It  was  a  singular  coincidence,  that  he  himself  and  the 
rough  handling  he  and  his  speech  had  just  received  at  Leslie's 
hands,  constituted  the  theme  of  discussion.  .But  the  balm  for 
his  wounded  self-esteem,  if  such  he  was  in  search  of,  came  in 
an  undesirabU'  form  ;  for  Gregory  Jeffreys,  the  foremost  of  the 
group  he  had  joined,  accosted  him  with  a  derisive  grin,  and 
said : 

■'  AVell,  Ral[)h  Payton,  be  ye  sat'stied  now,  o'  the  rakin' 
down  ye'r  been  gittin'  from  that  puppy  Leslie  ?  Sarves  ye  right 
'nough.  'Cause  I  been  warnin'  ye  agin  the  silly  notion  o' 
makin'  a  speech  agin  tliese  d — d  fur'ners.  But  ye  knowed 
better,  an'  now  ye  got  it." 

Ralph  turned  red  in  the  face.  "  \yhat  do  you  want,  Jef- 
reys?"  he  retaliated,  almost  liercely.  '"I  made  that  speech 
with  the  best  intention.  I  thought  that  you  all  wanted  these 
upstart  foreigners  to  be  put  down  a  peg  oi'  two.  How  can  1 
help  it,  that  Colonel  IMay  takes  so  much  stock  in  then;?  Or 
that  his  son  Leslie  seems  to  find  a  pleasure  in  insulting  me  for 
their  benefit  r  ' ' 

"  That  thar'  old  Dutchman  's  leadin'  public  'pinion  by  the 
nose  with  'is  braggin'  'bout  cheap  goods,  an'  competition,  an' 


14->  THE  REBEL'S   DAUGHTEli. 

all  that,  an'  giy'u'  away  a  bar'l  o'  rot-gut  whiskey,"  Jeffreys 
retorted.  "  An'  the  young  gawk  's  got  in  fash'n,  'cause  'e's 
a  d — d  little  sneak  'at  worms  into  the  lik'n'  o'  silly  wiinen- 
folks.  It  was  a  d — d  piece  of  foolishness  to  'tack  'em  in 
public,  an'  give  that  blatherskit'n'  Kurnel  May  the  chance  to 
put  it  in  politics." 

"  How  else  can  you  assail  them?  "  Ralph  broke  in.  "  In 
this  way  only,  by  arousing  and  turning  against  them  th(^ 
patriotic  indignation  of  the  public,  can  you  safely  get  at  them." 

"  Payton  is  right,"  said  Orlando  Jones,  another  of  the 
disputants.  "  We  must  show  up  the  danger  these  foreigners 
bring  to  our  country.      I  hate  them  like  poison." 

"  And  no  wonder,"  the  last  of  the  trio  chimed  in,  who  was 
no  other  than  Bo))  Rountree,  Victor's  colleague  in  the  Dutch 
Store.  ''  It  was  a  perfect  shame,  the  way  old  \m\  treated 
your  father,  without  cause  or  provocation." 

"  Hold  your  tongue,  youngster,  until  your  o[)ini(Mi  is 
wanted,"  exclaimed  Orlando,  highly  incensed  by  the  allusion 
to  the  practical  joke  played  on  old  Jones  by  the  peddler. 

"  And  Victor  is  insufferably  proud  and  conceited,"  Bob 
continued,  emphasizing  his  words  by  a  vigorous  shake  of  the 
head.  ''And  it  will  be  doing  him  a  real  service  to  let  him 
know  his  proper  place  among  white  folks.  That  is  Mr. 
Jeffreys'  opinion,  and  it  is  mine." 

"  Sart'nly,"  Jeffreys  assented.  "  What  'ud  the  outlandish 
gawk  ])e  'thout  the  partiality  o'  the  Kurnel  'n'  'is  kith  'n'  kin? 
An'  how  kin  you,  Raljjh  Payton,  stomach  the  'ristocratic  airs 
o'  that  conceited  i)up  'at  gave  ye  sich  a  kickin'  t'other  day  at 
the  grammar  scliool,  an'  now  agin  here,  to-day?  An'  the 
little  hussey  'at  carries  her  head  so  high  's  no  better —  " 

"Not  a  word  al)out  the  lady  I  "  Ralph  exclaimed  with  em- 
pliasis.  "  I  sliare  your  antipathy  against  the  Dutchman,  and 
grant  you  that  Leslie  has  treated  me  shamefully.  But  all  that 
is  no  reason  for  mixing  up  Miss  May  in  the  matter.  1  will 
not  suffer  it,  as  I  want  you,  once  for  all,  to  understand." 

"More  tool  vou  I  "  sneered  Jeffreys.     "She's  lead'n'   ve 


I'OST-l'UANDlAL    I'LOITING.  143 

b_v  the  nose.  She  tliiiiks  a  heap  more  o'  that  outlandish 
greenhorn  'n  she  docs  o"  yon,  'n'  yon  an  honest  'nierican. 
I'd  just  like  to  know,  how  the  ngly  scarecrow  turns  the  heads 
o'  the  silly  winien-folks  ;  lir  'e's  cock  in  the  roost  with  the 
missis  an"  the  maid."  That  'ere  Octoroon  gal  's  crazy  's  a 
loon  after  'im." 

''  Come,  now,  Jeffreys,"  said  Orlando  Jones,  '•  'taint  as  bad 
as  that,  is  it?  " 

"  Oh,  they  say  that  the  overseer  is  sort  of  jealous  of  that 
Octoroon  girl  and  my  partner,  the  3'oung  Dutchman,"  said 
Bob  Rountree,  with  a  teasing  smile  that  exasperated  Jeffreys. 

"  Is  that  the  reason  why  he  hates  the  young  foreigner  so 
cordially?  "  Ralph  Payton  asked.  ''  Xo  wonder,  then,  that 
he  owes  him  no  good  will.  I  am  with  him  there.  But,"  he 
added,  turning  to  Jeffreys,  '•  I  don't  want  Miss  ]May,  or  any 
of  her  family,  disturbed.     Mind  that." 

"  Young  man,"  the  overseer  exclaimed  in  great  irritation, 
"  I've  been  deadly  insulted  1  Both  on  'em  insulted  me,  — that 
d — d  Hessian,  an'  ek'ly  that  slick-tongued  Kuruel.  An' 
I'm  not  a  dog,  to  lick  the  hand  'at's  dealt  me  a  blow.  If 
sich  is  j^ore  sentiment,  we  won't  hitch  hosses.  I'm  in  fur 
payin'  back  an  insult  with  int'rest.  My  'pinion  is  'at  Kurnel 
May  's  got  to  be  ])ut  down  I  We  kin  do  it  easy,  by  provin' 
in  a  court  o'  law  what  a  dirty  comp'uy  'e  keeps,  an'  showin' 
np  'is  dirty  doin's,  'at  give  the  lie  to  'is  speeches  an'  palaver 
in  public.  Let's  show  'im  uj)  fur  the  white-livered  abolitioner 
'at  'e  is,  protectin'  that  'are  d — d  Dutch  upstart,  an'  sid'n' 
with  niggers  agin  white  folks.  Ye  needn't  bring  charges 
ag'n'  the  Kurnel  at  all,  lest  ye'r  amind  to.  It'll  all  come  out 
loud  'nongh,  if  ye  on'y  git  that  d — d  young  fur'ner  in 
court." 

•'Them's  my  sentiments  to  a  Tl  "  Orlando  Jones  pro- 
claimed. "  He  assailed  me  from  behind,  like  a  coward  and 
an  assassin  ;  he  insulted  me  before  the  whole  class.  That  is 
against  the  law,  and  he  must  be  punished.  We  have  laws  in 
this  country-,   and  we  should  appeal  to  them  to  get  justice." 


144  THE   REBEL'S  DAlJGllTEU. 

"  Nonsense  I  '"  excltiinied  Kalph  Paytou.  ''You  bring  an 
action  aoainst  liini  for  assault  and  battery,  and  if  you  convict 
liini,  lie  will  ))e  sentenced  to  pay  a  line  of  one  dollar,  niayl)e  : 
and  like  as  not,  somebody  else  will  pay  that  for  him.  No. 
sirree!      That's  not  /////  opinion.'" 

"  Nor  yet  mine  I  "  Jeffreys  announced,  assuming  an  air  of 
special  im[)ortance.  "  If  you  bring  the  action,  Orlando  .Jones, 
ye'll  have  the  costs  to  pay,  like  'nough,  into  the  bargain. 
'Cause  I  hear'n  say  ye  made  the  fust  assault  yerself,  an'  they 
might  prove  it  on  ye.  But  thar's  a  law  ag'in'  sociatin'  with 
niggers,  au'  stirrin'  up  niggers  to  sedition  an'  revolt.  An' 
'e  must  l)e  indicted  by  the  grand  jury,  whar'  there'll  be  no 
risk  for  the  informer;  an'  it's  felony,  an"  it'll  be  penitentiary 
if  they  fetch  'im  in  guilty." 

"Yes  I  And  if  they  don't,  there  is  Judge  Lynch  to  ride 
him  on  a  rail,  with  a  coat  of  tar  and  feathers  on  !  "  suggested 
Bob  Kountree,  rubbing  his  hands  in  high  glee. 

"•At  least,  which  would  be  better,  he  would  ))e  banished 
from  the  country,"   said  Ralph  Pay  ton. 

••  Then  we  are  agreed  to  this?  "  Jeffreys  inquired.  "  If  we 
are,  let  us  consider,  how  we'll  git  'im  indicted.  Fur  if  'e's 
got  friends  on  the  grand  Jury  they'll  never  indict  'im." 

"How  so?"  asked  Kali)li  Paytou.  "Are  they  not  sworn 
to  lind  according  to  law,  without  fear,  favor  or  affection?  You 
must  have  proof  and  they  must  find  according  to  the  evidence," 

••  Of  course!  "  Jeffreys  explained  to  the  others,  contracting 
one  of  his  eyebrows  so  as  to  indicate  his  superior  crafti- 
ness. "  We  know  all  'l)out  the  impartiality  o'  grand  juries. 
But  the  case  is  this:  If  'e  has  friends  on  the  grand  jury, 
they'll  not  lind  the  evidence  sutlicient  an'  ther'll  be  no 
indictment." 

"  But  if  the  grand  jurors  are  his  enemies,  —  leastwise  not 
his  friends — •  then  justice  will  get  her  own  I  "  Bob  Rountree 
remarked  excitedly.  "  My  daddy  is  sheriff,  and  I  am  his 
son !  ' ' 

"  Now,  if  Jones,  Orlando's   old  man.  'ud  be  on  the  jury," 


POST-l'UANDIAL    PLOTTING.  115 

Ji'l'fl'cys  hinted,  willi  :i  sly  uliiiicc  :il  Uoli.  ••  "I'M  see  ':il  the 
hiws  ()"  the  l;iii(l  "ud  Ix-  ohi'ved.  There'd  lie  no  t  rnit  "rous 
s_viii|):ithiziir  with  I'lir'n  spies  tn  cloud'n  'is  Judo'ineiit.  iiiirto 
liiiuler'  'iiu  I'roiii  doin"  'is  (Utoty." 

'•  He  woiihl  iXMiieiiiher  foreiii'ii  peddk'is  and  hate  Diilcli  in- 
terl()i)ers,"  put  in  IJolf  Koiintree.  onee  moiv  i'iil)hino-  his  hands 
in  excited  luuuor. 

"  F<ireio:n  iuUiience  is  one  of  the  most  banelul  toes  of  re- 
puMiean  uovermnent  I  "  quoted  Kalpli  Payton  from  his  speech. 

"  And  I  think  ]\[r.  Jeffreys  ought  to  be  on  the  grand  jury," 
said  Orhindo  .Jones.  '^  He  knows  more  al)()ut  tlie  evidence 
than  anybody  else,  and  owes  a  duty  to  the  community." 

"  Mebbe  ye're  riglit,"  the  overseer  generously  admitted. 

"  And  Mr.  Barnes  I  "  added  liol) ;  "  and  all  of  Mr.  Barnes' 
friends.  There  are  enough  of  true  men  left  in  this  country 
who  are  not  afraid  to  do  their  duty  against  these  upstart  for- 
eigners. And  my  daddy  slian't  know  a  thing  about  the  whole 
matter. ' ' 

"  Bob's  a  smart  young  man,  now,  ain't  'e?  "  said  Jeffreys, 
patting  the  apprentice  on  the  shouhler  witii  a  patronizing 
smile.  •'  It  mightn't  bi-  nice  to  see  tlie  old  man  an'  the 
Kurnel  at  loggerheads,  as  miglit  liap[)en  if  anything  leaked 
out.  An'  it  'ud  be  foolish  to  let  the  enemy  look  into  our 
liands.  An'  that  reminds  me."  he  added,  casting  a  searching 
glance  at  the  surroundings,  ••  that  we  musn't  stand  vert' 
whispering  any  more.  I  seen  that  'ere  Leslie's  eyes  on  us  onc't 
or  twic't.  an'  'e's  the  veiy  devil  to  put  this  an'  that  together." 

''  All  right."  said  the  a[)prentice.  exchanging  a  look  of 
tacit  understanding  with  Jeffreys.  ^'  I've  got  mv  cue. 
Neither  my  boss,  the  Dutchman,  nor  my  daddy,  are  to  smell 
a  rat.  But  if  the  next  grand  jury  should  indict  my  dear 
friend  We  for  high  treason, — you  know  wIks's  sheriff,  and 
who's  his  son." 

'•  I  guess  we'd  better  scatter  easy,  like,  so's  not  to  draw 
attention,"  said  Jeffreys;  and  Orlando  Jones,  acting  upon  the 
suggestion,  moved  away. 

10 


He  TllE   li'E BEL'S   DAUGllTEU. 

"  And  I  shall  devote  myself  to  the  pleasure  of  the  fair  sex,'* 
said  Bob  Rountree.  "  Some  of  them  have,  no  doid)t,  sadly 
missed  me." 

And  the  group  dispersed.  ''  For  all  the  woild,"  thought 
Paytou,  not  without  a  touch  of  misoiving,  "  like  a  l)and  of 
conspirators." 

The  promising  young  apprentice  was  in  a  highly  exhilarated 
UK^od.  The  fair  Emily  Matlack  was  pleasantly  surprised  by 
his  animated  (tonversatiou,  and  the  self-possessed  smile  that 
illumined  his  face.  She  was  ready  to  make  the  most  of  his 
amiable  attentions,  notwithstanding  —  or  perhaps  because  of  — 
the  slight  Avhich  she  fancier}  to  have  received  from  Leslie  May. 
She  was  determined  to  prove  to  that  young  gentleman,  that  she 
could  amuse  herself  quite  agreeably  without  his  compan}- ,  and 
that  there  was  no  lack  of  admirers  who  sought  her  favor.  He 
should  be  made  to  understand,  that  it  was  a  matter  of  supreme 
indifference  to  her,  whether  he  bestowed  his  favors  here  or 
elsewhere.  In  this  spirit  of  laudable  independence,  she 
entered  enthusiastically  into  the  vivacious  mood  of  her  newly 
captured  admirer.  She  found  his  attempts  at  witticism  irre- 
sistibly funny,  and  rewarded  his  most  trivial  remarks  with 
gracious  smiles  and  appreciative  laughter.  This  hitherto 
unexperienced  success  fired  the  young  man  to  renewed  exer- 
tions and  ever  l)older  attempts  to  excite  his  fair  companion's 
risibility,  so  that  the  merry  young  couple  were  thoroughly 
successful  in  attracting  public  attention. 

But  notwithstanding  all  this,  Miss  Emily  seemed  not  alto- 
gether happy.  A  closer  observer  than  Bob  Rountree  was  at 
this  moment,  Avould  have  suspected  the  searching  glances  cast 
by  the  young  maiden  in  every  direction.  But  Bob  saw  in  the 
excessive  hilarity  of  his  companion  only  the  effect  of  his  per- 
sonal amiability,  and  it  escaped  his  notice  entirely  that  some- 
times a  shadow  of  keen  disapj^ointment  passed  over  her  face, 
when  Ttter  wandering  glances  failed,  evidently,  to  reveal  the 
object  of  their  diligent  search.  It  was  somewhat  of  a  surprise 
to  the  voung  man  therefore,  to  hear  her  suddenlv  exclaim  '•  I 


I'OST-I'llANDlAL    PLOTTING.  117 

thoiiohl  so!  "  just  when  he  was  o-ivino-  her  llic  ln'iu'lit  ol'  a 
lively  (leseriptiou  of  some  startling  adventure. 

'I'lie  inniiediate  cause  ol'  this  exclamation  was  the  discovery, 
on  the  part  of  Miss  Emily,  of  Leslie,  whom  her  sharp  optics 
descried,  in  a  distant  part  of  the  gTounds,  leisurely  escortinu- 
her  intimate  friend  Ilettie  Shannon  toward  the  adjacent  wood. 
IJolt,  looking  up  into  his  fair  companion's  face,  followed  the 
direction  of  her  intent  gaze  ;  hut  he  saw  neither  Leslie  nor  the 
young  lady  he  was  escorting:  his  eyes,  instead,  fell  on  a  group 
on  the  furthermost  limits  of  the  grounds,  composed  of  Colonel 
May,  his  wife  and  daughter,  and  Ralph  Payton.  Naturally 
enough,  he  attributed  her  exclamation  to  her  discovery  of  this 
group  and  more  particularly  to  the  fact  of  her  noticing  the 
attention  paid  to  Miss  Nellie  by  Kalph  Payton.  'Now  Bol) 
possessed  considerable  acuteness  of  intellect,  and  a  lively 
imagination.  He  at  once  concluded  that  Miss  Emily  was  an 
imi)lacable  opponent  of  Victor  Waldhorst,  having  heard  from 
young  Jones  that  it  was  she  who  had  divulged  the  piquant 
anecdote  of  the  scarecrow  ;  and  that  she  was  agreeably  sur- 
[)rise(l  to  notice  that  Ralph  Payton  still  enjoyed  Miss  Nellie's 
good  will,  notwithstanding  what  had  passed  between  them 
in  the  grammar  class,  giving  expression  to  her  delight  by  the 
remark  he  had  heard.  His  surmises  in  this  direction  were 
confirmed  by  the  very  evident  haste  with  which  the  young 
lady  pressed  forward  in  the  direction  of  tiie  group  men- 
tioned. 

"  I  am  quite  sure,"  said  he,  with  the  laudable  desire  to  say 
something  pleasant  to  his  fair  young  friend,  "  that  my  poor 
colleague  has  nothing  to  hope  for  in  that  quai'ter.  Ralph 
Payton  has  cut  him  clean  out  there." 

"Ralph  Payton?"  the  young  lady  inquired  iiuiocently. 
without,  however,  looking  at  her  escort.     "  Where?  " 

''  Why,  there,  where  we  are  going;  with  Miss  Nellie  May," 
said  Bob,  wondering  at  Miss  Matlack's  obtuseness. 

"  Ah,  with  Nellie  May  I  "  replied  Emily  rather  absently. 
"  Oh,   ves  1      Why  there  she  is  sure  enough.      Let  us  not  dis- 


148  THE   REBEL'S   DAUGHTER. 

turl)  tlR'in.  NN'ouldn't  you  like  to  tiike  a  wjilk  with  me  in  the 
cool  shade  of  the  wood?     It  is  very  warm  to-day." 

Bol),  of  course,  gladly  asseuted.  He  was  tleliiilited  with 
the  evident  progress  he  was  making  in  the  young  lady's  favor, 
and  stepped  along  so  ])roudly  l)y  her  side,  that  he  failed  to 
perceive  her  preoccupation,  and  the  intentness  with  which  she 
peered  into  tiie  wood,  which  tliey  were  now  rapidly  approach- 
ing, lie  made  up  for  her  taciturnity  by  eagerly  pursuing  the 
topic  of  conversation,  —  Ralph  and  Mctor  —  a  theme  whicii 
aroused  his  deepest  interest,  and  upon  which  he  had  marvelous 
things  to  say.  It  was  a  pity,  therefore,  that  his  comi)auion 
listened  with  but  half  an  ear,  else  she  might  have  learned  that 
Bob  Rountree  was  a  warm  admirer  of  Ralph  Payton,  but  had 
little  love  for  Victor  Waldhorst. 

In  the  cool  and  quiet  solitude  which  they  had  now  reached, 
iier  sharp  eyes  soon  discovered,  visible  between  the  foliage  of 
the  shrubs  and  bushes,  the  bright  straw-colored  dress  of  her 
friend  Hettie.  "  I  thought  so!  "  was  the  ejaculation  that  for 
a  second  time  almost  escaped  her,  but  which  on  this  occasion 
she  succeeded  in  suj)pressing.  Slowly  the  two  walked  on,  the 
diret^tion  cliosen  l)y  lu'r  enabling  her  to  keep  in  sight  the 
straw-colored  caru-o  dress,  by  the  side  of  which  the  blue-jeans 
coat  worn  by  Leslie  May  became  visible.  Bob's  animated 
conversation  must  have  reached  the  ears  of  those  ahead,  for 
the  bine-jeans  coat,  as  well  as  the  yellow  calico  dress,  came  to 
a  sudden  standstill.  Elmily  took  her  [)artner  a  step  or  two 
farther,  and  then,  declaring  that  she  was  too  tired  to  proceed 
on  the  walk,  proposed  to  rest  a  while. 

Meanwhile  Leslie  May,  having  reached  this  j)art  of  the  wood 
in  his  i)romenade  with  the  charming  Hettie  Shannon,  was  not 
a  little  surprised  to  hear  the  voice  of  the  merchant's  apprentice 
in  lively  conversation  with  Emily  Matlack.  Hettie,  turning- 
round,  beheld  in  Boll's  companion  her  friend  Emily,  and  put 
her  linger  to  her  lips,  thns  signaling  Leslie  to  remain  silent. 
Tlie  latter  raised  his  forelinger  in  mock  remonstrance,  and 
whispered  a  few  words  into  lier  ear  which  made  her  ))lush  ;  l»ut 


roSr-PHANDIAL    rLOTTING.  149 

both  iviikuiumI  pc'i'fi'ctly  sili'Ul.  IJol)  luid  i>;ill;iiil  l\'  ^jircml  liis 
silk  li;iii(lki'icliicl'  on  tlic  iiroiiiKl  ior  Miss  Kiiiily  ((j  sil  on. 
while  Ir"  hiiiisi'lf  took  :i  ivcuinl)t'ut  position  l)y  lu'i'  sidr.  con- 
tiiining  to  entertain  her  with  praiseworthy  /.eal. 

Leslie  ^Nlay.  wlio  iiad  remained  silent,  at  first  in  delcMvuce  to 
his  lady's  whim,  soon  listened  with  keen  interest  on  his  own 
aeeount  to  Bob's  lively  talk,  and  in  tnrn  sionaled  his  compan- 
ion to  keep  silenee  wlu'n  he  saw  lier  start  to  approach  the  otlier 
couple.  So  communicative  had  liob  become  toward  his  fair 
listener,  that  he  was  presayino-  all  sorts  of  dark  things  for 
Victor,  among  them  the  |)ossibility  of  a  trial  for  a  great  crime, 
and  so  many  hints  of  trouble  for  the  Dutch  Store,  that  it  was 
not  difficult  for  Leslie  to  guess  what  was  going  on.  He  did 
not  dream,  however,  of  Jiolt  Kountree's  own  jjart  in  the  pro- 
gram, but  imagined  the  whole  plan  an  electioneering  trick 
against  his  father.  The  importance  of  the  interests  at  stake 
seemed  to  him  to  justify  the  part  he  was  acting  as  eavesdrop- 
per. Besides,  he  had  entered  on  the  rolo  originally  only  to 
please  a  charming  young  lady,  whose  curiosity  had  gotten  the 
better  of  her  discretion. 

But  the  attention  of  both  was  claimed  in  a  new  direction  bv 
sounds  as  of  one  approaching.  There  was  rustling  of  the 
leaves  of  the  hazel  bushes  close  by.  and  presently  a  hand 
became  visible  in  the  act  of  separating  them  to  make  room  for 
the  head  that  followed,  and  which  Leslie  recognized  as  that  of 
young  Victor. 

"  Xow  seel  "  he  exclaimed,  as  unconcernedly  as  if  the  two 
liad  met  alone  in  the  wood.      '•  Luihih  in  F((liiiUi !  " 

^liss  Emily  had  also  heard  the  approach  of  the  footsteps, 
but  paid  no  attention  to  them.  Not  so  Bob  Rountree.  He 
was  too  busily  engaged  talking  to  his  lady  to  notice  the  slight 
noise.  Leslie's  remark,  therefore,  startled  him.  He  quicklv 
jumped  up.  and  was  disagreeably  surprised  to  see  Victor,  as 
well  as  Leslie  with  his  companion.  The  young  lady  also  rose, 
but  more  leisurely,  and  lioth  a])proached  the  others.  Bob  with 
a  guilty  look,  but  Emily  as  serenely  and  Avith  a  smile  of  such 


150  THE  BEBEV8  DAUGHTEB. 

glad  surprise,  as  if  she  had  just  tlien  beconu'  aware  of  the 
l)resence  of  Leslie  and  her  dear  friend  Hettie. 

"  Where  on  earth  have  you  been  all  the  afternoon?  "  asked 
Leslie  of  Victor.  "  One  would  almost  suppose  that  you  are 
afraid  of  the  sovereigns  on  this  birtliday  of  Iheir  national 
independence." 

"Don't  pretend!  "  said  Miss  Emily,  with  a  sweet,  though 
somewhat  ironically  intended  smile.  "  I  hope  Mr.  Waldhorst 
has  as  good  a  right  to  liide  himself  in  the  solitude  of  the 
woods  as  —  certain  other  people  I  "  These  last  words  were 
accompanied  by  a  look  of  superb  contempt  at  Miss  Hettie 
Shannon. 

"  Oh,  certainly  I  "  the  latter  retorted,  returning  the  sneer  of 
her  virtuous  friend  with  an  angry  flash  of  her  eyes,  "•  cer- 
tainly I  Just  as  good  a  right,  at  least,  as  a  certain  young  lady 
has  to  appoint  a  meeting  with  her  ardent  admirer  in  the  forest, 
and  —  to  wallow  in  the  grass  with  him.  all  alone  in  the 
wood  I 

'■'■  Honi  .soit  'jid  /lull  !i  piniae!^'  exclaimed  Leslie,  stepping 
between  the  angry  maidens.  "  Nobody  to  blame !  1  declare 
to  you  upon  my  honor,  Miss  Matlack,  that  it  Avas  only  at  my 
urgent  request,  that  Miss  Shannon  accompanied  me  on  a  voyage 
of  discovery  after  my  missing  friend  Victor.  That  our  way 
led  into  the  woods,  was  certainly  not  her  fault.  But  you. 
]\liss  Shannon,"  he  continued,  tui'ning  to  his  lady,  ••  are  in 
danger  of  doing  great  injustice  to  your  amiable  friend,  if  you 
deem  her  capable  of  braving  the  dangers  of  the  forest,  even 
under  the  protection  of  the  redoubtable  Mr.  Eountree.  if  she 
had  not  knoAvn  that  she  would  find  you  here  also." 

The  ladies  listened,  not  altogether  sure  of  Leslie's  sincerity. 
But  this  young  gentleman,  evidently  sincere  enough  in  his 
endeavors  to  reconcile  the  belligerent  beauties,  took  one  hand 
of  each  and  laid  it  in  that  of  the  other.  "  I  see,"  he  said 
with  a  winning  smile,  "  how  greatly  pleased  you  both  are  to 
meet  each  other  here.  Now  give  vent  to  your  joy,  pour  out 
vour  hearts  lo  each  other,  and  afford  ns  ])oor  youngsters  the 


rOSTPRAXDIAL    rLOTTIXG.  lol 

happiness    of     witnossiuij;    the    sisterly    coiicord    of     so    iiiiich 
feminine  loveliness  and  l)eaut_v  1 

What  remained  for  tlie  pooi-  o-irls  to  do,  l)iit  to  (dasp  ciu'li 
other's  liands,  and  make  at  least  an  outward  show  ol  that 
cordiality  for  which  Leslie  commended  them  ?  Suspecting,  in 
their  secret  hearts,  that  the  saucy  young-  man  was,  in  some 
way,  fooling,  or  at  least  teasing,  them,  yet  neither  had  the 
courage  to  resist  his  coaxing  request,  and  both  did  us  he  hade 
t  hem . 

Leslie  himself  then  turned  to  ^'ictor.  who  stood  there  as 
perplexed  and  ignorant  of  the  meaning  of  what  was  going  on 
as  was  Bob  Rountree,  and  whispered  into  his  ear:  "  You  must 
help  me  out  of  this  scrape.  Take  that  smiling  Miss  Hettie  off 
my  hands,  or  I  shall  incur  the  deadly  enmity  of  the  amiable 
Miss  Emily." 

"Of  Miss  P^mily?  "  Victor  asked,  in  surprise.  "Why, 
she  is  friendliness  itself.     She  fairly  worships  you." 

"  That's  just  why,"  Leslie  whispered  energetically.  "If 
you  don't  help  me,  the  lovely-  maidens  will  scratch  out  each 
other's  beautiful  eyes.  I  must  take  Miss  E^mily  back  to  the 
grounds,  or  there  will  be  a  hair-bristling  catastrophe." 

'*  But  Miss  P^mily  has  an  escort,"  Victor  protested.  "  Did 
she  not  come  wdth  Mr.  Rountree'::'  " 

"  Never  mind  that  youngster;  I'll  get  rid  of  him  easily 
enough,"  urged  Leslie.  "  But  I  must  have  Hettie  (jff  my 
hands  too,  or  I  can't  make  up  with  Emily.  And  if  I  poke 
her  off  on  Bob,  she'll  get  her  back  up  and  the  trouble  will  be 
equally  great  in  the  other  quarter." 

Victor  was  about  to  object  that  he  foresaw  the  same  conse- 
quence in  the  case  of  Miss  Shannon,  if  she  were  '■  poked  off  " 
on  hiin,  but  Leslie  had  already  left  him.  and  was  coaxing 
Bob  Rountree  "  as  a  great  favor"  to  himself,  to  hurry  off 
and  inform  Mr.  and  Mrs.  May  and  his  sister  Nellie,  that  it 
was  high  time  to  prepare  for  the  return  home,  and  that  he, 
Leslie,  would  be  with  them  in  a  very  few  moments. 

The  young  mtvn  was,  as   he  had   expected,  willing  enough  to 


152  THE   REBEL'S   DAUGHTEB. 

()l)lig'c  Leslie,  :ni(l  iiliidly  embrueed  tlu-  (ipportuiiity  to  oet  well 
out  of  the  coiiii):iiiy  in  wliicli.  since  ^M(•tol■  had  Joine(l  them,  lie 
felt  ill  Mt  ensc. 

''  Now.  wln'ii  1  \v:ili\  up  with  the  two  jj'irls,"  Leslie,  return- 
iu<i',  whispered  in  N'ictor's  ear,  ''  you  sidle  uj)  to  llettie,  and 
tell  her  somethinii-  llatterino'.  If  it  o'oes  auainst  your  grain  to 
rail  her  a  heauty,  or  any  sueh  nice  thing,  say  something  com- 
plimentary of  her  father;  that  will  do  aliuost  as  well.  Then 
\-ou  walk  on  ahead  witii  her,  or  stay  beiiind,  whichever  comes 
most  natural.      Slii'Ml  not  let  go  of   you  after  that." 

'I'he  voinig  ladies  graciously  accepted  his  kindly  offer  to 
escort  them  hack  to  the  grounds,  and  \'ictor,  mindful  of 
Leslie's  ri'tpiest,  walked  Ity  Ilettie's  side,  and  ventured  a  few 
l)ashful  remarks.  Uul  Ilettie's  answers  were  so  natural  and 
amiable,  that  \'ictor  began  to  hope  that  he  might  coin  the  c(jni- 
pliment  which  was  expected  of  him,  for  the  young  lady  her- 
self. \n  pondering  what  to  say,  he  happened  to  remember  the 
imposing  ligure  and  dignilied  bearing  of  the  gray-haired  old 
man,  who  had  ])resided  over  the  great  assemblage  in  the  morn- 
ing, and  completely  won  the  heart  of  the  filial  daughter  by  the 
vivid  descri[)tion  of  the  impression  made  on  him,  so  that  fur- 
ther compliment  became  unnecessary.  llettie,  attaching  her- 
self to  Victor,  and  turning  toward  him  with  an  eager  face,  the 
better  to  listeu  to  his  remarks,  loitered  in  her  steps,  so  that  the 
two  couples  Avere  far  enough  apart  to  be  out  of  ear-shot  of 
private  conversation.  Thus  it  came  about,  that  what  Leslie 
said  to  conciliate  the  irritated  Emily,  remained  a  secret  be- 
tween them.  Hut  it  must  have  been  perfectly  satisfactory  to 
the  fair  one,  for  ^"ictor  noticed  that  she  took  his  arm  in  a  very 
cordial  manner,  and  that  the  two  chatted  with  each  other,  in 
livelv,  but  i)erfectly  harmonious  style.  The  example  thus 
o-iveu  was  readily  followed  by  Mctor,  who  thought  it  a  |)art  of 
the  role  he  had  assumed  to  offer  his  arm  to  his  fair  partner  ; 
and  when  Hettie  conlidingly  put  her  plump  little  hand  uj)on  it, 
he  magnanimously  forgave  his  friend  for  •'  poking  off  "  this 
lovclv  li'irl  upon  him. 


PO.sr.PLWNDIAL    PLOTTIXG.  153 

In  tliis  \v;iy  tlu'V  successively  renclied  llie  ui'duikIs.  Leslie 
led  his  cimr<>('  str:iiuiit\v;iv  to  her  |i:ii('iils  ;  liiit  \' ictor  wiis  SO 
pleasantly  entertained  by  his  c(iin|)ani(in.  tiiat  he  lortjot  all 
about  i>;<)in<»-  houie.  Nor  did  he  [nkv  note  of  tlu'  circumstance 
that,  wliile  many  of  the  participants  iind  already  taken  their 
departure  home,  those  that  remaincMl  were  so  c()ns])icuously 
hilarious,  as  to  point  unmistakalily  to  the  freely  donated 
whiskey  of  ^Mynheer  as  the  source  of  their  inspiration. 

])Ut  presently  the  silvery  voici'  of  Nellie  broke  in  upon  the 
pleasant  chat  Itetween  \'ictor  and  Miss  Shannon.  After  a 
friendly  word  to  the  latter,  she  turned  to  Victor,  and  said, 
shakino-  hei-  uplifted  linuer  at  him.  in  a  serio-comic,  chiding- 
voice:  "•  1  am  afraid,  Mr.  Waldhorst.  that  niy  brother  has 
already  corrupted  your  exemplary  manners.  Jf  any  one  had 
told  me.  I  would  not  have  believed,  what  I  now  see  with  my 
own  eyes  ;  that  you  dared  walk  arm  in  arm  with  a  young  ladv, 
in  broad  daylight,  at  a  public  festival  I  And  to  })ass  l»y 
your  most  intimate  friends  without  even  a  nod  of  recog- 
nition ! 

Victor,  with  a  vivid  l)lush  of  conscious  guilt,  cowardly 
dropped  the  arm  of  the  young  lady  he  was  escorting,  and 
lowered  his  eyes  before  the  mischievous  smile  of  the  wayward 
c'hild.  "  You  forget,"  he  stannnered  in  great  enil)arrassment, 
••  that  you  yourself  have  done  me  the  honor,  to-day  —  " 

'•  Oh,  that  was  a  mere  make-shift,"  Nellie  interrupted  him. 
"  I  c-ould  not  squeeze  through  that  crowd  without  an  escort, 
could  1?  But  it  seems  to  me,  that  you  and  Hettie  came  from 
a  place  where  there  was  no  crowd  at  all.  Come,  confess,  sir, 
that  l)rother  Leslie  has  had  you  in  training!  " 

There  is  no  certainty  as  to  what  \Mctor  would  have  con- 
fessed, because  just  at  that  moment  Ralph  Payton  came  along 
and  interru]>ted  the  conversation.  For  once  the  appearance  of 
this  young  gentleman  was  welcome  to  Victor.  He  announced, 
that  the  pony  had  been  saddled,  and  that  every  thing  was 
ready  for  tlu'  homewai'd  ride.  As  Nellie  turned  toward  IJalph 
Payton    to  accom])any   him    back,   siie  gave   \'ictoi'  a    parting 


154  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

injunction.  ''  I  chartre  you,"  she  said,  in  playful  banter,  "  to 
follow  soon,  else  (xrace  Darling  will  tax  the  skill  of  her  rider 
severely,  if  you  want  to  catch  up  with  us  before  reaching  May 
Meadows.  You  have  seen  how  swift  of  foot  my  ])ony  is,  and  I 
surmise,"  —  this  Avith  an  arch  look  at  Ralph  —  "that  Mr. 
Payton's  bosom  has  been  relieved  of  an  immense  Aveight  since 
morning,  so  that  his  horse,  too,  will  travel  smartly." 

She  left  Victor  standing  abashed,  as  she  departed  with  her 
cavalier,  gazing  after  her  Avith  the  vague  longing  Avhich  he  had 
felt  on  seeing  those  tAvo  dei)art  from  May  Meadows  in  the 
morning. 

Suddenly  he  l)ethought  himself  of  the  young  lady  Avhose  arm 
he  had  so  ignomiuiously  forsaken,  and  turned  Avith  the  inten- 
tion of  thanking  her  for  the  pleasure  she  had  conferred  upon 
him.  But  she  was  nowhere  to  be  seen.  He  looked  around  in 
peri)lexitv,  and  as  he  failed  to  discover  the  least  trace  of 
her,  he  concluded  that  the  young  ladv  had  joined  her  folks, 
and,  extremely  anxious  to  obey  Nellie's  parting  injunction  to 
be  on  the  road  as  soon  as  i)Ossible,  hurried  on  to  lind  Leslie. 
From  one  of  the  blacks  he  learned  that  Leslie  had  just  been 
seen  Avith  a  lady  in  a  straAV-colored  dress.  -'In  a  straAv- 
colored  dress!"  mused  Victor.  "  Why,  that  must  l)e  Miss 
Shannon.  Where  on  earth  did  he  meet  her,  and  what  can  he 
want  of  her  noAv  ?  "  Shaking  his  head  OA'er  the  incalculaljle 
moods  of  his  friend,  he  quickly  traversed  the  grounds. 

The  turmoil  increased,  although  great  numbers  were  con- 
stantly leaving  for  home.  Many  of  those  Avhom  he  encov;ntered 
Avere  evidently  intoxicated.  He  felt  ill  at  ease  :  and  as  he  saw 
nothing  of  Leslie,  he  considered  the  propriety  of  ordering  his 
horse  and  starting  off  alone.  It  Avould  not  be  difficult,  he  rea- 
soned, to  OA'ertake  Nellie  and  Payton  ;  perhaps  it  inight  i)lease 
the  little  lady  to  have  two  escorts  in  place  of  one. 

But  before  he  could  carry  out  his  intention,  some  one  seized 
his  arm,  and  he  felt  wonderfully  relieved  to  recognize  his 
friend  Leslie. 

>'  Comi',  my  boy."  said  llic  latter  in  liis  cheery  voice,  "  it  is 


rOST-riiANDIAL   PLOTTING.  155 

not  safe  to  remain  here  mnch  longer.  Unless  I  am  much  mis- 
taken, there  will  Ije  striking-  illustrations  before  long,  of  the 
manly  independence  of  the  sovereigns.  The  Avhiskey  of  old  Van 
Braaken  is  getting  in  its  work." 

"  Where  have  you  been?  "  said  Victor,  taking  Leslie's  arm 
and  keeping  pace  with  hiin  on  the  way  to  where  the  horses 
awaited  them.     "  I  have  looked  for  you  everywhere —  " 

"  And  found  me  nowhere,  certainly,"  said  Leslie,  in  l)anter- 
ing  tone.  '*  Now,  are  you  not  a  pretty  specimen  of  a  cavalier, 
to  stand  there  and  permit  the  lady  intrusted  to  your  care  to 
be  whisked  from  your  side,  without  your  ever  knowing  it?  " 

' '  Did  you  —  ' ' 

' '  Of  course ;  I  took  Hettie  to  the  bosom  of  her  anxious 
family,  for  I  saw  that  you  would  never  succeed  in  accom- 
plishing that  task  yourself.  Besides,  we  had  a  little  account 
to  settle  between  ourselves  that  required  no  witnesses." 

''  What  do  you  mean?  "  asked  Victor  innocently. 

"  Why,  she  owed  me  a  fee  for  having  made  me  the  partici- 
l)ant  of  a  great  secret  — .  But  there  I  I  almost  forgot  that  I 
must  spare  your  sensitive  ear.  You  might  deem  the  reward  I 
claimed  almost  as  immoral  as  the  conspiracy  I  traced  by  the 
aid  of  the  fair  one." 

"'  Your  words  are  all  riddles  to  me  I  "  said  Victor. 

"You  will  solve  them  when  the  time  comes."  Leslie 
answered.  "But  now  tell  me,  what  do  you  think  of  a  back- 
woods barbecue?  " 

Victor  complied.  His  naive  remarks,  as  he  related  the 
experiences  of  the  day,  and  the  impressions  they  made  upon 
his  mind,  elicited  many  a  subdued  chuckle  of  amusement  from 
Leslie.  But  the  enthusiasm  which  caused  his  eyes  to  sparkle 
as  he  described  the  powerful  effect  produced  by  his  father's 
speech,  and  the  adoration  of  the  man,  expressed  more  elo- 
quentlr  by  his  rapt  tone  and  transfigured  features  than  liy  his 
words,  in  turn  impressed  the  son. 

To  Victor's  unspoken,  but  deep  regret.  Nellie  and  Payton 
were  not  overtaken  bv  them  before  reachino-  home. 


X. 

BEFORE   THE   GRAND    INQUEST. 

I  UK  IJrodklicUU'i-s  liahitually  looked  forward  to  the  opon- 
**-  iiiii'  of  court  (on  tho  second  Monday  of  July  and 
.huiuarv  each  year)  as  an  event  fraught  with  great 
interest  to  them.  Jt  was  a  rare  treat  to  the  idlers  and  gossij)s. 
Not  that  there  was  pageantry,  or  i)i-illiant  display,  or  inii)res- 
sive  ceremonial  of  any  kind.  The  judge  wore  neither  ermine 
nor  wig,  nor  was  the  sheriff  armed  with  either  sword  or  tij)- 
8taff.  Yet  there  was  much  to  see  and  hear.  It  was  some- 
thing, for  instance,  to  hear  the  sheriff's  proclamation  in 
opening  court,  perverting,  to  the  disgust  of  judge  and  lawyers, 
the  ancient  foruuda  of  the  Norman-French  tongue  "  Oyez  1 
Oyez  !  Oyez  I  "  into  the  commonplace  English  •'  O  yes  !  O  yes  ! 
O  yes!  "  And  then  there  were  s[)eeches  of  the  lawyers, 
belligerent  and  vehement,  in  the  manner  of  lighting  cocks  ;  and 
the  torturing  of  witnesses  on  the  rack  of  cross-examination ; 
and  many  a  nugget  of  highly  spiced  scandal,  furnishing  wel- 
come topics  for  gossip  at  the  stores  and  the  veranda  of  the 
hotel  for  weeks  to  come.  Jt  was  something,  too,  to  see  the 
new  faces  which  court  day  brought;  tirst  of  all  the  circuit 
attorney,  and  the  rest  of  the  lawyers  wIk^  followed  the  judge 
itinerant  from  county  seat  to  county  seat,  all  over  the  circuit, 
like  the  tail  of  a  comet;  harvesting  rich  crops  of  fees,  since 
even  the  Imc^kwoodsmen  were  aware  how  much  a  fat  fee  stimu- 
lates the  alertr.ess  and  eloipieiice  of  a  lawyer;  wherefore 
anxious  clients,  on  the  eve  of  impending  trials,  came  down  more 
freely  with  their  carefully  hoarded  •'  dust."  Then  the  liti- 
gating parties  from  far  and  near;  the  twice  twelve  citizens 
suiiuikhumI  t()  serve  as  traverse  jiiroi's  ;  and  linally.  the  grand 
(loC) 


UEFOUE    TIIK    (4nAND   rNQUKST.  lo7 

iiuiuisitoi's,  twenty  in  iimnhi'i',  ciivt-lojx'd  in  tlic  mystic  niinhiis 
of  secrecy. 

Mr.  Rcjiaitree,  the  slieriff,  was  a  coiiscientions  ollici-r.  IJe 
was  deeply  impressed  with  the  o'rave  res[)()nsil)ility  restiny- 
npon  him  in  dcsiiJiuitinu-  tiie  men  who  were  to  wield  tiie  power 
of  calling'  their  fellow-men  to  account  for  crimes  and  misde- 
meanors connnitted.  or  alleged  to  have  been  committed.  For 
this  reason  iVIi'.  Rountree  usually  felt  some  anxiety  on  the 
api)roach  of  court  terms.  But  on  the  occasion  in  question 
he  had  found  this  most  trying  of  his  olficial  duties  so  easy, 
that  he  congratulated  himself  on  his  unex[)ected  success, 
ascribing  it  to  the  routine  acquired  by  practice.  The  list  of 
names  had  occurred  to  him  as  if  by  intuition,  on  the  very  next 
day  after  the  i)arl)ecue,  and  while  engaged  in  an  unusually 
pleasant  chat  with  his  son  Bol).  If  in  accounting  to  jiimself 
tor  his  extraordinary  success  he  took  undue  credit  to  himself, 
ignoring  entirely  the  merits  of  his  son  in  this  connection,  let 
him  not  l»e  judged  harshly :  for  Bob  was  nuich  too  filially 
minded  to  i)ermit  his  father  to  even  dream,  that  the  happy 
composition  of  the  grand  in(iuisition  was  not  due  entirely  to 
his  own  ability. 

More  deeply,  perhaps,  than  even  the  sheriff,  was  mine  host 
of  the  Brookfield  hotel  interested  in  the  advent  of  court  days, 
in  a  pecuniary  point  of  view  at  least.  And  no  less  the  pro- 
prietors of  the  two  stores  whose  respective  establishments  were 
crowded,  on  these  occasions,  with  customers. 

It  was  a  rather  costly  honor  to  Mr.  Barnes,  to  oltlciate  as 
grand  juror  at  a  time  when  his  presence  in  the  store  was  so 
imperatively  demanded.  The  proud  consciousness,  however, 
of  outranking  his  rival  of  the  Dutch  Store  as  an  officer  of  court, 
outweighed  his  business  scruples.  It  was  a  soothing  balm  to 
his  vanity  to  reflect  upon  the  distinction  involved  in  this  sac- 
rifice, which  his  country  demanded  of  him.  He  saw  in  this 
mark  of  confidence  on  the  part  of  his  fellow-citizens  a  well- 
merited  compliment  in  compensation  for  the  unjust  i)artiality 
shown  to  his  rival   on  the  occasion  of  the  barbecue.      And  how 


ir>8  rilE  n F.BEL'S   DAUGIITEU. 

tlatterinsi"  was  the  deference  sliown  him  by  his  eolleauues  I 
How  assuring  the  ciruunistanoe,  that  not  a  single  iueinl)er  of 
the  grand  jury  l)elonged  to  the  partisans  of  the  Dutch  Store! 
True,  he  had  never  suspected  what  a  dangerous,  wicked  indi- 
vidual his  rival  harbored  in  his  store,  in  the  person  of  his  young 
apprentice,  and  wiiat  a  treasonalile  intluenoe  emanated  from 
tliese  foreigners.  Mr.  Jeffreys,  his  colleague  on  the  grantl 
jury,  opened  his  eyes  in  this  respect,  and  Mr.  Jones  effec- 
tually seconded  his  efforts  to  warn  the  country  of  the  dan- 
ger threatening  the  peace  and  welfare  of  the  law-abiding 
population  from  this  source;  and  before  the  grand  jury  had 
l)een  closeted  one  hour,  they  had  instructed  the  Circuit 
Attorney  to  prepare  an  indictment  against  Victor  Waldhorst, 
charging  him  with  felony  :  which,  when  it  had  been  read  to 
and  sanctioned  l)y  the  grand  jurors,  was  signed  by  Mr.  Barnes 
as  foreman  and  returned  into  court  as  a  true  bill. 

Mynheer  Van  Braaken,  meanwhile,  was  reaping  a  rich  har- 
vest. Shoulder  to  shoulder  stood  the  eager  customers  in  his 
store.  Mr.  Miller,  the  head  clerk,  Mr.  Van  liraaken  himself, 
as  well  as  both  apprentices,  had  their  hands  full  to  attend  to 
the  business.  Victor,  in  happy  unconsciousness  of  the  por- 
tentous thunder-cloud  gathering  over  his  devoted  head,  forgot 
for  once,  in  his  zeal  of  activity,  what  was  expected  of  him  in 
the  way  of  lauding  the  excellence  of  the  goods  ;  and  though 
he  caught  the  eye  of  his  young  colleague  resting  upon  him 
several  times,  with  an  unaccountable  expression,  in  which  both 
shyness  and  malice  seemed  blended,  he  was  in  no  wise  dis- 
concerted thereby.  For  he  felt  that  to-day  prompt  attention 
to  the  wants  of  the  customers,  close  watchfulness  in  the 
exchange  of  goods  and  money,  and  a  careful  scrutiny  of  liank- 
notes  and  coin  was  all  that  was  expected  or  demanded  of  him. 
And  in  these  respects  he  felt  himself  fully  the  equal  of  Bob 
Rountree. 

Neither  of  the  apprentices,  however,  was  completely 
wrapped  up  in  the  l)usiness  of  the  store.  Victor's  curiosity 
had   been    aroused    bv  the  information  he  had  gathered  from 


Uh'FOIiE    Tin-:   (lUANl)   INi^UEST.  lo'J 

Leslie's  coiiversntion  nhout  the  powers  and  l'uiu-ti<)ii>  «il'  the 
Judge,  jiirv  and  allonieys,  ami  aliout  the  several  olllees  ju-r- 
fornied  by  tlie  onuid  and  petty  juries,  in  the  adniinistra- 
tiou  of  Justiee.  The  same  sul)ject  engaged  the  thoughts  of 
Bob  Kountree ;  Avith  tiiis  difference,  however,  that  in  liis 
ease  they  assumed  a  more  concrete  shape,  —  the  interest 
that  he  felt  l>eing  a  direet  and  personal  one.  His  thoughts 
engrossed  him  to  such  an  extent,  that  his  behavior  excited  the 
notice  of  his  chief,  as  well  as  of  Mr.  Miller,  and  drew  from 
them  warning  glances  of  disapproval. 

While  Victor's  sense  of  duty  vvas  sufficient  to  insure  his 
undiminished  attention  to  business,  it  did  not  exclude  the 
lively  desire  to  see,  with  his  own  eyes,  an  American  court  of 
Justice  in  all  the  majesty  and  panoply  of  its  power.  The 
"  Grand  Inquest,"  as  Leslie  had  described  it  to  him,  more 
particularly  piqued  his  curiosity.  The  imposing  name  sug- 
gested to  him  continually  the  stern  austerity  of  the  Spanish 
Inquisition,  investing  the  subject  with  a  degree  of  romantic 
interest  contrasting  strongly  with  the  sober  reality  about  him. 
Leslie  May  had  in  words  not  entirely  devoid  of  pompous  ex- 
aggeration, represented  this  institution  as  the  grand  bulwark 
of  liberty,  which  the  English  people  had,  after  many  struggles, 
extorted  from  their  rulers  and  incorporated  in  the  Great  Char- 
ter of  English  Liberties  ;  from  which  it  had  come  down,  as  a 
precious  inheritance  from  the  mother  country,  to  the  American 
Colonies,  and  now  constituted  an  essential  part  of  the  Bill  of 
Rights  of  every  American  State.  No  wonder,  then,  that  Vic- 
tor's lively  imagination  reverted,  now  and  then,  to  the  mys- 
terious doings  that  nuist  be  going  on  over  at  the  court  house, 
and  that  he  regretted  the  impossibility  of  being  an  eye-witness 
to  them. 

No  wonder,  either,  that  the  summons  of  his  employer,  call- 
ing on  him  to  accompany  Leslie  May  to  the  court  house,  greatly 
astonished  him,  for  though  the  crowd  of  customers  had  by  this 
time  perceptibly  decreased,  he  had  not  noticed  the  entrance  of 
Leslie,  nor  that  this  voung  gentleman  had  been  for  some  time 


HrO  THE    REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

('nJ4'iil>('(l  ill  ;in  cjinu'st  Ihouuli  wiiispcrcd  (■onvcrsutioii  witli  his 
cbief.  He  n-adiiy  ioUowed  his  Iriciid,  t(H'liii<i-  iiratelul  to  him 
for  his  supposed  [lurposc  of  iuakin<»'  him  acciuainted  witli  tlie 
jjractical  workings  of  the  court.  Nor  did.  he  note  the  1o(j1<  of 
open-mouthed  exj)ectatiou  witli  whicli  l>ol)  I\ouiitree  reu'arded 
the  two  as  tliey  left  the  store. 

Havinii"  step})ed  into  tlie  open  air,  Leslie  eordially  took 
Victor's  arm.  "  Victor,"  he  said  lightly,  "  they  are  goiiiii-  to 
phiy  a  joke  on  you.  They  want  to  vex  and  frighten  you.  Now 
promise  mo,  that  you  won't  be  ano-ry,  or  at  least,  that  you  will 
not  let  them  see  your  ano'er ;  and  we  will  turn  the  joke  against 
them  so  that  all  Vernal  County  shall  shake  with  laughter  at  the 
stuj)id  faces  they  will  make  on  their  disccjiniiture.  Will  you 
})romise  ine?  " 

"  What  do  you  mean?  "  said  ^'ictol■.  with  a  puzzled  look. 

"  Imagine,"  Leslie  continued,  not  noticing  his  friend's 
question,  "•  that  you  were  about  to  join  the  secret  order  of 
free  masons.  You  know,  don't  you,  that  they  try  to  frighten 
the  candidates  for  the  mysteries  Avith  all  sorts  of  hocus-pocus 
and  absurd  monkey  shines,  to  try  their  mettle?  And  you 
know,  too,  that  not  one  of  them  was  ever  hurt  so  much  as  by 
crooking  a  hair  of  his  head?  So  here:  You  will  come  out  of 
it  all  without  a  scratch  or  a  bruise.  They  shall  not  even  rutHe 
your  temper,  if  you  only  have  faith  in  what  I  tell  you." 

''  lint  1  don't  understand  you,"  said  \'ictor.  whose  astonish- 
ment liegan  to  change  to  alarm  at  the  strange  words  of  liis 
companion.      ••  What  do  you  want  me  to  do?  " 

"  Nothing,  but  to  be  true  to  yourself,  and  to  exhibit  the 
courage  of  your  true  nature  I  "  Leslie  exclaimed,  witii  an 
encouraging  look.  ''  Above  all  things,  to  believe  me.  when  I 
tell  you  that  you  are  in  no  real  danger  whatever." 

"  liut  I  dream  of  no  danger  I  "  N'ictor  replied,  with  a  look 
of  alarm  that  belied  his  words.  ••  1  can't  im:igiiie  where  there 
should  be  danger  to  me." 

"  Well,"  said  Leslie  with  a  smile,  the  light  irony  of  which 
did   more  to  (piiet  Victor's   apprehensions   than  his  reascming. 


■  BEFOHI-:    THE    aUASD  IXqUEST.  161 

"  the  fact  is,  tliat  yon  aiv  attout  to  he  conlTontcd  witli  the 
majesty  of  that  bulwark  of  American  IJherty  tiiat  J  liave  been 
tellina;  you  about.  The  grand  jury  has  perpetrated  the 
practical  joke  of  finding  a  true  bill  against  you,  —  that  is,  they 
have  indicted  you  for  treasonable  conspiracy. " 

"  Me?  What  for?  AVhat  have  I  done?  "  cried  ^'ictor, 
turning  pale  now  Avith  real  alarm. 

"Nothing  l)ut  ^vhat  you  thought  right  and  just,"  replied 
Leslie,  in  a  calm,  assuring  tone.  "  You  see,  the  whole  thing 
is  intended  for  a  cowardly  attack  on  my  governor.  They 
know  \ory  Avell,  that  they  cannot  hurt  him,  or  you  either,  by 
this  proceeding  in  court ;  but  they  mean  to  get  up  an  excite- 
ment against  the  governor,  so  as  to  injure  him  in  his  election. 
At  the  same  time  they  intend  to  frighten  you,  to  revenge  them- 
selves on  you  for  the  insult  they  imagine  you  ])ut  on  some 
of  the  silly  fools.  But  if  you  will  only  keep  a  stiff  upper  lip, 
and  laugh  at  them  instead  of  giving  them  a  chance  to  make 
merry  over  you,  we  shall  turn  the  tables  upon  them  in  a  way 
to  make  them  laugh  at  the  wrong  corner  of  the  mouth.  vShow 
them  the  stuff  you  are  made  of  I  Prove  that  my  sister  is  right 
when  she  calls  you  the  proudest,  and  admires  you  as  the 
bravest,  boy  in  Vernal  County!     Will  you  promise?  " 

Victor  actually  l>lushed  with  pleasure  on  hearing  Nellie's 
opinion  of  him,  notwithstanding  the  alarming  nature  of  Les- 
lie's statement.  But  he  made  no  reply,  for  they  had  by  this 
time  crossed  the  Square  and  reached  the  court  house.  They 
stood  on  the  threshold  of  the  temple  of  justice,  which  Victor 
entered  with  a  feeling  of  suspense  and  awe  never  )>efore 
experienced. 

Just  as  they  stepped  in,  the  Mystic  Twenty,  constituting  for 
the  time  being,  the  bulwark  of  American  Liberty  for  the 
County  of  Vernal,  stood  up  to  receive  from  his  Honor,  the 
judge,  further  instructions  touching  their  duties,  and  then 
marched  by,  in  Indian  file,  on  their  way  to  the  room  assigned 
them  for  their  deliberations,  where  they  moved  and  carried  an 
adjournment  for  the  day. 

11 


162  THE   BEBEL'JS  DAUGHTER. 

"Mark  their  faces!  "  Leslie  whispered.  "You  know  a 
sufficient  number  of  them  to  be  able  to  understand,  now,  how 
they  came  to  accuse  you  of  treasonable  practices." 

"Why,  there  is  Jeffreys!  And  Jones!  And  Matlack  I  " 
whisjx'red  Victor  eagerly.  Are  llic^c  the  men  that  constitute 
the  Grand  Inquest?  "" 

"  And  Barnes  and  all  his  supporters,"  Leslie  went  on. 
'•  Not  one  of  them  has  any  love  for  the  Dutch  Store.  And 
Mr.  Rountree  is  sheriff,  and  Bob  is  his  son.  Do  you  begin  to 
see  method  in  this  madness?  " 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  that  Bob  —  " 

"  Y'es,  I  do,  though!  "  Leslie  interrupted  him  with  an  air 
of  triumph  that  puzzled  Victor  still  more.  "  Bob  Rountree 
lias  undertaken  to  personate,  for  once,  the  Genius  of  Liberty, 
and  to  have  a  hand  in  the  construction  of  its  bulwark.  He 
has  carried  Ralph  Payton's  political  maxim  into  practice,  and 
here  is  his  first  blow  at  the  baneful  effect  of  foreign  influence. 
Now  for  the  first  counter-stroke !  It  will  never  do  to  give 
them  the  satisfaction  of  seeing  you  taken  to  jail,  or  even 
letting  the  sheriff  lay  hands  on  you." 

-Jail!  Sheriff!  "  The  words  fell  with  terrific  effect  on 
poor  Victor's  ear.  He  began  to  understand,  that  there  was  no 
child's  play  going  on,  and  that  courage  was,  indeed,  needed. 

But  Leslie  gave  him  no  time  to  indulge  in  gloomy  forebod- 
ings. "  I  have  already  engaged  a  lawyer  to  conduct  your 
defense,"  he  said.  "  There  he  is..  The  first  thing  to  be 
attended  to  is,  I  suppose,  to  get  you  off  on  bail,  that  has  also 
l^een  provided . ' ' 

The  gentleman  pointed  out  as  Victor's  defender  approached 
as  soon  as  he  saw  Leslie,  who  introduced  him  to  Victor  as  Mr. 
Bedford. 

"You  are  just  in  time  to  avoid  the  necessity  of  a  bench 
warrant,"  he  said,  in  a  cheerful  voice,  to  Victor.  "  The  judge 
was  al)out  to  issue  one.  You  may  now  Avaive  arraignment  and 
the  reading  of  the  indictment.  I  will  cause  your  ])lea  of  not 
guiltv  to  be  entered  of  record,  then  we  will  give  bail  for  you.  and 


hEFOUK    THK   GRAM)   INQUEST.  163 

that  will  finish  the  busiui'ss  for  to-day.     To-morrow,  tlieu,  the 
trial  may  begin,  if  I  can  get  the  State's  attorney  to  consent." 

"But  how  can  1  plead  not  guilty,  when  I  have  not  heard 
the  accusation,  and  do  not  know  with  what  offense  I  am 
charged?  "  Victor  objected,  with  a  seriousness  which  caused 
both  the  attorney  and  Leslie  to  smile. 

'•  Oh.  that  is  a  mere  form,  my  friend,"  said  the  lawyer. 
''  It  is  self-evident  that  you  must  plead  not  guilty,  else  there 
could  not  be  a  trial  at  all.  And  then  I  happen  to  know  the 
content  of  the  indictment;  I  looked  over  it  just  now,  to  see 
whether  I  could  find  a  loop-hole  in  it,  for  which  I  might  move 
to  quash,  or  at  least  wear  out  the  patience  of  the  prosecution 
by  dilatory  motions.  But  brother  Yancey  is  a  sly  old  fox  ;  you 
might  as  well  attempt  to  drill  a  hole  through  a  cast  steel  bar 
with  a  rotten  lead  pencil,  as  to  pick  a  flaw  in  one  of  his 
indictments."' 

With  these  words,  Mr.  Bedford  stepped  forward  to  the  plat- 
form, upon  w^hich  the  judge  sat  behind  his  desk,  thus  cutting 
off  Victor's  eager  questions  as  to  the  nature  of  the  charge 
against  him. 

"  May  it  please  3'our  Honor,"  Mr.  Bedford  spoke,  "  we  are 
leady  to  Avaive  the  reading  of  the  indictment  in  the  case  of 
The  State  vs.  Victor  Waldhorst.  We  plead  not  guilty,  and 
praj'  your  Honor  to  fix  the  amount  of  bail  to  be  given." 

The  judge  demanded  the  document  for  inspection  and  asked 
the  State's  attorney  for  liis  opinion.  "It  is  an  unusual 
charge,"  said  the  judge  apologeticallv.  "I  do  not  remember 
to  have  ever  seen  an  indictment  framed  under  this  section 
of  the  statute." 

Victor  listened  attentively  to  the  statements  of  the  judge  and 
the  lawyers,  hoping  to  gain  some  notion  of  the  particulars  of 
the  charge  against  him:  but  he  listened  in  vain.  Neither  the 
judge,  nor  any  of  the  lawyers,  ever  mentioned  the  offense,  the 
gravity  of  which  they  discussed  with  so  much  volubility.  The 
only  thing  that  Victor  understood  from  the  learned  debate  was, 
that  bail  was  demanded  in  the  sum  of  one  thousand  dollars, 


164  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGIITEB. 

which  his  lawyer  declared  (but  so  as  not  to  be  heard  by  the 
judge)  to  be  an  outrageously  high  amount,  and  a  plain  viola- 
tion <^f  the  constituti(jnal  inhibition  against  excessive  l)ail. 
Leslie  announced,  that  the  amount  was  a  matter  of  indiffer- 
ence, and  nodded  to  a  man  evidently  on  hand  for  this  purpose, 
who  stepped  forward,  and  declared  himself  indebted  to  the 
State  in  the  sum  of  one  thousand  dollars,  lawful  money  of  the 
United  States,  to  be  well  and  truly  paid,  on  condition  however, 
that  Whereas,  &c. 

The  judge  then  inquired  of  the  counsel  whether  they  had 
agreed  on  the  day  for  Avhioh  the  trial  was  to  be  set.  The 
prosecuting  attorney  answered  that  they  had  not  been  able  to 
agree,  and  demanded  sufficient  time  to  consult  with  the  wit- 
nesses, as  well  as  to  examine  authorities  and  precedents,  in 
order  to  be  able  to  present  the  case  properly  ])efore  the  court 
and  jury.  But  Victor's  lawyer  opposed  delay.  He  was  evi- 
dently acting  in  the  interest  of  his  employer,  for  he  never  even 
consulted  the  wishes  of  the  real  defendant  in  the  case.  Victor 
noted  that  his  lawyer  Avas  possessed  of  an  exceedingly  ready 
tongue,  and  that  he  urged  immediate  action  with  a  loquacious- 
ness which  seemed  to  carry  everything  before  it,  until  Mr. 
Yancey,  the  State's  attorney,  exposed  the  futility  of  his  argu- 
ments in  a  few,  in  Victor's  opinion,  convincing  words.  If  the 
latter  had  been  free  to  choose  his  defender  between  the  two 
lawyers,  he  would,  without  a  moment's  hesitation,  have  chosen 
Mr.  Yancey.  This  gentleman  was  of  tall,  imposing  stature ;  a 
frank,  kindly  expression  about  the  mouth  redeemed  the  face 
from  what  would  otherwise  have  stamped  it  as  forbiddingly 
severe.  His  clear  grey  eyes  had  for  a  moment  rested  on 
^'ietor,  and  from  this  glance  the  boy  caught  the  impression 
tliat  the  State's  attorney  Avas  a  reliable,  whole-souled  man.  He 
spoke  calmly  and  to  the  point ;  his  voice  was  both  clear  and 
melodious ;  Victor  felt  instinctively  that  it  would  possess 
powerful  influence  over  judge  and  jury.  For  the  present,  how- 
ever, his  own  lawyer  scored  a  victory  over  his  opponent ;  for 
the  judge,  after  listening  patiently  and  with  patent  impartiality 


BEFOBE    THE   GRAND  INQUEST.  165 

to  the  argument  on  both  sides,  cut  off  further  deljatc  l)y  lixing 
the  next  morning  for  the  beginning  of  the  trial.  "Justice 
delayed,"  he  exi)lained  sententiously,  "  is  justice  denied. 
The  defendant  has  a  constitutional  right  to  a  speedy  trial." 

"Ah,  ha!  "  Mr.  Bedford  exclaimed,  turning  with  triumphant 
mien  to  Leslie,  and  rubbing  his  hands  in  high  glee,  "  you  see, 
we  are  one  too  many  for  the  sly  old  fox.  We  have  easily 
beaten  off  his  first  assault  and  I  flatter  myself  that  our  coun- 
ter move  has  somewhat  discomlited  the  enemy.  It  is  quite 
an  advantage  gained  over  the  old  fellow  to  comi^el  him  to  go 
into  the  light  without  preparation.  Now,  my  young  friends," 
he  continued  with  a  slight  nod  toward  Victor,  to  indicate  that 
he  also  was  included,   "  let  us  discuss  our  plan  of  battle." 

Leslie  proposed  that  they  should  all  three  repair  to  the  May 
Mansion  to  talk  over  the  matter.  "  It  is  possible,"  he  said, 
"  that  my  father,  who  is  absent  on  an  electioneering  tour,  may 
return  at  any  moment ;  and  it  seems  to  me  to  be  important  to 
have  his  views  as  to  the  course  to  be  pursued  in  the  defense." 

"  Of  course  it  would,"  Mr.  Bedford  promptly  responded. 
"  Indeed,  it  would  be  highly  desirable  that  he  should  be  pres- 
ent at  the  trial,  so  as  to  afford  a  sort  of  moral  support  to  the 
defendant.  Such  things  have  a  powerful  effect  on  our  honest 
yeoman  sitting  in  the  jury  box." 

"Particularly,  as  the  whole  plot  is  but  a  poorly  masked 
attack  on  himself,  to  defeat  his  election,"  added  Leslie. 

"  See,  see!  "  Mr.  Bedford  remarked,  seeming  to  be  highly 
amused  at  this  piece  of  news.  "So  you  think  that  General 
AVaddle  has  his  linger  in  this  pie?  A  little  bold,  — don't  you 
think  ?  —  but  sly,  I  grant  you,  prodigiously  sly  !  The  idea  of 
manipulating  the  grand  jury  in  furthering  his  electioneering 
schemes!  And  you  really  think,  that  old  Waddle  invented 
this  clever  trick  ?  ' ' 

"  No,  I  don't  believe  anything. of  the  kind,"  Leslie  repUed. 
"  I  have  no  reason  to  impute  particular  intellectual  ability  to 
my  father's  opponent  in  this  election ;  nor  do  I  think  him  a 
paragon   of   generosity.      I  think  him  quite  capalde  of  acting 


]66  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

upou  the  maxim,  that  in  an  electioneering  canvass,  as  in  love 
and  war,  everything  is  fair  that  promises  success.  But  I  do 
not  think  him  such  a  knave,  and  certainly  not  such  a  fo(jl,  as 
to  attempt  to  bribe  or  influence  the  grand  jury.  No!  This 
brilliant  idea  grew  in  another  head  ;  and  the  motive  was  not 
love  for  General  Waddle,  but  hatred  for  Colonel  May." 

"  You  don't  say!  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Bedford,  casting  an  ad- 
miring glance  at  the  young  man.  "  You  seem  to  be  well 
informed.     Where  did  you  get  your  information?  " 

"  That  is  my  secret!  "  said  Leslie,  laughing.  '"But  there 
is  no  magic  about  it.     I  only  put  this  and  that  together." 

Victor  listened  with  eager  ears  to  the  discussion  that  fol- 
lowed, in  which  Leslie  explained  to  the  lawyer  the  particulars 
of  the  case,  so  far  as  he  knew  them,  but  from  which  Motor 
could  not  learn  more  than  that  the  charge  against  him  was  in 
some  way  connected  with  his  visit  to  the  negro  quarters.  Then 
it  occurred  to  him,  that  Colonel  May  had  warned  him  of  the 
unlawfulness  of  meeting  with  negroes  after  dark,  in  their  own 
quarters,  without  the  consent  of  the  owner  or  overseer.  But 
the  magnitude  of  the  offense  with  Avhich  he  stood  charged,  as 
well  as  the  extent  of  the  penalty  thereby  incurred,  still  re- 
mained the  subject  of  painful  anxiety  to  him.  As  soon,  there- 
fore, as  he  could  succeed  in  putting  in  a  Avord,  he  timidly 
inquired:  "Is  this  matter  so  very  serious?  If  I  am  found 
guilty,  is  there  any  danger  of  my  going  to  the  penitentiary?  " 

"  You  are  right,  my  young  friend,"  the  lawyer  answered,  with 
a  coolness  and  unconcern  that  shocked  poor  Victor.  ••  In  our 
slave  states  it  is  no  joking  matter  to  be  accused  of  tampering 
with  the  negroes.  It  is  almost  equal  to  the  crime  of  high  treason, 
only  that  you  may  l)e  found  guilty  on  circumstantial  evidence, 
while  the  constitution  prohibits  conviction  for  treason  without 
the  concurring  testimony  of  two  witnesses  to  the  overt  act." 

"  Don't  let  this  lawyer  frighten  you!  "  said  Leslie,  whose 
calmness  and  assuring  smile  did  much  to  allay  Victor's  fears. 
"  He  is  trying  to  exaggerate  his  case  in  order  to  quiet  his  con- 
science for  ohargino-  an  exorV)itant  fee.      The  long  and  short  of 


UKFOliK    THE    (4UAXD   IXCJCEST.  107 

the  luattei-  is.  tlial  you  aii'  cliarged  with  iiieitiiiu-  my  fatliei"s 
•slaves  to  insufroction.  Do  you  understand,  now,  how  utterly 
ridiculous  the  whole  thing-  is?  " 

'•  Less  ridiculous  than  perilous."  Mv.  Bedford  insisted. 
••  ^^'e  u)ust  i)roceed  with  the  utmost  caution  in  selecting  our 
traverse  Jury.  For  a  mistake  in  that  direction  would  surely 
prove  fatal.  Let  one  or  two  fire-eaters  be  among  them,  and 
they  will  so  fanaticise  the  whole  twelve,  that  you  could  no 
more  prevent  a  verdict  of  guilty,  than  you  could  stop  a  runaway 
horse  by  holding  on  to  its  tail." 

••  Let  it  be  my  care  to  assist  you  in  making  your  [)eremp- 
tory  challenges,"  Leslie  replied  coniidently.  ■•  I  am  jiretty 
thoroughly  acquainted  with  the  citizens  of  the  vicinage  ;  and 
while  the  grand  jury  seerns  to  have  been  picked  out  with  con- 
sunnnate  skill,  I  have  no  idea  that  the  petty  jurors  have  been 
tampered  with.  Depend  on  me  and  on  the  governor,  if  he 
should  return  befoi-e  the  trial  begins." 

The  conviction  began  to  impress  itself  upon  \'ictor's  mind, 
that  Leslie  was  not  sincere  in  treating  the  matter  so  lightly, 
concealing  his  apprehensions  only  to  spare  his  friend's  feel- 
ings. His  thoughts  reverted  to  the  intense  hatred  of  Jeffreys, 
who  had  preferred  to  quit  the  service  of  Colonel  May,  rather 
than  make  friends  with  the  despised  foreigner.  The  Avarning 
uttered  by  Colonel  May,  during  that  memorable  ride  with  him 
and  Nellie,  recurred  to  him  with  appalling  meaning,  — to  con- 
fide his  positive  views  on  slavery  to  no  one  but  his  most  inti- 
mate friends,  lest  disagreeable  consequences  arise.  And  he 
remembered,  how  seriously  Leslie  himself  had  viewed  the 
situation  before  there  had  l)een  an  indictment.  It  was  not 
surprising,  then,  that  a  keen  sense  of  peril  deeply  moved 
Victor,  and  that  he  sought  and  improved  the  first  opportunity 
to  Avithdraw  from  a  discussion  which  was  growing  painful  to 
him.  In  the  solitude  of  his  own  little  chamber  he  endeavored 
to  prepare  himself  for  the  coming  ordeal,  and  gather  what 
composure  he  might,  so  as  not  to  disgrace  his  friends  with 
cowardly  ]iusi]lanimitv. 


XI. 

JUSTICE   SEASONED   WITH    POLITICS. 

^AKLY  next  moniing  the  partisans  of  the  rival  stores 
repaired  in  great  numbers  to  tlieir  resj)ective  head- 
(piarters.  On  the  Square  numerous  groups  of  men 
engaged  in  earnest  conversation  :  the  lawyers  at  the  liotel, 
who  after  the  morning  menl  resorted  t(j  the  s|)acious  porch  to 
air  their  heels  and  pick  their  teeth,  were  joined  l)y  such  of 
their  lay  ])rethren  as  l)raved  the  danger  of  incurring  liability 
for  a  fee,  in  search  of  information  which  they  were  thought 
best  able  to  impart,  concerning  the  stirring  news  that  agitated 
the  tijwii.  For  not  only  there,  but  far  around  the  country  the 
rumor  had  quickly  s]n'ead,  that  the  ''  young  Dutchman  "  had 
been  indicted  l)y  the  grand  jury  for  felonious  misdeeds. 

Mighty  consequential  men.  to-day,  were  tlie  Mystic  Twenty, 
stalking  about  with  solenni  faces,  hjoking  down  upon  their 
fellow-citizens  with  the  proud  consciousness  of  stern  duty  Avell 
performed.  Many  an  admiring  glance  followed  them  as  they 
strode  on  toward  the  court  house,  and  great  was  the  curiosity 
to  learn  tiie  particulars  of  the  horrible  misdeeds,  to  avenge 
wliicli  tliey  had  invoked  the  strong  arm  of  the  law.  But 
neither  l)r()ad  hints  nor  suggestive  insinuations,  nor  yet  direct 
questioning,  elicited  more  from  the  temporary  Pillars  of  Justice 
than  a  })ortentous  shaking  of  the  head,  or  shrugging  of  the 
shoulders. 

The  disciples  of  lUackstoue  [)roved,  on  this  occasion,  less 
close  than  the  grand  jurors.  Tiiey  freely  vented  their  views 
as  to  tlie  importance  of  the  trial,  and  its  probable  issue.  IJoth 
the  friends  and  the  opponents  of  the  alleged  culprit  found 
their  extremest  o^jinions  represented. 

Tlio  liveliest  interest  in  tliis  (|ueslion  was  taken  of  course, 
(1G8) 


JUHTIGE   SEASONED    WITH  POLITICS.  169 

by  the  respective  adherents  of  the  two  iiiercaiitile  estuhlish- 
ments.  In  the  Dutch  Store  the  view  was  openly  expressed, 
that  the  indictment  was  a  slianieful  subversio'n  of  justice;  for 
was  it  not  pkiin  that  Mr.  Barnes  liad  abused  his  official  posi- 
tion, as  a  member  of  the  grand  jury,  to  strike  a  blow  against 
his  hated,  because  more  successful,  rival  in  business?  Van 
Braaken  himself  said  nothing ;  but  the  vehemence  with  which 
he  nodded  and  blinked  assent  to  this  opinion  left  no  doubt  as 
to  his  conviction  on  this  point.  In  the  conservative  camp,  on 
the  contrary,  there  was  congratulation  and  rejoicing,  that  so 
heinous  a  crime,  threatening  the  peace  and  safety  of  the  com- 
munity, was  being  dealt  with  in  a  lawful  manner,  thus  avoiding 
the  excesses  of  a  self-constituted  court  of  Judge  Lynch. 

The  croAvd  of  peo})le  in  and  about  the  courthouse  increased. 
Pale  with  suspense,  but  i)utting  on  a  bold  face,  Victor  ap- 
peared with  his  friend  Leslie  and  his  counsel  Mr.  Bedford. 
The  latter,  fully  aware  of  his  importance  on  the  present  occa- 
sion, elbowed  a  passage  through  the  crowd  for  himself  and  his 
companions.  He  indulged  himself  in  the  blissful  foretaste  of 
the  fame  which  he  expected  to  achieve  ;  he  imagined  himself  as 
the  conqueror  in  this  contest  with  the  iState's  attorney  —  as  the 
successful  champion  of  the  standard  bearer  of  the  Democratic 
party,  —  as  the  gracious  recipient  of  the  homage  of  an  admir- 
ing po[)ulace.  For  he  had  construed  Leslie's  statements  as  an 
indication  that  the  political  aspect  of  the  case  was  of  the  lirst 
importance,  to  which  the  interest  of  the  real  defendant  was  but 
secondary. 

At  nine  o'clock  the  judge  ascended  the  platform,  and  after 
the  transaction  of  some  routine  business  the  case  of  the  State 
vs.  Victor  Waldhorst  was  called  for  trial.  There  was,  at  first, 
considerable  skirmishing  between  the  two  lawyers,  in  which 
Mr.  Bedford  showed  himself  a  skillful  tactician,  who  gave  his 
adversary  great  trouble,  contesting  every  inch  of  debatable 
ground.  Voluble  of  tongue  though  he  was,  and  prolilic  of 
shrewd  quibbles  and  technicalities,  Victor's  confidence  in  his 
defender  was  not  such   as  to   <>-ive  him    comfoi't  or  assurance. 


170  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

In  vain  he  listened  lor  some  emphatic  avowal  ol  his  innocence, 
some  unequivocal  expression  ol  confidence  in  the  cause  ol  his 
client  from  the  lip's  ol  his  counsel :  he  heard  but  words  and 
phrases  devoid  ol  meaning  to  him.  C^uite  diHerent  Avas  Mr. 
Yancey's  style.  When  the  preliminaries  had  at  last  been  set- 
tled, the  jury  selected  and  sworn,  "and  a  true  verdict  to 
render,  according  to  the  law  and  evidence,"  the  State's  attor- 
ney rose  to  explain  the  nature  ol  the  charge  against  the 
delendant.  and  the  issue  they  were  called  on  to  try. 

He  concluded  his  opening  address  to  the  jury  by  reminding 
them  ol  the  solemn  obligation  resting  upon  them,  cautioning 
them  to  let  neither  compassion  lor  the  youth  and  inexperience 
ol  the  prisoner  at  the  bar,  nor  bias  or  prejudice  ol  any  kind 
against  him,  interlere  with  the  conscientious  discharge  of  their 
duty. 

Whatever  ellect  his  words  might  have  produced  on  the  judge 
or  jury,  they  fell  with  crushing  power  on  the  prisoner,  whose 
eyes  were  riveted,  as  if  by  a  magic  charm,  on  the  eloquent  lips 
that  spoke  his  doom.  For  the  first  time,  now,  did  he  compre- 
hend the  full  import  of  the  crime  that  he  had  committed. 
With  fatal  perspicuity  the  prosecuting  officer  pointed  out  fact 
after  fact  and  circumstance  after  circumstance,  until  poor 
Victor  doubted  his  innocence.  It  ceased  to  be  a  question, 
to  his  apprehension,  of  acquittal  or  conviction  ;  the  extent  and 
nature  of  the  punishment  was  now  alone  the  subject  of  deep 
anxiety  to  him.  His  feelings  were  wrought  up  to  a  {)itch  dis- 
abling him  from  forming  a  clear  judgment  of  what  was  going 
on  about  him. 

Ralph  Payton  was  the  first  witness  produced  by  the  prose- 
cution. His  testimony  was  successfully  warded  off  by  Mr. 
Bedford,  depending,  as  it  did,  almost  entirely  on  hearsay. 
When  the  State's  attorney,  in  very  evident  disgust,  dismissed 
him,  without  his  having  testified  to  a  single  relevant  fact,  the 
counsel  for  the  defendant  cheerfully  rubbed  his  hands  and  put 
a  variety  of  questions  concerning  matters  as  to  which  Mr. 
Pavton    was   compelled  to  answer  that  he  knew  nothing.      An 


JUSTICE    SEASONED    WITH  POLITICS.  171 

audible  titter  rewarded  the  attorney's  poor  joke,  as  he  dis- 
missed the  witness,  about  •'  a  fine  specimen  of  an  American 
Know-Nothing. ' ' 

The  next  witness,  Orlando  Jones,  profited  by  the  discom- 
fiture of  his  predecessor,  and  confined  his  statements  to  what 
was  within  his  own  personal  knowledge.  But  since  this  knowl- 
edge was  confined  to  what  had  transpired  in  tlie  grammar 
class,  he  added  but  little  to  the  strength  of  the  case  for  the 
prosecution . 

After  him,  Bol)  Kountree  was  called  on  the  stand.  The 
trouble  with  the  preceding  witnesses  had  been  their  swiftness 
in  making  damaging  statements  against  the  defendant :  Bob 
Rountree,  on  the  contrary,  made  it  extremely  difficult  for  the 
prosecution  to  get  him  to  make  any  statement  at  all.  He  pro- 
tested with  great  zeal  and  vehemence,  that  the  defendant  was 
his  comrade  and  friend,  and  that  he  knew  nothing  whatever  to 
his  discredit.  Not  until  he  had  been  sorely  pressed,  and  in 
answer  to  leading  questions  permitted  by  the  judge  on  account 
of  his  very  evident  unwillingness,  did  he  confess  with  osten- 
tatious hesitation,  that  his  friend  Victor,  had,  on  one  occasion, 
•'  in  the  goodness  of  his  heart,"  admitted  to  him,  that  in  a 
free  country  there  ought  to  be  no  slaves.  And  after  further 
coaxing  and  pressing  he  added,  that  he  also  had  said,  that  it 
was  the  duty  of  ever}"  patriot  to  assist  the  slaves  in — he  had 
forgotten  now,  whether  in  their  Jiberation,  or,  perhaps  it  was 
only  that,  — protecting  them  in  their  rights.  And  he  was  sure, 
quite  sure,  that  his  friend  Victor  had  meant  no  harm  by  that. 
In  vain  did  the  State's  attorney  press  upon  him  the  importance 
of  remembering  the  exact  words  ;  in  vain  did  he  remind  him 
of  his  solemn  duty  to  permit  neither  the  bonds  of  friendship, 
nor  the  sentiment  of  affection,  to  prevent  him  from  speaking 
the  whole  truth  as  a  sworn  witness.  Bob  Eountree  stuck  to  it, 
that  he  knew  nothing  more.  Only  when  the  disgusted  State's 
attorney  was  about  to  desist  fijom  further  effort  he  remem- 
bered and  admitted,  in  a  voice  trembling  with  repressed  feeling, 
that   Victor  had    once. — onh'   once  —  told   him   that   he  had 


172  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

made  it  hot  for  the  overseer,  aud  that  the  negroes  would  be  no 
longer  tyrannized  by  him.  After  this  confession,  extorted 
from  him  palpably  against  his  will,  Bob  Rountree  hung  his 
head,  and  made  no  further  revelation.  The  State's  attorney 
passed  him  over  to  Mr.  Bedford  for  cross-examination. 

To  this  gentleman's  surprise  and  unfeigned  disgust,  Leslie 
bade  him,  in  an  energetic  whisper,  to  abstain  from  putting  a 
single  question  to  Bob  Rountree.  "  What,"  he  replied,  "  let 
this  insolent  little  hypocrite  off  without  a  scathing  raking  over 
the  coals?  Why,  his  testimony  has  prepared  the  jury  io 
believe  Muything  that  may  be  said  against  the  defendant  to  his 
damage.  We  would  be  completely  at  the  mercy  of  the  jury." 
Leslie  insisted  on  his  view.  After  much  protesting  and 
shaking  of  his  head,  Mr.  Bedford  rmally  consented  to  adopt 
the  course  demanded  l)y  him,  on  condition  that  he  should 
justify  this  course  to  his  father,  while  he  washed  his  hands  of 
the  consequences.  "  We  ought  to  expose  the  double-faced 
hypocrisy  of  the  little  villian,"  he  said,  in  conclusion  ;  ''he 
has  done  us  more  injury,  than  if  he  had  sworn  to  the  most 
criminating  acts." 

"Of  course,"  Leslie  assented.  "But  that  is  no  reason 
Avhy  w^e  should  give  him  the  opportunity  to  intensify  the  effect 
of  his  evidence,  as  he  will  surely  do  if  you  let  him.  Spare 
your  ammunition  for  the  next  witness." 

This  was,  as  Leslie  had  surmised,  the  overseer  Jeffreys.  He 
proved,  as  was  also  foreseen ,  the  most  formidable  witness  against 
Victor,  his  testimony  telling  with  fatal  force  l>y  reason  of  the 
mistrust  which  the  statements  of  Victor's  colleague  were  cal- 
culated to  arouse  in  the  minds  of  the  jurors.  Jeffreys  prefaced 
his  testimony  by  sketching  the  condition  of  things  at  May 
Meadows  before  Victor's  coming  there.  Xerxes  he  described 
as  a  sullen,  reoelliously  inclined,  discontented  negro,  who 
could  be  kept  in  subjection  by  the  utmost  severity  only.  The 
Octoroon  Lucretia,  he  said,  was  a  docile,  oljedient  wench, 
much  attached  to  her  master's  family,  until  the  Dutchman 
ap])e:in'd   on   the  scene,  when  she  completely  changed,  became 


JUSTICE   SEASONED    WITH  POLITICS.  173 

insolent  and  unmanageable,  and  openly  defied  his,  the  over- 
seer's, authority.  After  this  introduction  his  testimony  as  to 
what  he  had  Avitnessed  in  the  negro  quarters,  in  the  night  time, 
told  witli  powerful  effect  against  tlie  accused.  It  hardly 
needed  the  expression  by  the  spiteful  witness,  —  so  vehe- 
mently objected  to  by  Mr.  Bedford  and  so  promptly  ruled  out 
by  the  judge  —  of  his  inference,  that  there  must  have  existed, 
and  still  exist,  a  conspiracy  between  the  negroes  and  the 
Dutchman,  which  must  demoralize  the  slave  population,  and 
prove  dangerous  to  the  peace  and  safety  of  the  whole  com- 
munity. 

Victor  was  not  surprised  by  the  perversions  and  exaggera- 
tions of  his  revengeful  enemy.  He  had  expected  nothing  else. 
Mr.  Bedford  shot  angry  glances  at  the  audacious  witness ; 
even  Leslie  May  was  horrified  by  the  boldness  and  persistence 
with  Avhich  the  discharged  overseer  pursued  his  scheme  for 
vengeance.  The  judge,  jury  and  audience  listened  Avith 
breathless  interest  to  the  criminating  revelations.  Even  a 
more  experienced  judge  of  human  nature  than  Victor,  might 
have  been  awed  by  the  expressions  visilde  upon  the  faces  of 
those  about  him  —  compassion,  sympathy,  apprehension, 
gratified  malice  —  all  according  to  the  good  or  ill-will  borne 
for  the  young  prisoner.  Leslie  alone  regarded  the  witness 
with  a  calm  smile  portending  him  no  good. 

But  the  scheme  of  this  witness  included  a  purpose  beyond 
the  conviction  of  the  hated  foreigner.  In  the  full  fiush  of  his 
triumph  over  the  latter,  he  now  pushed  on  in  pursuit  of  higher 
game.  He  must  strike  a  blow  at  his  equally  hated  former 
master.  With  this  view  he  related  how  Colonel  May  had 
openly  sided  with  the  sneaking  aljolitionist,  and  thus  destroj-ed 
all  discipline  among  the  slaves  ;  it  was  in  vain  that  Payton  and 
Jones  shook  their  heads  in  disapproval ;  in  vain  that  Mr. 
Yancey  contracted  his  brows  into  a  threatening  scowl,  —  the 
spiteful  .Jeffreys  was  not  to  be  moved  from  his  purpose  of  an- 
nihilating the  democratic  candidate  for  Congress.  He  pro- 
ceeded to  show  up  his  heretical  stand  on  the  slavery  question, 


174  THE   REBEL'S   DAUGHTEli. 

when  the  State's  attorney,  who  had  waited  in  vain  for  Mr. 
Bedford  to  interpose  objection  to  the  irrelevant  testimony 
given  by  the  witness,  himself  commanded  him  to  desist.  "  We 
do  not  propose  to  listen  to  the  private  grievances  between 
Colonel  May  and  this  man  ;  they  have  nothing  whatever  to  do 
with  the  case  on  trial,  and  — ." 

He  was  interrupted  by  Jeffreys,  who  did  not  mean  to  be 
balked  of  his  revenge.  "But  it's  part  o'  me  testimony  I'm 
givin,'  "  he  exclaimed.  "  I  can't  give  in  me  testimony,  'thout 
I  say  what  b'longs  to't  — ." 

Jeffreys  was  in  his  turn  interrupted  by  the  judge,  who,  with 
a  threatening  frown,  commanded  him  to  be  silent.  The  ob- 
jection of  the  State's  attorney  was  sustained ;  and  as  he  had 
no  further  questions  to  ask  of  the  Avitness,  the  latter  was  turned 
over  to  the   defendant's  counsel  for  cross-examination. 

Now  the  moment  had  arrived  when  Mr.  Bedfoixl  saw  himself 
called  on  to  sustain,  —  if  possible,  to  eclipse,  —  his  reputation. 
It  was  necessary  to  destroy  the  evidence  given  by  this  man,  in 
order  to  save,  —  not  so  much  the  defendant  on  trial,  as  the 
democratic  candidate  for  Congress  fi'om  ignominious  defeat. 
A  cowardly  assault  had  been  made  on  him  behind  his  back  by 
an  assassin  that  struck  in  the  dark  ;  he  must  be  vindicated  in 
so  thorough  a  manner,  as  to  cover  his  enemies  with  confusion. 
And  Mr.  Bedford  was  the  man  to  justify  the  confidence  re- 
posed in  him.  He  covered  himself  with  glory,  as  his  col- 
leagues at  the  bar  subsequently  assured  him,  in  the  memo- 
rable examination  that  now  followed. 

Before  entering  on  the  main  issues  of  the  case,  he  led  the 
witness  through  an  exhaustive  biography  of  himself,  putting 
his  questions  with  an  air  of  such  easy  good  nature  as  to  com- 
pletely disarm  the  witness  of  any  suspicion  that  there  was  an 
attempt  to  discredit  him.  Mr.  Jeffre3^s  became  quite  com- 
municative and  confiding,  congratulating  himself  that  he  had 
so  impressed  the  defendant's  counsel  as  to  secure  at  his 
hands  more  considerate  treatment  than  either  Jones  or  Payton 
had    received.     Without   intending,    or   indeed   knowing,    he 


.Ill STICK    SEASONED    WITH   POLITJCS.  1  7o 

drew  a  pleasant  picture  of  the  life  at  May  Meadows,  described 
the  field  hands  as  industrious  and  contented,  the  domestic 
servants  as  happy  and  devoted  to  the  family.  When,  how- 
ever, he  came  to  speak  of  Victor's  visits  to  the  place  and  of 
the  orders  given  by  Colonel  May  in  reference  to  the  affair  at 
the  negro  cabin,  he  relapsed  into  his  former  bitterness  of  tone. 
It  was  then  that  the  lawyer  began  to  show  his  skill.  First  he 
encouraged  and  cajoled ;  then  sneered  and  vexed  the  witness 
with  insinuations  and  irritating  suggestions,  and  finally 
goading  him  with  exasperating  taunts  into  furious  wrath,  in 
which  he  gave  vent  to  a  torrent  of  invectives  against  the 
defendant  and  Colonel  May,  betraying  his  intense  hatred  and 
passion . 

From  this  point  on  there  were  frequent  consultations 
l)etween  Leslie  and  the  counsel.  The  witness  took  alarm. 
His  answers  were  given  with  greater  deliberation,  and  he 
sometimes  hesitated  before  replying  to  a  question  put  to  him. 
Some  of  these  questions  Avere,  indeed,  startling  and  utterly 
unlooked  for;  but  the  cross-examination  went  relentlessly  on. 
The  lawyer  knew  nor  pity  nor  mercy,  but  with  determined 
pertinacity  pursued  his  inquiries,  coercing  answers  to  the 
strangest,  most  unexpected  questions.  One  by  one  the  real 
facts  began  to  appear  from  his  unwilling  replies :  His  bootless 
advances  to  the  pretty  Octoroon  girl,  —  his  intense  jealousy  of 
the  young  foreigner,  —  the  quarrel  between  him  and  Colonel 
May,  because  the  latter  would  not  permit  the  flogging  of  the 
young  girl,  —  finally  his  ignominious  dismissal  from  the  Col- 
onel's service.  —  all  came  out  with  utmost  minuteness  of 
detail.  Even  the  conversation  of  the  conspirators  at  the  bar- 
becue was  dragged  to  light.  Neither  obstinate  lying,  nor 
cunning  evasion,  neither  prevarication  nor  subterfuges  availed 
the  cornered  Avitness.  With  inexorable  persistence,  assailing 
him  from  all  directions  of  approach,  came  the  questions,  taking 
him  often  by  utter  surprise.  There  was  something  awful  in 
the"  power  exerted  by  the  relentless  law-yer.  The  tenor  of  his 
questions  proved  him  to  be  so  thoroughly  familiar  with  matters 


176  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGIITEB. 

which  could  be  knoAvn  to  no  one  but  the  witness'  confederates, 
that  for  a  moment  the  suspicion  ilashed  across  his  mind  that 
he  had  been  l)etrayed.  Great  ))eads  of  perspiration  gatliered 
upon  his  forehead  ;  he  hardly  dared  wipe  them  off,  for  fear  of 
calling  attention  to  his  agitation.  His  eyes  wandered  uneasily 
al)out  the  room,  until  he  finally  fixed  them,  with  fierce  anger, 
upon  Leslie  who  regarded  him  with  a  calm  smile  of  triumphant 
superiority.  It  was  he,  then,  that  had  "  put  this  an'  that 
together," — from  what  indicia  was  of  course  a  mystery  to 
him  —  and  was  posting  the  lawyer  to  put  those  terrible  ques- 
tions !  But  apprehension  for  his  own  safety  soon  gained  the 
ascendency  in  his  mind  over  every  other  consideration.  The 
scowling  faces  about  him  boded  him  no  good.  He  was  in 
mortal  dread  that  he  might  have  made  statements  bringing 
himself  in  confiict  with  the  criminal  laws. 

This  moment,  in  Avhich  impotent  rage  and  abject  terror  dis- 
torted the  face  of  the  principal  witness  for  the  State,  Leslie 
deemed  the  proper  one  to  impress  upon  the  judge  and  jun', 
by  refraining  from  further  questioning.  He  had  some  diffi- 
culty in  prevailing  on  Mr.  Bedford  to  desist  from  the  ])ractice 
he  so  keenly  enjoyed ;  he  finally  yielded  to  Leslie's  urgent 
demand,  only  because  he  conceived  Leslie  to  be  his  real  client 
and  ilid  not  wish  to  antagonize  him.  The  prosecuting  attorney 
hesitated  ;  he  was  undecided  whether  to  put  further  questions 
or  not,  as  it  seemed  a  hopeless  task  to  attempt  to  bolster  up 
his  badly  damaged  witness.  Before  he  came  to  a  conclusion, 
there  was  a  commotion  at  the  door,  and  some  one  Avas  seen, 
presently,  to  elbow  his  way  through  the  densely  crowded 
court-room.  It  was  Colonel  May,  who  passed  forward  untd 
he  had  reached  the  counsel  table.  The  perfect  silence  prevail- 
ing at  this  moment  throughout  the  room  was  evidence  of  the 
eager  curiosity  with  which  the  public  watched  the  movements 
of  this  man,  evidently  exjiecting  some  startling  development 
to  follow  his  appearance.  Victor,  for  his  part,  looked  upon 
him  as  his  guardian  angel.  His  face  brightened  into  an  ex- 
pression   of    hope    and  renewed    confidence :    whatever   might 


JUSTICE    SEASONED    WITH  rOLITIVS.  177 

happen  now,  —  of  this  he  was  sure,  that  he  would  not  suffer 
injustice. 

"  I  trust  that  your  Honor  may  excuse  my  unceremonious 
intrusion  here,"  the  Colonel  said,  addressino-  the  judge  in  a 
respectful  manner;  ''hut  I  deemed  it  my  duty  to  offer  my 
testimony  in  the  interest  of  truth  and  justice.  I  ]>ray  your 
Honor,  therefore,  if  it  be  not  too  late,  to  permit  me  to  appear 
as  a  witness  in  the  case  of  my  friend,  Mr.  Waldhorst." 

"  It  is  by  no  means  too  late,"  spoke  the  judge,  in  his  most 
amiable  manner,  '•  whether  you  wish  to  testify  for  or  against 
the  accused,  for  the  prosecution  has  not  yet  rested.  But 
if  I  am  not  mistaken  in  supposing  your  testimony  to  be  in- 
tended for  his  benefit,"  he  added  smiling  significantly,  "  and 
if  I  understand  the  meaning  of  the  black  clond  which  I  dis- 
cerned a  moment  ago  on  the  usually  placid  countenance  of 
Brother  Yancey,  there  seems  to  be  no  necessity  for  testimony 
in  that  direction.  At  any  rate,  you  will  confer  with  the 
lawyers  upon  the  subject." 

The  State's  attorney  shook  hands  with  the  Colonel,  and 
after  exchanging  a  few  words  in  whispers,  he  addressed  the 
court.  "Your  Honor  has  interpreted  the  expression  of  my 
face  correctly,"  he  said.  "  It  was  my  intention,  even  before 
the  appearance  of  Colonel  May,  to  ask  permission  of  your 
Honor  to  enter  my  nolh  prosequi  in  this  case  —  " 

Before  he  could  add  another  word,  Mr.  Bedford  sprang  to 
his  feet,  protesting  in  a  lond  voice  against  such  a  disposition. 
"We  are  entitled,  if  your  Honor  please,"  he  urged  strenu- 
ously, "to  a  verdict  from  the  jury.  It  is  a  sacred  right 
under  the  constitution,  that  no  man  shall  be  put  twice  in  jeop- 
ardy —  " 

"Spare  your  breath,"  Mr.  Yancey  interrupted  him,  and 
then  continued,  without  taking  further  note  of  Mr.  Bedford's 
protest,  "  I  cannot  close  ray  eyes  to  the  palpable  proof  devel- 
oped in  this  case,  that  a  most  shocking  crime  has  been 
committed  here  in  the  sacred  name  of  justice.  One  of  our 
time-honored    institutions,  the    very    fountain    of  justice   and 

1-2 


178  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGIlTEIx. 

palUuliuui  of  our  civil  rights,  lias  been  prostituted  to  the 
miserable  purposes  of  political  trickery  and  private  malice.  I 
l)eg  to  remind  the  grand  jurors  themselves,  to  remember,  that 
their  oaths  bind  them  to  present  a  true  bill  against  all_  persons 
known,  or  with  reasonable  cause  suspected,  to  have  violated 
the  law,  though  the  culprit  be  one  of  their  own  number.  In 
the  cause  of  triith,  however,  and  for  the  purpose  of  completely 
vindicating  the  victim  of  this  foul  conspiracy,  I  suggest  that 
the  testimony  of  one  witness,  at  least,  be  heard  for  the  de- 
fense. I  allude  to  that  of  our  illustrious  fellow-citizen. 
Colonel  May." 

The  lustre  of  Victor's  eyes,  more  eloquently  than  any  other 
of  his  features,  gave  token  of  the  revulsion  of  feeling  expe- 
rienced by  him.  He  felt  like  kneeling  down  and  worshiping 
the  man  whose  dignified  words  were  grateful  alike  to  his  ears 
and  heart.  For  they  restored  to  liberty  and  honor,  —  his 
faith  in  truth  and  justice,  — adding  new  proof  of  the  greatness 
and  glory  of  the  land  of  his  adoption.  Yes !  No  grander 
State  existed  ;  no  people  could  be  freer ;  nowhere  was  justice 
more  lirmly  enthroned,  more  proudly  triumphant,  than  in  this 
glorious  land  of  ])erfect  equality  before  the  supreme  arbiter  of 
Jill  —  the  law  ! 

Neither  .Jeffreys  nor  Bol)  Kouutree  remained  to  hear  the 
testimony  of  Colonel  May.  At  its  conclusion  there  was 
tumultuous  applause,  which  the  combined  efforts  of  the  judge 
and  sheriff  were  unavailing  to  suppress.  The  jurors  unani- 
mously acquitted  Victor  without  leaving  their  seats,  and  Victor 
was  literally  carried  away  on  the  hands  of  the  excited  multi- 
tude. Colonel  May,  too,  achieved  a  great  triumph.  After 
the  adjournment  of  court,  there  were  enthusiastic  hurrahs  for 
the  democratic  candidate  for  Congress,  and  loud  and  repeated 
shouts  demanded  from  him  a  speech.  That  he  complied  with 
the  request,  successfully  haranguing  the  crowd  from  the  judge's 
platform;  that  INIr,  Bedford,  the  triumphant  counsel  for  the 
defendant,  as  well  as  Mr.  Yancey,  the  circuit  attorney  ;  that 
judge    and    jury   remained    to  participate  in  the  meeting,  now 


JUSTICE    SEASONED    WITH  POLITICS.  179 

turned  into  a  political  gathering-,  was  as  much  a  mystery  to 
Victor,  as  the  fact  that  LesUe  exhibited  neither  exultation 
nor  delight  at  the  satisfactory  termination  of  the  trial.  But 
when  the  latter,  professing  to  be  tired  of  the  pohtical  humbug, 
left  the  court  house,  Victor  readily  followed. 

Out  in  the  Square  he  pressed  Victor's  hand.  "  We  did  well, 
you  and  I,  did  we  not?  "  he  said.  "  Do  you  see,  now,  that  I 
was  right  in  telling  you,  that  there  was  not  the  least  danger 
for  you  ?  Bah  !  I  counted  on  the  stupidity  of  these  sneaking 
villains,  and  you  see  now  how  correctly  I  judged  them." 

"  Leslie  May,"  said  Victor,  retaining  Leslie's  hands  in  both 
his  own,  "  I  know-  not,  howl  deserve  this  exceeding  kindness 
at  your  hands  ;   but  forget  it  —  I  shall  never  —  never !  ' ' 

"Bah!"  Leslie  exclaimed.  "  I  was  in  for  fun,  and  it  was 
a  grand  success."  And  his  merry  laughter  rang  over  the 
Square. 

"  You,  and  your  father,"  Victor  continued.  "  1  shall  never 
be  able  to  repay  the  debt  of  gratitude  which  I  owe  to  both  of 
you." 

"  Why,  Avhat  else  could  we  do,  but  fight  for  our  chance  in 
the  election?"  Leslie  exclaimed,  still  laughing.  "Don't  for 
a  moment  imagine,  that  either  I  or  the  governor  acted  from 
motives  of  the  good  Samaritan  sort  in  this  matter.  Did  it  not 
occur  to  you,  that  we  were  all  the  while  fighting  our  own 
battle?  And  do  you  not  see,  how  the  governor  is  scoring 
several  tricks  in  his  game  against  General  Waddle?  " 

Victor  dropped  his  eyes.  "  Yes,"  he  said  in  a  low  voice, 
as  if  ashamed  of  the  confession  he  was  making,  "  I  did  at 
one  time  fear,  that  you  and  the  lawyer  —  well,  that  you  did 
not  consider  my  case  as  of  the  greatest  importance.  But  I 
see,  to  my  shame,  how  unjust  my  fears  were  in  that  respect." 

"  Do  not  misunderstand  me,"  exclaimed  Leslie.  "  You 
were  never  in  any  real  danger  yourself ;  or  do  you  think  it 
possible,  that  either  the  governor  or  myself  would  have  sacri- 
ficed you?  To  be  sure,  when  hour  after  hour  passed,  without 
the  governor    putting    in    an    appearance,    I    did  feel  a  littl^ 


180 


THE  liEBEL'S  DAUGIITEU. 


squeamish ;  and  when  Bob  Rountree  lied  so  masterfully,  I  was 
for  a  while  nonplussed.  But  you  saw,  did  you  not?  —  that  we 
would  have  come  out  all  right,  even  if  the  governor  had  not 
appeared  in  the  nick  of  time?  " 

"Certainly  I  "  Victor  exclaimed  with  a  touch  of  genuine 
emotion.  "  The  State's  attorney  is  a  noble  man,  who  Avould 
not  permit  injustice  to  be  })erpetrated  in  the  name  of  the  law." 

"  Not,  at  least,"  observed  Leslie,  with  a  playful  smile,  "  if 
therel)y  tlu'  democratic  candidate  for  Congress  should  come  to 
o-rief." 


XII. 

THE   GENESIS   OF   PUBLIC   OPINION. 

YNHEER  VAN  BRAAKEX  had.  with  what  oraee  he 
succeeded  in  assuiniug,  })eriiiitted  liis  head  clerk,  Mr. 
Miller,  to  attend  the  trial  at  the  court  house  ;  and 
since  both  of  his  apprentices  were  present  there  without  refer- 
ence to  his  consent,  it  had  fallen  to  his  lot  to  serve  the  cus- 
tomers of  the  Dutch  Store  in  person.  These  were  not  many  ; 
for  the  fewest  of  the  visitors  to  Brooklield  on  that  day  kei)t 
away  from  the  court  house  during  that  memorable  trial.  But 
next  morning  he  demanded  from  Victor  a  minute  account  (^f 
the  whole  affair.  Again  and  again  he  ruljbed  his  hands  in 
high  glee,  and  regarded  his  fortunate  apprentice  who  had  so 
signally  succeeded  in  attracting  public  attention  to  himself, 
and  incidentally  to  the  Dutch  Store,  with  evident  satisfaction 
and  spasmodic  twitching  of  his  eye-lid.  Now  and  then  Mr. 
Miller  threw  in  a  word,  when  Victor's  modesty  betrayed  him 
into  the  omission  of  a  particularly  interesting  feature  of  the 
proceedings,  and  thereby  increased  the  good  humor  of  the 
chief.  In  the  course  of  Victor's  narration  a  number  of  idlers 
found  their  way  into  the  store,  and  stood  listening.  Of  these, 
each  had  a  word  to  say  himself,  for  every  one  of  them  was 
proud  of  having  been  an  eye-witness  to  the  famous  trial ;  and 
it  was  a  remarkable  circumstance,  that  every  one,  to  the  last 
man  of  them,  had  foreseen  and  predicted  the  triumphant 
acquittal  of  the  young  man.  The  most  enthusiastic  of  these 
ex  post  facto  prophets  was  Bob  Rountree.  With  ostentatious 
boastfulness  he  pointed  out  his  own  signal  victory  over  the 
State's  attorney,  and  bitterly  complained  of  the  persistent 
attempts  made  to  entrap  him  int(^  the  statement  of  something 
that   might   be    construed   to  his  friend's  disadvantage.     Em- 

(181) 


182  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

pliatic  was  his  assertion  of  ViL-tor's  innocence  of  any  of  tlie 
groundless  charges  against  him.  He  was  out  of  all  patience 
with  the  perjured  villain,  Jeffreys,  who  was  alone  at  the 
bottom  of  the  whole  infamous  prosecution  —  probably  because 
he  wanted  to  revenge  himself  for  having  lost  a  good  situation. 
As  if  Victor  could  have  possibly  had  anything  to  do  with  tli(d ! 

In  connection  with  the  name  of  Jeffreys  several  opinions 
were  suggested  touching  the  prol)ability  of  an  indictment 
against  him  for  perjury  and  misdemeanor  in  the  office  of  grand 
juror.  That  the  State's  att(jrney  had  openly  demanded  this, 
was  deemed  by  some  a  sure  indication  that  it  would  speedily 
transpire.  Others  doubted  whether  tlie  grand  jury  would  find 
a  bill  against  one  of  their  own  number.  "  A  crow  won't 
scratch  out  another  crow's  eyes!  "  suggested  one. 

"Yes,  crows!  "  Mynheer  repeated,  with  a  look  at  Bob 
Rountree,  which,  whether  intended  or  accidental,  sent  the  hot 
blood  into  the  apprentice's  cheeks.  "  And  how  do  crows  get 
on  the  grand  jury?  The  flinging  of  this  stone  was  meant  to 
kill  more  than  one  bird.  It  was  a  stab  at  the  Dutch  Store. 
Is  not  Mr.  Barnes  the  foreman  of  the  grand  jury?  " 

"He  is  no  longer!  "  exclaimed  a  bystander,  who  had  just 
arrived  from  the  court  house.  ''  I  myself  heard  the  judge 
excuse  him  from  further  service." 

"Aha!  "  cried  the  Dutch  merchant,  energetically  rubbing 
his  hands.  "The  crow!  Indeed,  a  crow  won't  scratch  out 
another  crow's  eyes!  ',' 

"  But  that  is  no  reason  why  he  should  withdraw  from  the 
grand  jury,"  Mr.  Miller  remarked.  "  I  rather  guess,  that  he 
is  ashamed  of  the  company  he  linds  himself  in.  Jeffreys  is 
smart  enough  not  to  be  In  the  way  of  the  sheriff,  if  that  officer 
should  have  a  writ  for  him." 

"You  may  be  right,"  the  Mynheer  responded,  his  eyes 
twitching  nervously.  "  Mr.  Barnes  has  cause  to  be  asliamed 
of  himself.  And  we  have  a  rule  in  our  countr}^,  which  prob- 
ably holds  good  in  America,  never  to  liang  a  man  before  you 
(^at(^h  him.  —  So,  you  think,  tlie  shive-driver  is  out  of  the  way  ?  ' ' 


THE    GENESIS   OF  rUBLIC    OPIXION.  183 

"Quite  certain,"  Bob  Rountree  asserted,  eoiilidi'iitially. 
''  Jeffreys  is  the  man  to  save  his  hide,  if  there's  danger  al)()ut  ; 
and  I  reckon  that  he  is  perfectly  well  aware  that  the  climate 
of  Brookfield,  just  now.  is  rather  unliealthy  for  him.  The 
perjured  villain  I  " 

''  Now,  what  mought  be  //o/v-  objection  ag'in  Jeffreys, 
young  man?"  asked  one  of  the  bystanders,  regarding  Bob 
with  a  show  of  simple  curiositv. 

"Has  he  not  sworn  a  false  oath?"  retaliated  Bol>,  with 
superb  indignation.  "  Has  he  not  sworn  that  my  father,  the 
sheriff,  —  and  I  should  like  to  know  who  is  the  man  that  for  a 
moment  doubts  the  integrity  of  my  father!  — took  a  brilje  to 
pack  the  grand  jury  with  friends  of  his  —  " 

"And  with  enemies  of  the  Dutch  Store,"  the  Mynheer 
interjected. 

"And  with  enemies  of  the  Dutch  Store,"  Bol)  accepted 
the  suggestion,  blushing  but  evincing  not  the  smallest  embar- 
rassment, "  and  intimated,  that  I  had  helj)ed  hiin  —  //  " 

It  was  remarkable,  that  the  *  zeal  with  which  the  fdially 
minded  son  espoused  the  cause  of  his  absent  father,  did  not 
meet  with  enthusiastic  applause  on  the  part  of  the  honest 
backwoodsmen.  Probably  the  presence  of  the  Dutch  mer- 
chant, Avho  had  not  yet  expressed  his  views,  prevented  an 
unrestrained  demonstration  of  apjn'oval  of  the  youngster's 
chivalrous  conduct.  At  any  rate,  there  was  significant  silence, 
broken,  linally,  by  the  same  voice  that  had  been  heard  before. 

"  Ya-as,"  he  assented,  "  he  did  intimate  that  purty  strong. 
'Pears  to  me,  howsomever,  'at  'e  testified  to  tliat  'ere  p'int 
ag'in  'is  will,  'e  wriggled  an'  squirmed  like  as  if  'e'd  been 
stretched  on  a  rack.  That  'ere  lawyer  Bedford  's  a  boss  hand 
to  put  the  thumbscrews  on  a  contrary  witness,  an'  make  'im 
confess   »/////   irilly." 

"  But  't  warn't  Bedford  'at  made  'im  scpit-al,""  remarked 
another.  "Fact  is,  'at  all  the  hard  ipiestions  'at  made  'im 
sweat  was  put  in  the  lawyer's  head  l)y  that  'ere  voung 
May." 


184  THE  BEBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

'■'  From  which  1  reckon,"  observed  tlie  former  speaker,  "  'at 
Leslie  May  knows  more  'n'  tlie  lawyer  does  'bout  that  'ere 
scrape.  An'  I  kind'er  guess,  'at  'e  knows  more'n's  comfort- 
able fur  tliem  'at  's  had  their  linger  in  the  pie.  Au'  I  shouldn't 
l)e  a  mite  astonished,  if  there's  bills  found  ag'in  more  "n  one 
on  'em,  'fore  this  'ere  scrape  's  seen  to   the  end." 

More  than  one  pair  of  eyes  rested  on  tlie  son  who  had  so 
valiantly  defended  his  father's  integrity,  and  the  latter  felt 
called  on  to  make  answer  to  the  last  remark,  as  if  addressed  to 
him  personally.  "  ^^'llat  do  I  know  about  it!  "  he  exclaimed, 
with  great  show  of  indignation.  "  1  only  know,  that  Jeffreys 
lied  about  everything  he  said.  He  lied  about  Victor ;  and  he 
lied  about  me." 

Bob  seemed  to  feel  that  the  one  sound  ey(^  of  his  chief 
rested  upon  him,  for  he  cast  his  eyes  down,  and  thereafter 
participated  very  sparingly  in  the  further  conversation.  But 
the  theme  was  too  inviting  to  the  gossip  loving  idlers  congre- 
gated in  the  store,  and  Bob's  ingenuity  in  parrying  the  curi- 
osity of  eager  interlocutors  -Nvas  put  to  a  severe  test.  Victor 
had  become  silent.  His  thoughts  were  busy  over  the  painful 
riddle,  what  it  was  that  could  have  induced  his  young  col- 
league to  join  hands  with  Jeffreys  in  the  attempt  to  ruin  him. 
Could  it  be  that  his  employer  Avas  right,  —  that  this  animosity 
arose  from  sheer  hatred  of  foreigners  and  ill-will  against  un- 
welcome competition  ? 

The  entrance  into  the  store  of  young  May  himself  produced 
a  lull  in  the  conversation.  But  lief  ore  a  minute  had  passed, 
some  one  asked  him  point  blank,  what  he  thought  of  yester- 
day's trial.  This  was  but  the  precursor  to  a  torrent  of  ques- 
tions. With  admirable  tact  the  young  man  replied  so  as  not 
to  offend  the  sovereign  voters,  and  yet  without  disclosing  a 
single  fact  not  already  known  to  them,  or  giving  the  slightest 
clue  to  the  source  of  his  knowledge. 

"  I  come  to  you  with  a  request,"  he  said  to  Mynheer,  as 
soon  as  he  had  gracefully  shaken  off  his  inquisitive  interlocu- 
tors, "  which,  1  hope  you  will  not  refuse  me.     1  wish  you  to 


TIJE    GENESIS   OF  PUBLIC    OriNION.  185 

spare  me  oiii-  young  friend,  the  lion  of  the  day,  for  an  hour's 
Avallv,  as  I  have  some  matters  that  1  would  like  to  talk  over 
Avitli  him."  And  without  waiting  for  a  reply,  he  addressed 
Victor:    '■  You  are  ready  to  come  with  me,  are  you  not?  " 

Of  course,  Victor  gladly  put  on  his  straw  hat,  and  after  a 
gracious  nod  of  assent  from  his  I'mployer,  took  the  arm  of  his 
friend  and  left  the  store  with  him,  to  the  very  evident  disap- 
pointment of  the  gossips,  and  eliciting  a  scowl  from  the  re- 
maining apprentice. 

•'  First  of  all,  let  me  heartily  thank  you,  in  the  name  of  my 
father,  for  the  signal  service  you  have  done  him,"  said 
Leslie,  as  soon  as  they  had  gained  the  open  air  and  were 
be^'ond  ear-shot  of  tlie  loungers  in  the  store.  ''  I  dare  say 
that  you  are  hanlly  aware  of  the  extent  to  which  you  have 
helped  liim  in  the  election,  and  how  much  his  prospects  have 
improved  since  yesterday's  affair  at  the  court  house.  Why, 
it  was  a  perfect  ovation  to  liim  that  resulted  from  your  ac- 
quittal I  The  unmasking  of  that  villain,  Jeffreys,  set  the 
public  wild,  and  gained  their  favor  naturally,  as  if  the  gov- 
ernor, and  not  you,  had  l)een  the  hero.  Although  you  and  I 
know  better,  yet  he  will  get  all  the  credit  for,  and  the  profit 
of,  this  thing.  You  do  not  grudge  him  the  laurels  he  is  stealing 
from  3'ou,  do  you?  " 

Victor  threw  a  glance  of  such  radiant  admiration  and  deep 
gratitude  at  his  companion,  that  it  proclaimed  more  eloquently 
than  words  what  black  ingratitude  he  Avould  deem  such  a 
thought.  "  drudge  him,  I?  "  he  stammered.  "  What  have  / 
done  in  this  matter,  that  a'ou  should  for  a  moment  think  of 
me  in  connection  with  your  father's  triumph?  To  _?/o*r,  Les- 
lie, to  you  alone,  does  he  owe  his  success,  if  you  call  that 
success,  which  is  but  the  spontaneous  recognition  on  the  part 
of  the  people  of  his  rectitude." 

His  voice  trembled  as  he  spoke.  "'But  tell  me,  Leslie," 
he  continued,  after  a  short  pause,  "how  was  it  possible  for 
you  to  detect  and  tear  t(^  pieces  the  tissue  of  lies  sworn  to  l)y 
Jeffreys?     What  did  you  know  of  the  conspirac}"  —  for  it  must 


186  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTEB. 

have  been  a  regular  coiis[)iracy  between  them  —  and  why  did 
you  never  say  anything  to  nie  about  it?  " 

"  Well,  you  see,  my  boy,"  said  Leslie,  very  complacently, 
"  the  fiat  has  gone  forth  from  the  family  powers  that  be,  that  I 
am  to  be  a  lawyer,  to  gain  renown  and  shed  luster  upon  the 
family,  at  the  bar.  You,  though  unknown  to  yourself,  hap- 
pened to  be  my  first  client.  I  could  not  wish  for  a  more  grate- 
ful one.  That  Payton  and  Jones  have  not  much  love  for  you, 
you  may  have  surmised  from  your  experience  Avith  them  at  the 
grammar  school ;  and  I  know  it,  perhajDS,  better  than  you  do. 
Nor  is  it  a  secret  to  you,  that  Bob  Rountree  is  in  danger  of 
succuml)ing  to  jaundice,  out  of  sheer  envy  of  your  popularity. 
What  a  row  there  has  been  between  that  scoundrel  Jeffreys 
and  the  governor,  you  know  equally  well.  So,  you  under- 
stand, it  required  no  superhuman  brilliance  of  intellect,  but 
only  a  moderate  share  of  very  conunon  sense  to  guess  what  the 
bond  of  sympathy  was  that  l)rought  these  four  worthies  to- 
gether. And  when  they  got  into  a  corner  at  a  public  festival, 
and  whispered  among  themselves  in  secret,  — when  one  of 
them,  whose  father  is  sheriff,  and  selects  the  grand  jury,  un- 
dertakes to  predict  what  indictments  may  be  expected  from 
them,  even  before  they  have  been  summoned  —  then,  you  see, 
I  would  be  a  poor  stick  for  a  lawyer  indeed,  if  I  failed  to 
smell  so  big  a  rat.     Don't  you  think  so?  " 

"  I  can  only  admire  your  keen  sagacity  !  "  Victor  exclaimed. 

"  So  you  think  I  need  not  be  ashamed  of  my  lirst  attempt 
at  playing  lawyer?  " 

"  How  can  you  ask  such  a  question !  Do  you  not  think  that 
I  know,  how  far  superior  you  are  to  Mr.  Bedford  as  a  lawyer? 
If  it  had  not  been  for  your  prompting,  he  would  never  have 
gotten  the  better  of  Jeffreys  —  ' ' 

"  No,  by  Jove!  "  Leslie  interrupted.  "  And  do  you  know, 
that  I  take  greater  credit  to  myself  for  having  spoilt  your 
precious  colleague's  cunning  scheme  of  ruining  you  by  his 
hypocritical  [jrofessions  of  sympathy  for  you  ?  If  Bedford  had 
given  him  the  chance,  by  undertaking  to  cross-examine  him. 


THE    GENESIS   OF   PUBLIC    OPINION.  187 

the  littlo  scoundivl  would  have  given  the  most  incriminating 
evidence,  doubly  damaging  because  he  would  liave  given  it  the 
appearance  of  being  extorted  from  liim  liy  the  counsel  fov  the 
defense." 

"  I  don't  believe  that  Mr.  Yancey  himself,  or  any  lawyer  in 
the  State,  will  equal  your  fame,  when  once  you  Ijegin  the 
practice  in  earnest.  Ah,  Avhat  a  grand  and  noble  thing  it  is, 
to  vindicate  the  hiw,  to  tear  off  the  mask  of  treacherous  vil- 
lainy, to  punish  the  guilty  and  protect  the  innocent,  —  to  be- 
come the  valiant  champion  of  Truth  and  Justice !  How  I 
envy  you  this  glory,  l)ut  wish  you  success,  all  the  same,  from 
the  bottom  of  my  heart  I  ' ' 

Leslie  regarded  his  companion  in  wondering  surprise  at  the 
enthusiasm  displayed.  ''  AVhy,"  lie  said,  after  a  brief  pause, 
"you  talk  as  if  you  thought  tlie  profession  of  the  law  to  be 
one  of  the  grandest  avocations  of  man.  If  that  were  my  con- 
viction, 1  would,  in  your  place,  drop  the  counter-hopper  at 
once,  and  become  a  disciple  of  Blackstone." 

"Oh,  if  that  were  possible!"  Victor  exclaimed  eagerly. 
"  It  would  be  the  happiness  of  my  life  ;  but,"  he  added  with 
a  sad  smile  of  resignation,  "  where  should  the  means  come 
from  to  enable  me  to  study  law?  And  how  could  I  dare  enter 
on  a  course  of  study  presupposing  a  liberal  education,  such  as 
I  never  enjoyed?  " 

"  You  have  an  exaggerated  notion  of  the  learning  necessary 
to  a  lawyer,"  said  Leslie.  "  A  little  Latin,  of  course,  would 
come  handy.  It  is  by  no  means  indispensable,  though.  With 
your  patience,  and  your  love  for  the  driest  kind  of  studies  — 
for  did  you  not  undertake  to  study  grammar  without  a  mas- 
ter?—  you  will  acquire  a  -better  knoAvledge  of  law  in  a  year  or 
two,  than  I  have  now,  with  all  my  University  education.  If 
you  are  really  in  earnest  about  it,  you  will  catch  up  with  and 
beat  me  in  a  very  short  time." 

Leslie's  words  profoundly  impressed  Victor.  The  two  young- 
men  walked  on  for  a  while  in  silence.  They  had  taken  the 
road  leading  to  May  Meadows,  and  had  now  reac^hed  a  pleasant 


188  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

grove  of  trees  affording  grateful  shelter  against  the  scorching 
sun,  when  Victor  was  startled  from  his  reverv  l)y  a  voice 
breaking  abruptly  upon  his  ear. 

"  AVhither  l)Ound,  gentlemen  both?  " 

Looking  u}),  he  saw  before  him  the  gaunt,  lean  ligure  of  ]Mr. 
Iluffanl,  tlie  editor  and  ])roprietor  of  the  fharlx  Anjiis,  —  a 
gentleman,  for  whom  Victor  entertained  the  greatest  respect, 
as  ]»eing  the  leader  and  mouthi)iece  of  public  opinion  and  the 
oracle  of  the  Democratic  i)arty  of  Vernal  County.  ]Mr. 
Iluffard  was  not  a  beautiful  Adonis  ;  but  from  his  rather  long, 
sallow  face,  framed  in  by  bushy  brown  whiskers  and  sporting 
a  large,  thin-liiiped  mouth  surmounted  1)V  a  iirominent  nose,  a 
l)air  of  clear  brown  eyes  beamed  forth  the  utmost  good  nature, 
their  merry  twinkle  often  heightening  the  effect  of  facetious 
drolleries  that  he  loved  to  utter  with  gravest  mien. 

"  If  May  Meadows  be  your  destination,"  he  continued, 
afb'r  amiably  shaking  hands  with  both  the  young  men,  "  I  beg 
to  make  one  of  your  company,  — that  is,  of  course,  if  I  don't 
make  a  crowd  thereby.  1  have  some  business  with  Colonel 
May,  touching  his  campaign  ;  but  this  fortunate  falling  in  with 
you,  young  gentlemen,  may  enable  me  to  kill  two  birds  witli 
one  stone.  For  I  need  some  details  and  particulars  to  com- 
plete my  report  of  the  phenomenal  trial  of  yesterday.  The 
Ozar'k  Aiyjus^''  he  continued,  addressing  himself  specially  to 
Victor,  "will  claim  the  merit  of  first  heralding  to  the  world 
this  highly  important  event.  Yes,  sirree !  A  highly  impor- 
tant event!  I  venture  to  predict,  that  this  remarkable  trial 
will  open  the  eyes  of  our  brethren  in  Yankeeland  to  the  true 
status  of  public  opinion  in  the  South.  ,  For  our  State  is  reck- 
oned among  the  Southern  States,  although,  geographically 
considered,  we  belong  to  the  great  West,  —  and  our  Eastern 
brethren  are  systematically  stirred  up  against  us  on  that 
account.  Our  slaves,  though  better  off  than  the  white  slaves 
of  the  Eastern  factories,  are  held  up  to  the  world  as  the  vic- 
tims  of   cruelty  and  tyranny.      We  art>  ac(nised,  1)y  tlu>  hypo- 


Whither  bound,  gcutk'iueu  Ixjth?  " 


THE    GENESIS    OF  PUBLIC    OriNION.  180 

critical  abolitionists,  as  savages,  suppressing  free  speech  and 
nianufacturiug  public  opinion  in  the  interest  of  our  slave- 
holders. We  are  branded  as  barliarians,  clogging  the  onward 
march  of  civilization,  and  constituting  a  foul  spot  on  the  fair 
escutcheon  of  Liberty.  Now  the  outcome  of  your  trial  will 
prove  to  every  fair-minded  person,  that  the  reverse  of  all  this 
is  true  of  our  State.  It  will  throw  a  flood  of  light  on  the 
tolerant  views  of  our  population.  It  Avill  incontestably  dem- 
onstrate the  incorruptible  sense  of  justice  prevailing  in  our 
courts,  and  controlling  our  public  men  ;  and  it  will  show  the 
humanity  and  mildness  with  which  we  treat  our  slaves." 

Victor  listened,  not  without  interest,  to  the  rhapsodies  of 
the  garrulous  editor,  while  Leslie  smiled  at  the  rehearsal  of 
what  he  evidently  meant  for  a  leader  in  his  next  issue  of  the 
Ozark  Ar(jas. 

The  editor,  after  exhausting  the  political  aspect  of  the  case, 
then  connnented  on  the  persons  engaged  in  it,  and  now  devel- 
oped a  most  astonishing  curiosity  touching  the  past  history  of 
Victor,  his  plans  and  prospects ;  and  particularly  inquired 
about  his  opinions  and  views  concerning  American  politics. 
Led  on  by  a  few  suggestive  remarks  l)y  Leslie,  Victor  gave  a 
comprehensive  statement  of  the  prominent  events  of  his  life, 
and  soon  found  himself  defending,  to  his  own  astonishment, 
the  political,  social  and  civil  institutions  of  the  laud  of  his 
adoption,  including  the  legal  status  of  the  slaves,  which,  a 
short  time  ago,  he  looked  on  as  a  foul  blot  on  the  country. 
Mr.  Huffard  liked  his  genuinely  democratic  principles,  and 
Leslie  jocosely  prophesied  for  hhn  a  successful  career  as  a 
democratic  jjolitician,  who  was  born  for  greater  things  than 
to  figure  as  an  insignificant  counter-hopper. 

While    engaged    in    such  conversation,   they    reached    May 

■  Meadows,    where  they    were  pleasantly   received  by   the  lady 

of  the  house,  I)ut  learned  to  Victor's  keen  regret,  that  Colonel 

May  had  departed  from  home  a  short  time  before  their  arrival. 

The  edit(n'  received  this  information  with  equanimity,  although 


190  THE  REBEL\S  DAUGHTER. 

he  had  thus  been  disappointed  of  the  chief  purpose  of  his 
ostensible  errand.  Not  so  Victor.  He  not  only  regretted  the 
absence  of  the  Colonel,  but  the  restlessness  with  which  he 
looked  about  him,  and  the  wistful  glances  he  directed  toward 
the  open  door  and  window,  plainly  betrayed  that  he  missed  the 
presence  of  some  one  else  also.  To  add  to  his  disappointment, 
the  editor  promptly  declined  the  invitation  extended  to  both  of 
them  to  remain  for  dinner ;  and  since  neither  Mrs.  May  nor 
Leslie  extended  a  special  invitation  to  himself,  he  was  compelled 
to  comply,  — reluctantly  enough  —  with  the  urgent  request  of 
the  loquacious  editor,  to  accompany  him  back  to  town.  His 
friend  Leslie  contented  himself,  somewhat  to  Victor's  surprise, 
with  a  polite  expression  of  regret  at  the  departure  of  both  the 
gentlemen  ;  and  so  he  found  liimself ,  a  few  minutes  after  his 
arrival,  exchanging  the  pleasant,  cool  atmosphere  of  the 
elegant  May  mansion  for  tlie  oppressive  glare  of  the  July  sun 
without. 

He  was  a  poor  listener,  and  but  slow  in  his  responses  to  the 
numerous  questions  propounded  by  his  talkative  companion, 
and  suddenly  ceased  to  answer  altogether,  when  a  musical 
voice  resounded  through  the  garden.  That  was  Nellie's  room 
whence  the  voice  was  heard,  and  he  promptly  stopped  to  listen. 
There,  at  the  window  of  Nellie's  room,  he  saw  a  graceful  female 
figure.  But  the  eyes  that  beamed  upon  him  from  a  face  of 
wondrous  beauty,  and  slowly  sank  before  his  eager  gaze,  were 
not  the  clear,  gray,  mirthful  eyes  he  loved  so  well,  but  of 
gazelle-like  softness  in  their  dreamy  expression.  The  sudden 
flush  of  his  cheeks  died  out,  and  he  bethought  himself  of  the 
necessity  of  disarming  any  suspicion  that  his  abstraction 
might  have  aroused  on  the  part  of  Mr.  Huffard,  liy  a  closer 
attention  to  his  questions. 

The  next  issue  of  the  Ozark  Argns,  which  appeared  on  the 
Saturday  following,  gave  Victor  the  key  to  Leslie's  purpose  in 
taking  him  out  for  that  walk,  as  well  as  to  the  meaning  of  that 


THE    GENESIS   OF  PUBLIC    OPINION.  191 

accidental  meeting;  with  the  inquisitive  editor.  The  political 
side  of  the  "  Organ  for  Art,  Science  and  Literature  "  shone 
now  in  the  zenith  of  its  power  and  glory.  As  the  Democratic 
party  proclaimed  the  gospel  of  Liberty,  so  its  self-appointed 
Avatchmau  on  the  battlement  of  the  party  had  all  its  hundred 
eyes  wide  open  to  what  was  going  on,  and  bravely  sounded 
the  tocsin  calling  the  warriors  to  their  tents,  and  marshaling 
them  in  battle  against  political  heresies  and  traitors.  The 
burden  of  its  latest  trumpet-blasts  was  Victor's  famous  trial. 
At  the  head  of  the  paper  appeared  a  double-headed  leader, 
introduced  by  sensational  head-lines  in  glaring  capitals,  in 
which  Mr.  Huffard  undertook  to  give  voice  to  public  senti- 
ment on  this  important  event.  As  an  introduction  to  the  facts 
developed  in  the  trial,  there  was  a  biographical  sketch  of 
Victor  Waldhorst's  previous  life,  with  special  emphasis  on  his 
exploit  in  saving  the  life  of  the  daughter  of  the  democratic 
candidate  for  Congress.  That  this  gentleman,  moved  by  the 
generous  and  noble  sentiment  of  gratitude,  exerted  himself  to 
rescue  the  young  man  from  the  peril  of  becoming  the  victim  of 
a  diabolical  conspii'acy  on  the  part  of  his  political  opponents, 
discovered  in  the  nick  of  time  by  the  watchful  energy  of  the 
young  lady's  brother  —  the  talented  sou  of  Colonel  May  — 
that  by  the  combined  exertions  of  father  and  son  a  most  das- 
tardly scheme  was  successfully  bafHed,  was,  the  editor  ob- 
served, but  natural,  and  no  more  than  was  to  be  expected 
from  the  highly  honorable  and  capable  gentleman,  who,  in  vin- 
dicating the  cause  of  innocence  and  justice,  demonstrated, 
also,  that  Honesty,  Fairness  and  Love  of  Liberty  were  Demo- 
cratic Virtues,  leaving  low  trickery  and  vile  treachery  to  be 
sought  for  among  the  opponents  of  this  glorious  party.  Then 
followed,  in  equally  pompous  phrases,  an  exposition  of  the 
national-political  bearing  of  the  affair,  much  as  Mr.  Huffard 
had  foreshadowed  in  his  conversation  with  Victor. 

It  was,  perhaps,  not  strange,  that  the  young  man  permitted 
himself,  in  the  flush  of  his  triumph  and  the  exultation  induced 


192 


THE   BEDEL'S   DAUGlITEll 


by  the  lionizing  tliat  fell  to  his  lot,  to  lie  all  too  easily  con- 
vinced of  the  groundlessness  and  injustice  of  his  prejudice 
against  a  community  that  tolerated  slavery  as  one  of  its  cher- 
ished institutions,  and  to  conceive  an  exalted  opinion  of  the 
magnanimity  and  liberality  of  its  people.  The  utterance  of 
public  opinion  was  so  emphatically  ou  his  side,  —  the  side  of 
Right  and  Justice,  as  Victor  proudly  thought  —  that  it  was 
dhtlcult  to  doubt  the  honesty  of  its  expression. 


XIII. 

SOVEREIGNS    IN    PRIMORDIAL    QUALE. 

HE  Democratic  party  might  safely  count  on  a  decided 
majority  in  Vernal  County.  In  the  town  of  Brook- 
^'^  field,  however,  and  that  part  of  the  adjacent  country 
which  was  included  in  its  electoral  precinct,  the  political  parties 
were  very  evenly  balanced ;  the  natui'al  consequence  of  which 
was,  that  discussions  of  the  principles  dividing  them,  as  well 
as  concerning  the  prospects  for  success  of  their  respective 
candidates,  were  both  numerous  and  animated,  growing  in 
vehemence  as  the  election  day  drew  nearer,  Victor  took  a 
lively  interest  in  these  discussions,  a  due  share  of  which  were 
carried  on  in  the  Dutch  Store,  and  soon  learned  enough  of  the 
current  phrases  employed  by  the  disputants  to  enable  him  to 
participate  in  the  debates.  He  felt  himself  drawn  into  the 
vortex  of  political  strife  with  irresistible  force ;  for  to  the 
purely  personal  motive  inspiring  him  with  the  desire  to  see 
that  party  victorious  that  had  selected  as  their  standard-bearer 
his  patron.  Colonel  May,  was  superadded  tlie  firm  conviction, 
that  upon  the  triumph  of  democratic  principles  depended 
the  welfare  of  the  nation.  Inflamed  by  the  eloquence  of 
Colonel  May's  speeches,  he  eagerly  drank  in  the  doctrines 
asserted  weekly  by  the  Ozark  Argus,  and  more  logically  main- 
tained in  the  political  pamphlets  with  which  his  democratic 
friends  freely  supplied  him.  He  was  still  in  that  happ}^  period 
of  life,  when  faith  in  the  attainability  of  a  cherished  ideal  is 
yet  undimmed  by  the  skepticism,  which  is  but  too  often  the 
bitter  fruit  of  experience ;  he  entertained  the  fond  conviction, 
that  the  dogmata  of  the  Democratic  party  contained  the  catholic 
basis  of  Freedom    indispensable  to  the  liberty  and  prosperity 

13  (193) 


194  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

of  the  couutry.  What  wonder,  then,  that  he  looked  upon  the 
adversaries  of  this  glorious  party  as  enemies  of  true  liberty,  — 
that  he  deemed  the  conscious  leaders  of  the  whigs  to  be  traitors 
to  the  cause  of  the  people,  and  firmly  believed  it  to  be  the  duty 
of  every  patriot  to  contribute  his  best  efforts  to  open  the  eyes 
of  their  deluded  followers  ? 

Earnestly  did  Victor  devote  himself  to  the  faithful  perform- 
ance of  this  sacred  duty,  —  so  earnestly,  that  he  came  to  be 
looked  on  as  a  staunch  champion  of  their  cause  by  his  party 
friends,  and  that  the  opposition  considered  him  a  youthful 
enthusiast,  who  would  one  day  when  his  judgment  matured, 
learn  better ;  —  so  earnestly  that  his  zeal,  sometimes,  to  the 
disgust  of  his  employer,  carried  him  away  to  the  extent  of 
neg-lecting  his  duties  to  the  customers  at  the  store. 

On  the  first  Monday  of  the  month  of  August  the  two  parties 
arrayed  themselves,  throughout  the  State,  for  the  decisive 
battle.  And  in  Brookfield  the  rival  mercantile  establishments 
prepared  for  an  arduous  day's  work.  At  an  early  hour,  the 
doors  and  windows  were  opened  for  ventilation  during  the  pro- 
cess of  dusting  and  sweeping,  so  as  to  be  ready  to  serve  the 
multitude  of  customers  expected.  For  it  was  the  custom  of 
voters,  who  came  to  town  on  election  day  for  the  exercise  of 
their  sovereign  prerogative,  to  improve  the  occasion  to  barter 
for  and  purchase  what  store-goods  were  wanted  at  home.  Even 
in  the  liquor  shop  (styled  grocery  by  its  frequenters,  — prob- 
ably as  a  euphonism  for  groggery)  down  by  the  Boonville 
Road,  a  fresh  supply  of  whiskey  had  been  laid  in,  for  there, 
too,  an  increased  demand  was  anticipated,  based  upon  the 
experience  of  former  years,  when  patriotic  candidates  exercised 
a  generous  hospitality  in  regaling  their  friends,  and  the  whip- 
pers-in  of  both  parties  repaired  thither  to  encourage  their  ad- 
herents, infuse  new  spirit  into  the  llagging  and  luke-warm, 
and  gain  new  converts  by  lavish  shaking  of  hands,  cajoling 
speech  and  free  drinks  all  round. 

The  court  house,  however,  formed  the  center  of  attraction 
on    election    daj'.     Hither    streamed   the    sovereigns  from  all 


SOVEREIGNS  IN   PRIMOIiDIAL    QUALE.  195 

points  of^the  compass  to  make  known  their  sovereign  pleasure 
at  the  polls.  Before  the  sun  had  gilded  the  horizon,  the 
judges  of  election  appeared  with  their  clerks,  each  of  whom 
carried  a  gigantic  poll-book  with  columns  for  the  candidates 
and  lines  ruled  for  the  names  of  the  voters.  These  books 
were  deposited  upon  a  table  standing  directly  in  front  of  one  of 
the  windows,  through  which  the  process  of  voting  was  effected. 
No  one  was  admitted  into  this  room  but  the  judges  and  clerks  ; 
but  on  the  outside,  opposite  to  the  window,  stood  candidates 
and  their  friends,  to  Ivcep  watchful  eye  on  what  was  going  on. 
As  soon  as  the  first  rays  of  the  sun  became  visible,  au  officer 
appeared  to  swear  in  the  judges  and  clerks,  and  then  the 
sheriff  made  proclamation  that  the  election  for  (naming  the 
offices  that  were  to  be  filled)  had  been  legally  inaugurated. 

During  the  early  morning  hours  the  throng  of  customers  in 
the  stores  was  not  so  great  as  was  expected  to  be  the  case  later 
in  the  day,  and  Victor  readily  obtained  permission  to  satisfy 
his  curiosity  by  witnessing  the  proceedings  at  the  ballot-box. 
The  word  ballot-box,  it  should  be  remembered,  being  used  in  a 
figurative  sense ;  for  in  these  early  days  men  were  supposed  to 
be  willing  to  have  it  known  for  whom  they  voted,  so  that  it 
was  the  fashion  of  the  voters  to  call  out  the  names  of  the  men 
of  their  choice  viva  voce.,  and  there  were  no  literal  ballots,  nor 
ballot-boxes.  Victor  was  very  glad  to  meet  his  friend  Leslie 
in  front  of  the  court  house,  and  at  once  asked  him  to  exj^lain 
the  process  by  which  elections  were  accomplished. 

"Nothing  more  simple!  "  said  Leslie.  "But  wait  a  mo- 
ment. I  see  your  particular  friend  Ralph  Fayton  trotting 
toward  this  place.  He  has  recently  reached  his  majority  and 
is  about  to  cast  his  maiden  vote.  We  will  have  a  practical 
illustration  of  the  whole  thing  directly." 

Young  Payton  seemed  deeply  impressed  with  the  responsi- 
bility resting  on  his  shoulders  as  a  citizen  of  the  Rei^ublic, 
about  to  decide  its  political  future.  He  tied  his  horse  to  one 
of  the  many  hitching  posts  provided  for  such  occasions,  and 
stepped    pompously    toward    the  group  of    men  assembled  in 


196  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTEB. 

front  of  the  window,  acknowledging  Leslie's  and  Victor's 
salutation  with  a  hearty  nod. 

"You  see,"  whispered  Leslie  to  his  friend,  "  he  is  almost 
as  proud  in  giving  his  first  vote,  as  he  was  on  the  memorable 
occasion  of  his  maiden  speech  at  the  barbecue.  I  wonder 
whether  he  will  carry  his  spite  against  us  to  the  extent  of 
voting  for  the  opposition  man ;  he  and  his  whole  family  have 
always  claimed  to  be  democrats." 

"  I  have  no  fear  as  to  that,"  said  his  friend.  "  It  is  only 
I  whom  he  hates." 

As  if  to  confirm  these  words  Payton  now  stepped  forward 
and  expressed  his  hope  to  Leslie  —  completely  ignoring  the 
presence  of  Victor  —  that  Colonel  May  would  be  elected  by  a 
sweeping  majority.  "  I  am  most  happy,"  he  added  with 
pomposity,  "  that  it  is  my  privilege  to  cast  my  first  vote  for 
so  eminent  a  gentleman,  and  one  so  entirely  worthy  of  the 
honor." 

"  I  thank  you,  Ralph  Payton,"  said  Leslie,  cordially  shaking 
hands  with  Payton.  "  And  I  am  sure  that  my  father  is  proud 
of  the  high  honor  you  confer  upon  him."  Then,  casting  a 
rapid  glance  at  Victor,  he  continued  with  a  smile:  "Mr. 
Waldhorst  here  is  anxious  to  be  initiated  into  the  mystery  by 
which  American  freemen  make  known  their  will.  I  am  sure 
that  he  will  be  thankful  to  you,  if  you  will  permit  him  to 
witness  the  recording  of  your  vote.  Will  you  gratify  his 
desire?  " 

"  Since  the  act  of  voting  is  a  public  one,"  said  Ralph  Pay- 
ton,  not  deigning  to  cast  even  a  look  at  Victor,  "  I  cannot 
hinder  him  from  looking  on."  With  these  words  he  stepped 
in  front  of  the  window  and  spoke  his  name  in  a  loud  voice. 

"Ralph  Payton!  "  one  of  the  judges  repeated,  and  the 
clerks  entered  the  name  on  the  poll  books.     "  Your  age?  " 

"  One-and-twenty  years  and  over!"  was  the  reply. 

' '  Residence  ?  ' ' 

"  Clear  Spring  Township  ;  Vernal  County." 

"  Citizen?  " 


SOVEREIGNS  IN  FlilMOIWIAL    QUALE.  197 

"  Natural  born  citizeu  of  the  Uuited  States,  and  also  citizen 
of  this  State." 

"  Then,  Ralph  Pay  ton,  for  whom  do  you  vote  as  your  rep- 
resentative in  the  Congress  of  the  United  States  ?  ' ' 

"  I  vote  for  Leonard  May!  "  the  young  citizen  proclaimed 
with  a  proud  consciousness  that  Victor  envied  him. 

The  judge  repeated  the  question  in  respect  of  every  office 
that  was  to  be  voted  for,  and  when  Pay  ton  had  answered  the 
last  of  these  questions,  he  stepped  aside  to  make  room  for 
other  voters. 

Victor  had  watched  the  proceedings  with  great  interest. 
"  How  simple  !  "  he  exclaimed,  when  it  was  all  over. 

"  Our  young  friend  has  discovered  a  profound  truth,"  spoke 
Mr.  Huffard,  who  had  just  approached,  extending  one  hand 
toward  Leslie,  the  other  to  Pay  ton,  while  his  eyes  rested  on 
Victor.  "  The  grandest  and  most  beautiful  things  are  the 
most  simple.  And  what  can  be  grander  or  more  beautiful, 
than  the  power  of  an  American  citizen,  exercising  his 
sovereignty  in  so  simple  and  efficient  a  manner?  —  But 
how  goes  the  election?"  he  continued,  turning  to  Leslie; 
"  and  why  is  not  your  father  here  to  watch  and  protect  his 
interest  ? ' ' 

"He  left  last  night  for  Bolivar,  where  his  presence  is 
deemed  to  be  of  greater  importance  than  here,"  Leslie  replied. 
"  He  is  foolish  enough  to  believe,  that  I  am  sufficiently  able  to 
keep  things  right  side  up  at  home."  Then,  noting  that  Payton 
had  sauntered  off  to  join  a  group  of  men  engaged  in  lively 
discussion,  he  continued  in  a  subdued  voice,  "  Between  our- 
selves, I  really  believe  the  governor  is  right.  From  the  cir- 
cumstance that  even  Payton  voted  for  him,  I  infer,  that  he 
will  poll  the  full  party  vote  here  in  Brookfield,  with  a  fair 
share  of  support  from  the  wliigs.  Old  Waddle  looks  savage 
enough,  which  augurs  well  for  our  side." 

"  Your  father  knew  what  he  was  about  when  he  confided  his 
interest  to  your  keeping,"  said  the  editor,  slapping  the  young 
man's  shoulders  with  an  admiring  smile.     "  You  dealt  a  stun- 


198  THE  BE  BE  US  DAUGHTER. 

niiig  blow  against  the  old  fox  by  getting  that  trial  over  before 
the  election.  That  piece  of  engineering  does  you  credit, 
whether  as  a  politician,  or  as  a  lawyer.  But  I  never  doubted 
Ralph  Payton's  loyalty  to  the  party.  The  Pay  tons  are  de- 
scended from  an  old  Virginia  family,  with  whom  desertion  of 
party  was  always  looked  on  as  treacherous.  To  be  sure,  he 
strayed  wildly  in  his  absurd  speech  about  foreigners  and 
foreign  influence,  on  the  Fourth  of  July ;  it  puzzles  me  to 
account  for  his  vagaries  on  that  occasion.  He  is  a  young 
man,  however,  and  has  time  before  him  to  learn  a  great  deal." 

"  You  may  be  right,  Mr.  Huffard,"  said  Leslie,  "  as  well  in 
regard  to  his  pai'ty  fealty,  as  also  in  surmising  that  he  may  have 
nuich  to  learn.  As  to  his  hatred  of  foreigners,  I  suspect  that 
it  does  not  extend  very  far.  It  is  purely  personal,  and  springs 
from  an  experience  he  passed  through  at  the  grammar  class  —  . 
But  look!  There  is  old  Jones  and  his  hopeful  cub  of  a  son. 
Doesn't  the  old  man  look  as  if  he  had  already  done  a  good 
day's  work  over  at  Burden's  doggery?  They  are  coming  to 
vote,  it  seems.  Now,  I'll  stake  a  five-dollar  bill  of  the  State 
Bank  against  a  picayune,  that  they  —  or  is  Orlando  too  young 
to  have  a  vote?  —  that  the  old  man,  at  least,  will  vote  against 
my  father." 

LesUe's  surmise  was  correct.  If  his  offer  of  a  wager  had 
been  accepted,  he  would  have  been  a  richer  man  by  the 
picayune,  for  the  two  Joneses  passed  them  with  sullen  faces, 
and  the  father  voted,  with  great  ostentation,  for  the  whig 
Waddle,  while  the  rest  of  the  candidates  were  selected  by  him 
from  the  democratic  ticket.  Orlando,  who  had  meanwhile 
carried  on  a  lively  conversation  with  Ralph  Pay  ton,  in  low 
voice,  but  accompanied  by  animated  gesticulation,  then  stepped 
up  to  the  window  and  gave  his  name.  When  the  usual  ques- 
tion as  to  age  was  put,  Leslie  regarded  him  with  an  eye  of 
keen  scrutiny.  The  answer  came  hesitatingly,  and  in  a  low 
voice.     "Twenty-one — " 

"  Hold!  "  exclaimed  Leslie,  noticing  the  blush  that  mounted 
to    Orlando's    face.     He    approached   young   Jones    with  the 


SOVEREIGNS  IN  miMOBDIAL    QUALE.  199 

obvious  intention  of  interfering  with  his  vote.  But  before  he 
reached  him,  the  old  man  stepped  between  them. 

"  Stand  off,  Leslie  May!  "  he  exclaimed  in  a  loud  threat- 
ening voice.  "  Me  boy's  jist  as  good  a  right  yere,  as  you,'  or 
any  o'  yer  kith  and  kin,  if  ye  do  think  yer  got  the  vote  o' 
Brookfield  in  yer  pocket.  Me  boy,  as  did  'is  father  before 
'im,  's  goin'  to  throw  the  weight  o'  'is  influence  ag'in  a  purse- 
proud  dimigogue,  an'  a  renigade  'at's  sold  'imself  body  an' 
soul  to  a  trucklin'  furr'ner.     Go  ahead,  Orlando." 

"I  don't  believe  the  young  man  is  of  age,"  said  Leslie 
quietly. 

"  But  I  know  'e  is !  "  Jones  shouted  with  great  vehemence. 
"  An'  I  guess  I  ought  ter  know,  bein's  I'm  'is  father!  " 

"  I  would  believe  your  son  in  preference  to  yourself,"  Leslie 
replied,  "  even  after  the  specimen  I  saw  of  his  caliber  in  testi- 
fying, a  few  days  ago.  If  he  thinks  that  he  has  a  right  to 
vote,  let  him  swear  to  it." 

Instead  of  replying  to  Leslie,  Jones  now  turned  to  the 
judges  of  election.  "Do  we  live  in  a  free  country,  or  don't 
we?  "  he  exclaimed  with  pomjjous  declamation.  "  Does  the 
law  protect  a  free  American  citizen,  or  don't  it?  Has  a  voter 
any  rights,  or  not?  Or  are  we  vassals  an'  slaves  o'  this  'ere 
furr'n  influence  'at  wants  to  dictate  to  a  free  American  who 
sh'll  be  'lowed  to  vote  an'  who  shan't?  I  demand  the  protec- 
tion o'  the  law,  an'  I  demand  it  o'  you,  an'  I  sh'll  hold  you 
responsible." 

"The  law  is  to  be  administered  without  fear,  favor  or 
affection!  "  said  the  officiating  judge.  "  Who  is  it  that  chal- 
lenges this  man's  right  to  vote?  " 

"I!"  answered  Leslie,  "I  doubt  that  he  is  twenty -one 
years  old." 

"  In  such  case  the  law  provides,  that  the  challenged  party 
shall  prove  his  right  by  an  oath  on  the  Holy  Bible,"  the  judge 
announced.  "Are  you  ready  to  swear  to  your  age  young 
man?  " 

Orlando  changed  color,  and  threw  a  precatory  glance  in  the 


200  THE  BEBEU8  DA  UGH  TEE. 

direction  of  his  father.  Meeting  with  no  sympathy  in  this 
quarter,  the  young  man  assumed  an  air  of  injured  innocence 
and  spoke  up,  in  a  voice  of  defiant  swagger,  "  I  am  not  going 
to  f?tand  it,  to  be  treated  like  a  lying  scoundrel !  If  they  won't 
let  me  vote  without  swearing,  I'm  not  going  to  vote  at  all." 

His  loud  voice  attracted  attention  among  the  by-standers. 
A  little  crowd  gathered,  among  whom  Mr.  Waddle,  the  whig 
candidate  for  Congress,  stood  conspicuous.  Jones  the  elder 
at  once  addressed  him  in  excited  tones. 

"  Mr.  Waddle,  things  be  a-comin'  to  a  purty  pass,  when  an 
American  citizen  can't  be  'lowed  to  vote,  if  'e  means  to  vote 
fur  you !  " 

"  Oh,  it  is  not  as  bad  as  that,  is  it?  "  Mr.  Waddle  said, 
looking  encouragingly  at  Mr.  Jones.  "  I  know  the  judges  to 
be  honest,  worthy  men ;  surely,  they  will  allow  no  one  to  be 
deprived  of  his  constitutional  rights.  Tell  me,  what  has 
happened?  " 

"  You  are  perfectly  right,  Mr.  Waddle,"  Leslie  May  put  in, 
before  Jones  had  an  opportunity  to  reply.  "  Our  friend  Jones 
is  excited,  because  I  have  challenged  his  son's  right  to  vote. 
I  will  leave  it  to  you,  Mr.  Waddle  :  Is  it  the  duty  of  the  judges 
to  take  the  oath  of  a  man  whose  vote  is  challenged?  " 

Mr.  Waddle,  a  rather  tall,  though  somewhat  slender  man, 
with  gray  hair  and  whiskers  and  smoothly  shaven  chin,  seized 
the  hand  of  Leslie,  frankly  extended  to  him,  and  gave  it  a 
hearty  shake.  "  Ah,"  he  said,  smiling  significantly,  "  the 
son  of  my  opponent  seems  to  be  pretty  sure  of  his  case,  since 
he  leaves  it  to  myself  to  decide.  I  might  well  decline  the 
proffered  honor,  on  the  score  of  being  directly  interested  in 
the  question  to  be  decided ;  but  you  are  a  sly  fox :  you  put  me 
on  my  honor  to  decide,  if  at  all  possible,  in  favor  of  my  highly 
esteemed  rival.  And  so  you  doubt  the  majority  of  the  young 
man?     May  I  inquire,  upon  what  you  base  your  doubt?  " 

"  Look  at  him  a  little  more  closely;  perhaps  the  reason  will 
occur  to  you  as  readily  as  it  does  to  me,"  Leslie  smilingly 
I'eplied. 


SOVEREIGNS  IN  rBIMOIWIAL    QUALE.  201 

Orlando  Jones  was  evidently  ill  at  ease.  He  still  stood  in 
front  of  the  window,  with  sullen  mien  and  downcast  eyes, 
when  Waddle  turned  toward  him. 

"  Well,"  he  said,  "  I  see  a  very  good-looking  young  man 
before  me ;  and  I  am  proud  to  learn  that  he  intends  to  cast  his 
vote  for  me  ;  1  really  do  not  see  why  he  should  not  be  twenty- 
one  years  old.  What  do  you  say  yourself,  my  young  friend? 
You  surely  ought  to  know  your  own  age?  " 

"  I  say,  that  I  am  not  going  to  have  my  word  doubted  in 
this  infamous  way  I  "  Orlando  exclaimed  in  a  tone  of  bravado 
and  defiance.  "I  have  already  said,  that  if  they  won't  let 
me  vote  without  swearing,  I  am  not  going  to  vote  at  all." 

"  I  can  well  understand  how  you  feel  about  this  matter, 
young  man,"  said  Waddle,  in  a  voice  of  fatherly  admonition. 
' '  But  you  are  not  altogether  in  the  right.  The  electoral  fran- 
chise is  not  only  the  glorious  privilege  of  a  freeman,  but  also  a 
sacred  duty.  A  true  American  knows  his  rights  ;  and  knowing 
dare  maintain  them." 

The  crowd  of  by-standers  had  been  considerably  augmented 
by  this  time  ;  the  curiosity  of  the  sovereigns  was  aroused  to  a 
high  pitch,  to  learn  the  outcome  of  the  interesting  dispute. 
No  one  listened  more  earnestly  than  Victor,  into  whose  ear 
Leslie  whispered :  ' '  The  sly  old  coon  is  going  to  draw  it  a 
little  too  fine,  this  time.  He  means  to  impress  the  crowd  with 
.a  notion  of  his  high  sense  of  honor  and  impartiality,  without 
losing  Orlando's  vote.  But  you  will  see  him  sit  down  between 
two  chairs  directly." 

"  Come,  young  man,  don't  let  the  rest  of  the  voters  wait 
all  day  for  their  turn,"  the  judge  now  urged.  "Tell  us, 
whether  you  are  going  to  swear  or  not,  and  make  room  for 
others." 

"  Then  why  don't  you  take  'is  vote?  "  old  Jones  exclaimed. 
"  He  stands  there  all  the  while  fur  ye  to  take  'is  vote." 

"  Exactly!  "  Waddle  said.  "If  no  one  proves  him  to  be 
under  age,  it  is  his  privilege —  I  may  say  his  duty  — to  cast 
his  vote." 


202  THE  REBEL'S  D AUGHT EB. 

The  judge  of  election  looked  at  the  candidate  in  evident  sur- 
prise. "I  don't  so  understand  the  law,"  he  said,  hesitat- 
ingly, —  embarrassed,  evidently,  by  differing  from  such  high 
authority  as  the  whig  candidate  for  Congress.  "  As  I  take  it, 
it's  for  the  voter  whose  right  is  challenged  to  prove  it  by  his 
oath  on  the  Bible,  I  don't  pretend  to  be  learned  in  the  law,  as 
you  are.  General;  but  I'm  bound. to  act  on  my  understanding 
of  it." 

While  the  judge  consulted  with  his  colleagues  on  the  point, 
the  dispute  was  taken  up  by  the  crowd  outside.  Some  agreed 
with  the  judge  that  had  spoken,  others  asserted  that  it  was  the 
young  man's  right  to  vote  without  being  sworn.  There  was 
perceptible  unanimity  of  opinion  among  the  democrats  against, 
and  among  the  whigs  in  favor  of  the  young  man's  right.  The 
judges  themselves  divided  on  the  question;  and  since  there 
were  two  democrats  and  but  one  whig  amongst  them,  the  view 
of  the  presiding  judge  prevailed,  and  Orlando  was  ruled  to 
either  take  the  oath  or  leave  the  polls.  To  the  disgust  of  his 
father  and  the  chagrin  of  General  Waddle,  the  young  man 
chose  the  latter  alternative,  stepping  aside  with  downcast  eyes 
and  a  sullen  face.  This  ended  the  dispute  officially  ;  but  only 
one-half  of  the  sovereigns  outside  were  convinced  of  the  jus- 
tice of  the  decision  —  the  democrats  lauding  the  wisdom  of 
the  majority  of  the  judges,  while  the  whigs  sympathized  with 
the  elder  Jones,  who  wrathfully  prophesied  the  early  downfall 
of  the  Republic,  and  railed  against  the  cowardly  truckling  to 
foreign  influence. 

Victor  was  highly  excited  by  what  he  had  seen  and  heard. 
He  was  so  absorbed  in  the  contemplation  of  the  novel  and 
interesting  scenes  about  him  that  he  forgot  all  else,  —  forgot 
about  the  densely  crowded  store,  forgot  how  necessary  Avas  his 
presence  there  on  this  day  above  all  others.  As  the  sun 
mounted  toward  the  zenith,  the  Square,  particularly  about  the 
court  house,  tilled  with  ever-increasing  flocks  of  people,  many 
of  whom  gave  evidence  by  their  lively  gesticulation  and  hilari- 
ous conversation,  of  having  already  performed  the  pilgrimage 


SOVEREIGNS  IN  PBIMOBDIAL    QUALE.  203 

to  the  Mecca  on  the  Boonville  Road.  The  sober  dignity  that 
had  characterized  the  opening  of  the  election  day  and  produced 
so  solemn  an  effect  on  Victor,  was  gradually  changing  into 
boisterousness,  strongly  reminding  Victor  of  the  closing  scenes 
at  the  barbecue  after  Van  Braaken's  whiskey  had  begun  to  do 
its  work.  Leslie  had  left  him,  to  look  after  his  father's  hiter- 
ests  at  the  groggery,  and  Mr.  Waddle  improved  the  oppor- 
tunity of  his  absence  from  the  polls  to  rally  his  own  forces, 
and  impress  upon  them  the  necessity  of  united  and  determined 
effort  to  avert  defeat  to  the  Whig  party.  He  was  soon  sur- 
rounded by  a  number  of  devoted  followers.  Victor  was 
shocked  and  mortified  by  their  boasting  assertions  of  perfect 
success  of  their  party  generally,  but  especially  of  the  moral 
certainty  of  the  election  of  their  candidate  for  Congress. 

"  Ef  it  hadn't  been  fur  that  consarned  ass  of  an  overseer," 
he  heard  one  of  them  say,  "we'd  'a'  swept  the  county 
clean !  ' ' 

"  Why,  didn't  he  just  show  up  the  rottenness  o'  the  demo- 
crats? "  was  demanded  by  another. 

"You're  foolin'  yeself  thar' !  "  was  the  emphatic  reply. 
"  'e  jist  showed  up  'is  own  rottenness.  Colonel  May's  made 
more  out'n  that  d — d  trial  'n  the  best  dozen  o'  stump  speeches 
'e  ever  made.  Why,  didn't  I  hear  old  Burden  say,  —  'n'  'e's 
as  stiff  a  whig  as  ever  trod  sole  leather — 'at  'e  was  goin'  to 
vote  fur  'im  ?     The  d — d  old  dish-rag !  ' ' 

"  Ya-as,"  exclaimed  another,  " 'n  Boyd!  Didn't  Squire 
Boyd  say,  sez  'e,  'at  'e  wasn't  goin'  to  vote  the  whig  ticket 
any  more,  not  'thout  the  whigs  was  goin'  to  indict  the  grand 
jury?  " 

' '  Nonsense !  ' '  exclaimed  Qeneral  Waddle  in  a  tone  of  con- 
lident  assurance;  "don't  you  see,  that  for  every  whig  that 
votes  for  Colonel  May  on  account  of  that  fuss  with  his  over- 
seer, two  democrats  vaW  vote  against  him  ?  There  are  two  sides 
to  this  thing.  Some  people  mav  think  that  the  grand  jury 
overshot  the  mark  by  indicting  a  foolish  boy ;  but  there  are 
more   who  heartily  approve  their  watchfulness,  and  feel  it  to 


204  THE  BEBEL\S  DAUGHTER. 

be  their  duty  to  come  to  the  defense  of  this  tiiue-houored  in- 
stitution. This  is  the  feeling  of  all  substantial,  well-disposed 
citizens.  Be  assured,  my  friends,  that  the  honest  majority  of 
the  people  will  not  stand  by  a  man  who  resents  the  attempt 
of  his  own  servant  to  defend  our  firesides  against  servile  insur- 
rection by  ignominous  dismissal  from  his  service." 

''Do  you  know,  General,  why  the  Colonel  discharged  his 
overseer?  "  inquired  Mr.  Huffard,  wlio  had  meanwhile  ap- 
proached the  speaker.  "  It  seems  that  you  have  not  read  the 
report  of  the  trial  published  in  the  ^irgns." 

"You  must  excuse  me,  Mr.  Huffard,"  the  General  retali- 
ated, "  if  I  find  better  employment  for  my  time  than  to  study 
your,  no  doubt  highly  interesting  paper.  I  get  my  views  from 
more  reliable  sources." 

"  Probably  from  the  immaculate  Jeff  reys  himself!  "  sneered 
the  editor.  "  What  a  pity,  that  your  '  reliable  '  witness  left 
the  countiy  for  his  country's  good." 

"  There  be  other  witness,"  Jones  the  elder  now  spoke  up. 
"  We're  not  'bleeged  to  put  up  with  your  say-so." 

"Exactly,"  Mr.  Huffard  assented.  "  There,  for  instance, 
is  the  young  man  himself,  who  was  tried.  Or,"  he  added 
with  a  significant  glance  at  General  Waddle,  "  who  furnished 
the  pretext  for  a  trial.  Shall  we  hear  what  he  has  to  say  about 
the  case?  " 

"  I  don't  see  why  I  should  take  the  testimony  of  a  lad  who, 
so  far  as  I  know,  is  not  old  enough  to  vote,  and  whose  testi- 
mony was  not  admissible  even  at  the  trial." 

"An'  who's  an  outlandisli  furr'ner!  "  added  Jones,  "  'at 
understands  'bout  as  much  of  our  institootions  as  a  jackass 
does  of  algebray  !  ' ' 

"  Stick  to  the  point,"  said  the  editor,  without  noticing 
Jones'  remark.  "  We  are  not  in  court  just  now,  and  here  the 
testimony  of  Mr.  Waldhorst  weighs  as  heavy  as  that  of  any 
of  the  witnesses  who  were  examined  at  that  remarkable  trial. 
And  there,"  he  added,  pointing  to  a  group  of  men  a|)proach- 
ing  tlie  court  house  from  the  direction  of  the  Boonville  road. 


SOVEEEIGNS  IN  PRIMORDIAL    QUALE.  205 

"  comes  one  whose  comi)cteiu'y  and  veracity  even  you,  General 
Waddle,  Avill  not  think  of  questioning." 

In  the  midst  of  the  group  pointed  out,  Victor  observed 
Leslie  in  the  company  of  Yahkop,  the  teamster,  who  was  clad 
in  his  Sunday  best  and  strutted  along  with  the  air  of  a  puffed 
up  turkey  gobbler.  Victor  smiled,  as  he  recalled  Yahkop's 
boast,  that  he  would  not  only  vote  for  Colonel  May,  but  also 
"  lick  "  every  one  of  his  friends  who  would  not  do  so  likewise. 
Yahkop  seemed  fully  determined  to  redeem  his  promise. 

The  editor  requested  Leslie  to  correct  the  erroneous  impres- 
sions that  might  exist  in  respect  of  the  affair  with  the  overseer. 
But  the  young  politician  adopted  a  different  line  of  tactics. 

"  Oh,  let  us  hear  no  more  about  that,"  he  said,  with  a 
smile  and  a  significant  glance  at  his  father's  opponent. 
"  We've  had  enough  of  it  in  court  and  on  the  stump.  Let 
us  rather  attend  to  the  business  of  the  day.  I  have  brought 
some  citizens  with  me,  who  wish  to  do  their  duty  to  the  coun- 
try.    Make  way  at  the  w^indow,  there!  " 

Yahkop  had  probably  been  instructed  as  to  what  was  ex- 
pected of  him  at  the  polls  ;  for  he  stepped  proudly  forward 
and  gave  his  name  as  "  Tshakop  Fershter,  mit  a  tshay  in  der 
front." 

The  announcement  caused  some  merriment  among  the  by- 
standers ;  Mr.  Jones,  still  wrothy  over  the  discomfiture  of  his 
son,  and  whose  pugnacity  had  been  fortified  by  frequent  visits 
that  morning  at  the  rum  shop  on  the  Boonville  road,  alone 
saw  cause  for  offense  in  the  pompous  swagger  put  on  by  the 
clownish  teamster.  "What!"  he  cried  excitedly,  "D'ye 
mean  to  let  this  lout  have  a  vote,  when  you  refused  it  to  my 
son  —  a  native  born  American  —  'at's  been  twice  as  long  in  the 
country  as  this  'ere  Hessian  !  " 

These  words  kindled  the  wrath  of  the  teamster.  "  Tat  Ish 
an  high  lie!"  he  exclaimed.  "  I  gums  from  Bahden  —  you 
know  vere  ish  Bahden  ?  Und  I  be  a  burger  from  Amerikah  — 
undershtand?  Und  I  wotes  fur  mine  frined,  der  Kurnel 
May  —  undershtand  you  ?  —  ebery  times  !  ' ' 


206  THE  BE  BE  US  DAUGHTEB. 

It  is  hardly  probable  that  the  irate  teamster  was  aware  of 
the  peculiar  significance  attached  to  the  word  Hessian  in 
America,  and  particularly  among  the  backwoodsmen.  But 
this  term,  usually  coupled  wdth  the  predicate  "  blind,"  served 
in  his  native  laud  as  a  contemptuous  jeer  and  nickname,  and 
in  this  sense,  in  which  Yahkop  necessarily  understood  it,  it 
conveyed  a  galling  insult  to  him,  and  his  pugnacity  was 
heightened,  no  doubt,  by  the  generous  potations  of  whiskey,  in 
which  he  had  indulged  in  honor  of  the  day,  until  Leslie  suc- 
ceeded in  coaxing  him  away  from  the  rum  shop.  But  while 
the  spirits  imbibed  had  effectually  overcome  the  habitual 
phlegma  of  his  nature,  they  in  no  wise  added  to  his  vocabulary 
of  English,  nor  aided  the  perspicuity  of  his  delivery.  The 
jargon  that  resulted,  accentuated  by  violent,  if  not  expressive, 
gesticulation,  touched  the  risibility  of  all  who  heard  or  saw 
him,  and  gave  rise  to  cheering  and  laughter. 

' '  You  an  American  citizen  ? ' '  Jones  asked  with  a  sneer  of 
such  withering  contempt  as  ought  to  have  abashed  a  more 
sensitive  person  than  the  one  he  was  addressing.  "  Why,  you 
can't  even  talk  American!  Any  baby  can  see  'at  you're 
nothin'  but  a  d — d  Hessian." 

Yahkop,  upon  whom  the  word  "  Hessian  "  produced  the 
same  effect  as  a  red  rag  upon  an  enraged  bull,  turned  upon 
his  adversary  with  obviously  hostile  intent ;  but  Leslie  and 
Mr.  Huffard  both  held  on  to  him  with  strong  arms,  and  finally 
succeeded  in  persuading  him,  that  it  was  his  first  duty  to  se- 
cure his  vote  for  Colonel  May,  according  to  his  promise.  To 
the  question  put  to  him  by  the  judge  of  election,  whether  he 
was  a  citizen,  he  gave  an  angry,  most  emphatic  affirmation. 
But  before  the  voting  proceeded,  Mr,  Jones  again  interfered, 
this  time  by  a  peremptory  challenge  of  his  vote. 

"What  is  the  ground  of  your  challenge?"  the  judge  in- 
quired. 

"Why,  he's  a  furr'ner!"  cried  Jones,  triumphantly. 
"  Anybody  'at's  hear'in  'im  jabber  can  know  'at  'e's  no 
American  citizen." 


SOVEREIGNS  IN  PRIMORDIAL   QUALE.  207 

"  Equality  before  the  law  is  at  the  root  of  justice!  "  pro- 
flaiuied  the  judge  seuteiitiously.  ''  It  has  already  been  decided 
that  a  voter,  whose  right  is  challeuged,  must  qualify  himself  by 
an  oath  on  the  Holy  Bible.  Are  you  ready  to  prove  your  citi- 
zenship by  an  oath  on  the  Holy  Bible  ?  ' ' 

"  Ebery  times!  "  growled  Yahkop,  with  a  withering  glance 
of  defiance  and  hatred  at  Jones.     "  Git  your  Bibles  !  " 

The  judge  was  about  to  admininister  the  oath.  Huffard 
and  Leslie  looked  smiling.  The  crowd  was  highly  amused  by 
Yahkop 's  grimaces  and  droll  speech,  and  there  was  lively 
cheering  and  laughter.  Waddle  saw  with  chagrin,  that  things 
looked  unfavorable  for  his  cause  ;  something  must  be  done  to 
turn  the  tide  of  public  sentiment.  He  resolved  to  take  a  bold 
step. 

"  Hold!  "  he  said,  in  a  peremptory  voice.  "  You  are  mis- 
taken, Judge.  The  law  demands  the  best  proof  always. 
Now,  in  this  case,  the  best  proof  of  this  gentleman's  right  to 
vote  is  not  his  oath,  but  a  certified  copy  of  his  naturalization 
decree.  You  have  heard  him  say,  that  he  was  born  in  Baden, 
which  is,  of  course,  a  foreign  country.  He  cannot,  therefore,  be 
allowed  to  vote,  unless  he  produces  his  naturalization  papers." 

"Aha!  "  crowed  Jones.  "D'ye  hear  that?  A  Hessian 
hireling  can't  swear  'imself  into  the  right  to  vote !  America 
belongs  to  the  Americans  yet." 

The  already  deep  scarlet  of  Yahkop 's  weather-tanned  face 
took  on  a  deeper  shade.  But  he  was  determined  to  let  nothing 
interfere  with  the  fulfillment  of  his  promise  to  vote  for  Colonel 
May,  and  bravely  choked  down  his  passion. 

The  judge  was  embarrassed.  To  be  compelled  to  overrule, 
for  the  second  time  to-day,  so  eminent  a  lawyer  as  General 
Waddle  was  known  to  be,  staggered  him.  Yet  he  had  done 
his  best ;  he  had  even  felt  relief  in  being  able  to  show  his  im- 
partiality by  ruling,  this  second  time,  in  favor,  as  he  thought, 
of  Waddle's  side.  He  turned  to  Huffard  and  Leslie  with 
the  question,  "  What  do  you  think,  gentlemen,  about  this 
matter?  " 


208  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

"  I  think  as  you  do,"  the  editor  answered.  "  What  is  sauce 
for  the  goose  ought  to  be  sauce  for  the  gander.  What  do  you 
say,  Leslie  May?  " 

"It  is  my  opinion,"  said  Leslie,  "  that  our  friend  Yahkop 
don't  care  the  snap  of  his  finger  for  these  legal  quibbles.  I 
dare  say,  that  he  will  not  object  to  relieve  the  tender  con- 
science of  the  whig  candidate  for  Congress,  and  take  a  load  off 
the  mind  of  our  patriotic  friend  Jones,  by  showing  the  judge 
his  naturalization  papers.     Am  I  right,  Yahkop?  " 

"  Ebery  times  !  "  growled  the  teamster,  diving  with  his  right 
hand  into  the  spacious  breast  pocket  of  his  Sunday  coat,  and 
producing  thence  a  carefully  wrapped  up  paper,  which  he 
handed  to  the  judge,  with  the  question  "  Shwear  I  now?  " 

General  Waddle  had  taken  the  paper  from  the  judge's  hands 
and  examined  it.  He  now  answered,  instead  of  the  judge, 
"it  is  not  necessary.  These  papers  conclusively  prove  your 
right  to  vote." 

This  unforeseen  result  of  Jones'  challenge  was  hailed  by 
boisterous  laughter  and  cheering  by  the  populace.  "  Hurrah 
for  the  Dutchman  !  "  "  Bully  for  the  Hessian  !  "  was  shouted, 
while  the  judge  proceeded  to  take  Yahkop 's  vote.  He  roared 
out  the  name  of  Colonel  May  with  such  hearty  good  will,  that 
it  was  heard  above  the  noise  of  the  crowd,  and  increased 
their  good  humor. 

But  now,  having  redeemed  his  promise,  Yahkop  felt  no 
further  interest  in  the  fate  of  either  of  the  political  parties, 
but  turned  square  round  in  search  of  his  adversary,  bent  on 
wiping  out  the  stigma  put  on  his  fair  name  by  that  foul  epithet 
"  Hessian."  Just  as  the  judge  asked  him  to  name  his  choice 
for  the  State  senate,  he  caught  sight  of  Jones,  as  he  was 
edging  his  way  out  of  the  crowd  in  the  direction  of  the 
Boonville  road,  and  shouted:  "  Mishter  Tshones !  Mishter 
Tshones !  "  at  the  top  of  his  stentorian  voice.  This  was  by 
most  of  the  by-standers  misunderstood  as  the  name  of  the 
candidate  to  be  voted  for,  and  caused  new  merriment  over  the 
Dutchman's    funny   mistake.     But    Yahkop    was    minded    to 


SOVEREIGNS  IN  PBIMORDIAL    QUALE.  209 

honor  "  Mishter  Tshones "  in  a  different  fashion.  "You 
we'ht  an  little  und  gum  und  she'hk  hands  mit  der  Hess!  "  he 
shouted,  breaking  away  from  Leslie  and  Huffard,  who  both 
I'ndeavored  to  hold  him  back,  and  forced  his  way  through  the 
thickest  of  the  crowd  toward  his  adversary. 

Before  Jones,  taken  entirely  unawares  by  the  prompt  action 
of  the  infuriated  teamster,  could  ward  it  off,  he  had  received 
a  weighty  blow  from  Yahkop's  powerful  fist.  But  he  was  not 
slow  to  return  it.  In  the  twinkling  of  an  eye  the  crowd  had 
formed  a  ring  around  the  pugilists,  and  all  were  eager  to  wit- 
ness the   sport  and  to  see  fair  play. 

For  a  while  it  seemed  as  if  the  undisciplined  strength  of 
the  burly  German's  arms  would  be  more  than  neutralized  by 
the  superior  skill  of  the  American  champion ,  who  was  a  boxer 
of  no  mean  experience.  He  easily  parried  the  blows  aimed  at 
him  in  blind  rage,  with  one  arm,  while  the  fist  of  the  other  did 
fearful  execution  on  Yahkop's  unprotected  physiognomy.  The 
onlookers  took  eager  interest  in  the  combat;  even  the  judges 
of  election  and  their  clerks  stretched  their  necks  and  poked 
their  heads  out  of  the  window  to  lose  none  of  the  exciting 
sport.  For  a  long  time  both  of  the  combatants  held  their 
own:  skill,  routine  on  the  one  side,  fairly  balanced  by  sheer 
power  of  muscle  and  weather-hardened  toughness  on  the  other. 
Opinions  differed  as  to  what  the  final  outcome  would  be ; 
wagers  were  offered  and  accepted,  and  the  backers  of  each 
cheered  lustily  over  the  slightest  advantage  gained  by  either. 
Victor  looked  on  with^the  liveliest  interest ;  he  noticed  with  a 
sense  of  exultation  that  he  could  not  quite  suppress,  that 
Y'ahkop's  iron  muscle  and  superior  strength  were  beginning 
to  tell  on  his  opponent,  who  was  naturally  a  weaker  man,  and 
whose  constitution  had  been  undermined  by  excessive  alcoholic 
indulgence.  Y'ahkop  finally  succeeded  in  throwing  him  to 
the  ground ;  and  then  it  was  not  long  before  Jones  cried 
"  'nough!  "  and  a  deafening  shout  proclaimed  the  Dutchman 
victor. 

The  word  "  'nough"  vividly  recalled  to  Victor's  mind  the 

14 


210  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

scene  iu  the  class-room,  when  it  had  required  the  gentle  touch 
of  Nellie's  hand  to  stay  his  arm.  As  though  he  still  felt  that 
electric  thrill,  a  hot  blush  mounted  to  his  face  as  he  saw 
Yahkop  continue  to  pound  his  vanquished,  now  helpless  ad- 
versary. Rushing  up  to  his  friend,  he  earnestly  called  on 
him  to  desist.  Some  of  the  by-standers,  ignorant  of  the 
import  of  the  words  which  Victor  had  spoken  in  German,  and 
misinterpreting  the  purpose  of  his  movement,  seized  him 
rudely  by  the  arm  ;  and  when  he  struggled  to  free  himself 
from  their  grasp,  one  of  them  exclaimed,  "  For  shame!  To 
rush  upon  a  man  that's  down,  two  to  one!  "  at  the  same 
time  dealing  him  a  blow  in  the  face  that  knocked  Victor 
senseless. 

Leslie  and  the  editor  picked  him  up,  while  others  pulled  the 
infuriated  teamster  away  from  his  enemy,  now  thoroughly  de- 
moralized. When  Victor  recovered  consciousness,  he  was 
being  led  away  from  the  crowd  by  his  two  friends.  His  nose 
bled  profusely ;  one  of  his  eyes  was  swollen  so  as  to  almost 
close  it.  Some  men  were  leading  Yahkop  toward  Van  Braak- 
en's  store,  and  the  two  groups  reached  it  almost  simulta- 
neously. Victor  was  appalled  by  the  frightful  appearance  of 
his  friend's  face.  He  was  bleeding  from  mouth  and  nose. 
The  blood  had  saturated  his  garments.  His  features  had  been 
bruised  into  an  unrecognizable  mass.  He  himself  had  re- 
ceived but  a  single  blow  ;  but  he  felt  that  it  had  been  sufficient 
to  disligure  him.  They  found  the  store  nearly  empty  of  cus- 
tomers, for  most  of  them  had  rushed  out  to  witness  the  fight 
and  were  now  following  Yahkop  and  Victor  l)ack  again  —  these 
two  constituting  just  now  the  center  of  attraction. 

Mynheer  Van  Braaken  stood  behind  the  counter  at  his  post, 
surveying-  his  apprentice  with  a  look  that  sent  dismay  to  his 
heart ;  for  he  saw  in  it  less  of  anger,  than  of  contempt,  and 
Victor's  conscience  told  him  how  richly  he  deserved  it. 

"  We  bring  the  wounded  from  the  field  of  battle,"  said  the 
editor,  jocosely.  "They  deserve  well  of  their  country,  for 
which  they  have  fought  and  bled." 


SOVEREIGNS  IN  PRIMORDIAL    QUALE.  211 

"  And  fallen,"  added  Leslie.  "  The  dust  on  their  gar- 
ments bears  witness.  The  country  owes  them  a  debt  of 
gratitude." 

"  Then  let  the  country  pay  its  debts,"  retorted  Mynheer, 
the  lid  of  his  left  eye  twitching  spasmodically.  "For  this 
young  man  may  need  it.  I  guess  he  tliinks  more  of  his 
country  anyhow  than  is  good  for  him,  or  me.  I  guess  he 
will  make  a  better  politician  than  a  storekeeper.  I  guess  he 
has  learned  too  much  for  a  storekeeper." 

"  Fictohr  ish  all  right!  "  Yahkop  proclaimed  dogmatically. 
"  Und  he  learn  blenty  for  der  packwoots.  Und  ven  he  git  vip, 
I  don't  ken  know;  und  ven  an  tam  fool  say  '  Hess,'  und 
he  lick  him,  Fictohr  ish  all  right,  ebery  times." 

"That  Avill  do,  Yahkop,"  said  Van  Braaken.  "  You  can 
go ;  and  if  your  condition  allows,  tend  to  your  horses.  We 
will  have  a  talk  later.  And  Victor  may  go  with  you,  or 
wherever  he  likes.  We  have  no  use  for  such  a  looking  chap 
in  a  decent  place,  as  the  Dutch  Store  is.  Even  a  politician 
might  be  ashamed  to  show  himself  in  his  plight." 

Victor  hung  his  head  in  deej)  dejection.  He  Avas  not  pained 
so  much  by  the  harsh,  ungracious  words  of  his  chief,  as  by 
the  depressing  consciousness  that  his  anger  was  just  and 
natural. 

But  Yahkop  had  not  lost  faith  in  him.  "  Hang  not  der 
headt !  "  he  said  in  his  rough  way,  as  the  two  left  the  store 
together.  "  Ven  he  say  '  Hess,'  you  lick  'im,  ebery  times. 
Und  der  old  man  lick  'im  too,  ven  he  say  '  Hess,'  und  git  'is 
odder  eye  knockt  out." 

There  was  no  comfort  for  Victor  in  this  consoling  prospect. 
Yahkop  continued  his  tirade  in  mixed  English  and  German 
against  the  rascally  "  Tshones  "  in  vain. 

They  had  not  proceeded  far,  when  Leslie  and  Mr.  Huffard 
overtook  them  and  respectively  invited  Victor  to  May  Meadows 
and  the  printing  office  to  arrange  his  toilet.  He  gratefully 
accepted  the  latter  offer,  for  he  shuddered  at  the  thought  of 
being  seen  at  May  Meadows  in  his  present  condition. 


XIV. 

A  NEW  DEPARTURE. 

ICTOR,  when  they  reached  the  iji'inting  office,  was  glad 
Jw//  to  fhid  it  deserted  by  its  inmates.  The  working  force 
of  the  Ozark  Argns  consisting  for  the  time  being  of  a 
pressman,  who  also  did  duty  as  a  compositor,  foreman  and 
proof-reader,  and  a  small  boy,  who  personated  the  printer's 
devil  and  had  gone  off  to  assist  at  the  election.  Mr.  Huffard, 
after  filling  the  w^ash-basin  with  water  and  placing  a  towel  and 
comb  at  his  disposition,  bid  him  make  himself  at  home  and 
take  his  own  time  in  performing  his  ablutions.  To  put  him 
entirely  at  his  ease,  the  discreet  editor  then  left  the  office,  say- 
ing that  he  must  see  how  things  were  going  on  at  the  polls. 
Victor  felt  thankful  for  the  considerate  kindness  of  his  friend  in 
leaving  him  alone.  He  set  about  removing,  so  far  as  he  could, 
the  traces  of  his  misadventure  from  face  and  garments, 
troubled,  meanwhile,  by  thoughts  of  his  future ;  for  if  Myn- 
heer Van  Braaken  were  to  discharge  him  from  his  service, 
what  would  become  of  him  ?  He  felt  that  his  employer  would 
be  fully  justified  in  having  nothing  more  to  do  with  him. 

Out  on  the  Square  the  noise  made  by  the  populace,  now 
numbering  not  a  few  intoxicated  men  among  them,  continued. 
Victor  wondered,  sometimes,  when  he  heard  their  lusty  cheer- 
ing for  some  favored  candidate,  whether  there  could  really  be  any 
doubt  of  the  triumph  of  Truth  —  by  which  he  meant  the  success 
of  the  Democratic  party  —  and  the  election,  by  an  overwhelm- 
ing majorit}'^,  of  his  friend.  Colonel  May,  to  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States.  Then  his  thoughts  wandered  off  to  the  events 
which  had  brought  him  in  contact  with  this  man  of  wonderful 
magnetism,  —  with  Leslie,  and  with  —  Nellie  May.  He  won- 
dered, whether,  if  he  lost  his  place  in  Van  Braaken's  store, 
(212) 


A   NEW  DEPARTURE.  213 

these  friends  would  disappear  from  his  horizon?  A  deep 
longing  came  over  him,  the  earnest  aspiration  to  prove  himself 
worthy  of  their  friendship,  to  do  some  grand  and  noble  deed 
compelling  the  admiration  of  men.  How,  or  what,  he  knew 
not ;  so  much  only  he  began  to  suspect,  that  there  was  but 
little  hope  for  him  to  achieve  distinction  as  a  country  store- 
keeper. 

On  looking  about  in  the  printing  office,  his  eyes  fell  upon 
the  imposing  stone  in  the  middle  of  the  room,  on  which  lay  the 
dead  form  of  the  last  number  of  the  Ozark  Argus  ready  for  the 
distribution  of  its  types  into  the  printer's  cases.  He  whiled 
away  the  time  by  spelling  out  the  words  presented  inversely  in 
the  metal.  Noticing  a  composing  stick  on  one  of  the  cases, 
partly  filled  with  type,  and  on  the  upper  case  in  front  of  it  a 
printed  paper,  with,  a  guide  on  one  of  its  articles  marked  with 
a  red  pencil,  it  interested  him  to  find  that  the  words  in  the 
composing  stick  corresponded  with  those  of  the  article  to  which 
the  guide  pointed.  Here  was  a  discovery !  The  veil  that  had 
shrouded  the  mystic  art  of  printing  was  rent  asunder  ;  the  secret 
of  the  compositor's  stick  lay  open  to  his  gaze  —  by  putting  the 
types  into  that  stick,  he  could  make  them  spell  the  words  of 
the  copy  before  him,  or  anything  he  pleased. 

He  could  not,  of  course,  resist  the  temptation  to  put  his 
discovery  to  the  practical  test.  But  simple  as  the  matter 
looked,  he  found  it  a  tedious  task  to  pick  out  the  proper  letters, 
each  one  of  which  he  found  it  necessary  to  examine  before 
placing  it.  He  wondered  why  no  one  had  thought  to  label  the 
compartments  into  which  the  types  were  sorted,  so  as  to  save 
the  loss  of  time  consumed  in  finding  the  particular  types 
wanted.  In  the  course  of  time,  however,  he  remembered  the 
places  where  to  find  letters  most  in  use,  and  began  to  make 
better  headway  in  his  play  at  composing.  So  interested  did 
he  become  in  his  novel  amusement,  that  he  forgot  all  else 
about  him,  and  was  astonished  when  Mr.  Huffard  returned, 
to  find  that  the  day  was  almost  spent. 

"  Well,  well!  "  said  the  editor,  smiling  pleasantly.     ''  What 


214  THE   BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTEIi. 

mischief  are  jou  up  to  noAv?  I  fear  that  you  have  been  making 
sad  havoc  among  the  types." 

Victor  proudly  showed  the  result  of  his  work.  A  broad 
grin  spread  over  the  editor's  face  as  he  inspected  the  achieve- 
ment of  the  amateur  printer.  "  Why,  you  are  a  genius!  "  he 
exclaimed.  "  This  is  very  creditable  showing  off  for  a  tyro. 
When  once  you  have  learned  to  distinguish  a  q  from  a  b,  and 
a  p  from  a  d,  and  how  to  place  the  types  right  side  up,  you 
may  begin  to  pose  for  a  printer's  devil." 

Victor  blushed  vividly.  But  he  eagerly  inquired  of  his 
friend,  whether  he  thought  it  possible  that  he  should  ever 
become  a  good  printer. 

"Of  course  you  could!  "  the  editor  responded  promptly. 
He  looked  at  the  lad  for  a  second  or  two,  and  then  added: 
"  You  possess  every  qualification  for  an  excellent  printer,  and 
I  have  no  doubt  that  you  will  achieve  great  success  if  you  take 
to  the  business.  But  why  do  you  ask  the  question?  Are  you 
afraid,  that  old  Van  will  give  you  your  walking  papers?  Are 
you  looking  for  a  new  situation?  " 

Victor  thus  suddenly  confronted  with  the  thought  which  he 
had  hardly  formulated  in  his  own  mind,  was  half  frightened 
by  it.  He  answered  evasively.  But  a  few  questions  put  by 
the  shrewd  editor  elicited  the  whole  truth.  Not  only  that 
Victor  actually  feared  to  be  discharged  for  his  shameful  con- 
duct, but  also,  that  he  secretly  hoped  so,  and  that  the  boy's 
mind  was  intent  upon  becoming  a  printer.  The  prospect  of 
having  the  young  man  in  his  own  office  was  not  displeasing  to 
him.  He  was  sure  that  he  could  utilize  him  in  more  ways  than 
by  his  simple  work  as  a  printer.  But  he  was  really  a  kind 
man,  and  believed  that  Victor's  capacities  would  find  a  wider 
scope  to  assert  themselves  in  than  the  avocation  of  a  merchant. 
Besides,  he  had  no  idea  that  Van  Braaken  would  willingly 
part  with  the  young  man.  He  therefore  rather  discouraged 
Victor's  notion  of  becoming  a  printer,  advising  him  to  think 
well  over  the  nialter  before  taking  a  decisive  step. 

The    setting  of    the  sun   marked   the  close  of  the  election. 


A  NEW  DEPABTUEE.  215 

Victor,  on  stepping  out  into  the  Square,  was  met  by  Leslie, 
wlio  informed  him  that  the  judges  of  election  and  the  clerks 
would  soon  begin  to  count  the  votes,  and  invited  him  to 
be  present  with  himself  to  witness  the  operation.  Although 
most  of  the  voters  that  had  come  from  a  distance  had  already 
left  for  home,  there  was  still  quite  a  crowd  surrounding  the 
court  house,  impatiently^  awaiting  the  return  of  the  officers, 
who  had  locked  up  the  poll  books  and  gone  to  partake  of  re- 
freshments after  the  fatiguing  labors  of  the  day.  It  was  not 
long  before  the  sheriff,  followed  by  the  judges  and  clerks, 
appeared  and  proceeded  to  unlock  the  door  of  the  room  in 
which  the  counting  was  to  take  place.  The  candidates  that 
happened  to  be  on  hand,  as  well  as  a  number  of  the  most 
prominent  citizens  —  not  less  than  ten  of  each  of  the  political 
parties,  as  the  law  prescribed  —  entered  also.  Leslie  May, 
representing  his  father,  was  of  course  one  of  them.  Victor 
found  no  difficulty  in  gaining  admission  with  him. 

His  eagerness  to  learn  the  verdict  of  the  people  on  the  pai'ty 
issues,  and  particularly  as  to  the  fate  of  his  patron  —  in  re- 
spect to  whom  his  anxiety  exceeded,  is  possible,  that  of 
Leslie  himself  —  made  the  leisurely  preparations  for  the  work 
to  follow  a  sore  trial  of  his  patience.  At  last  the  clerks  were 
seated,  each  with  one  of  the  books  before  him  in  which  the 
voters'  names  had  been  recorded,  the  judges  at  another  table, 
also  with  books  before  them,  in  which  to  enter  the  number  of 
votes  cast  for  each  candidate  ;  and  everything  was  ready.  To 
make  sure  of  a  correct  count,  each  vote  was  called  out  by  one 
of  the  clerks  and  verified  by  the  other;  the  judges  repeated 
the  names  of  the  candidates  voted  for,  and  entered  them  each  in 
his  own  book.  Victor  was  deeply  impressed  with  the  precau- 
tions taken  to  secure  a  faithful  record  of  the  will  of  the  people. 

The  vote  for  the  congressional  candidates  was  counted  first. 
Leslie  jotted  down  the  votes,  as  called  out,  on  a  slip  of  paper; 
Victor  kept  an  accurate  tally  without  the  aid  of  a  written 
memorandum.  His  face  visibly  brightened  as  the  clerks 
announced,    and  the  judges  repeated,  in  monotonous,  but  to 


216  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

Victor  highly  musical  iteration:  "For  Congress,  Leonard 
May!  "  scarcely  relieved,  now  and  then,  by  a  run  of  two  or 
three  votes  for  the  opposing  candidate.  Victor's  exultant 
enthusiasm  made  it  impossible  for  him  to  remain  quiet ;  he 
rushed  up  to  Leslie,  even  before  the  judges  had  cast  up  the 
total  vote,  and  impulsively  embraced  him.  It  was  an  unusual 
thing  for  Victor  to  do  ;  for  however  enthusiastic  his  nature,  he 
was  by  no  means  demonstrative.  "  Colonel  May  is  the  wisest, 
best  and  noblest  of  men,"  he  exclaimed,  "  and  the  voters  know 
it!  How  could  they  help  electing  him?  They  honored 
themselves  in  honoring  him." 

'  How  could  Leslie  remain  cold  in  view  of  the  unprecedented 
popularity  of  his  father,  evidenced  by  the  heavy  majority 
polled  for  him  by  the  voters  of  his  own  precinct?  But  he 
only  said  :  "  The  governor's  head  is  level ;  he  played  his  cards 
for  all  they  were  worth !  ' ' 

The  official  announcement  by  the  judges  was:  "  For  Con- 
gress, Colonel  Leonard  May,  193  ;  General  John  Waddle,  37." 

After  a  deafening  round  of  cheers  at  this  proclamation,  in 
which  Victor  joined  with  all  his  heart,  the  count  proceeded. 
Mr.  Huffard  had  made  his  way  into  the  room,  and  Victor 
noticed  that  he  and  Leslie  engaged  in  earnest  conversation. 
His  interest  in  the  counting  had  now  much  abated.  Still,  he 
was  somewhat  curious  to  compare  the  Colonel's  vote  with  that 
of  the  other  candidates  on  his  ticket.  He  hardly  knew 
whether,  as  a  patriotic  democrat,  to  regret  that  the  others  fell 
far  behind  their  leader,  or,  as  an  ardent  admirer  of  Colonel 
May,  to  rejoice  over  this  result.  There  was,  on  the  average, 
a  small  majority  for  the  democrats. 

Victor  was  about  to  leave  the  room,  as  most  of  the  others 
were  now  doing,  when  Leslie  hastily  approached  him  "  to  shake 
hands  once  moie,  before  parting  for  the  night,"  he  said.  "  And 
I  want  you,"  he  added,  "  to  promise  to  call  at  May  Meadows, 
to-morrow  morning,  before  going  to  the  store.  I  hope  the 
governor  will  have  some  news  for  us  that  it  will  please  you  to 
hear."     Victor  was  but  too  happy  to  promise. 


A   NEW  DEPARTURE.  217 

He  found  the  family  assembled  at  breakfast  when  he  reached 
May  Meadows  next  morning.  He  brought  a  heavy  heart  with 
him  ;  the  pleasant  walk  and  lovely  summer  morning  had  not 
dispelled  the  gloom  produced  on  his  mind  by  reflecting  on  his 
conduct  of  the  day  before.  His  gloomy  thoughts,  however, 
vanished  before  the  genial,  cheerful  welcome  accorded  him  at 
the  Colonel's  mansion.  There  must  indeed  have  been  pleasant 
news  ;  for  an  atmosphere  of  bright  sunshine  pervaded  the  room 
when  he  entered.  P^very  countenance  was  illumined  by  a 
pleasant  smile ;  even  the  pathetic  face  of  Lucretia,  who  waited 
at  table,  wore  an  unusually  contented  expression,  and  bright- 
ened up  when  she  beheld  the  early  visitor.  Nellie,  first  to 
address  him,  jumped  up  from  her  chair,  and,  seizing  his  hands 
with  both  of  hers,  exclaimed,  "  Here  is  Victor,  —  the  victor! 
I  am  so  glad  to  see  you,  Mr.  Waldhorst,  for  papa  says  you 
helped  him  win  the  election." 

"  Good  morning,  my  young  friend!  "  said  the  Colonel,  also 
rising  to  shake  hands  with  Victor.  "  Nellie  is  right.  1  did 
say  —  aud  I  mean  it — that  if  I  am  elected,  no  small  share  of 
the  responsibility  for  the  result  will  fall  on  your  shoulders. 
I  am  very  glad  to  see  you  here  this  morning,  so  that  I  may 
shake  hands  with  you  on  the  probability  of  my  success. 
According  to  the  information  which  I  have  been  able  to  pick 
up  on  my  way  home  last  night,  the  chances  are  very  promis- 
ing." 

Mrs.  May,  too,  was  unusually  friendly  in  her  welcome, 
insisting  that  the  guest  should  join  them  at  table,  notwith- 
standing his  protestations  of  having  already  breakfasted.  At 
a  nod  from  her  mistress,  Lucretia  laid  a  plate  and  placed  a 
chair  for  him,  and  he  gladly  accepted  the  cordial  hospitality. 
Conversation  became  lively  and  general ;  each  one  had  some- 
thing to  say  about  the  canvass  through  which  the  Colonel  had 
just  passed,  and  the  changes  in  their  mode  of  life  which  his 
election  would  involve.  Nellie  clamored  for  the  removal  of 
the  whole  family  to  Washington  City  when  her  father  went 
there  to  take  his  seat  in  Congress  —  a  proposition  which  the 


218  THE  REBEL'S   DAUGHTER. 

Colonel  declared  to  be  ridiculous.  But  Victor  noticed,  — not 
without  dismay  at  the  thought  of  the  separation  which  Nellie's 
scheme  would  involve  for  him,  that  not  only  Leslie,  but  also 
Mrs.  May,  seemed  to  look  on  it  with  favor. 

Of  course,  the  mishaps  to  both  himself  and  his  friend,  the 
teamster  Yahkop,  at  the  polls,  did  not  escape  discussion. 
Leslie  gave  a  lively  account  of  the  droll  speeches  of  the  irate 
voter,  and  of  his  ungovernable  wrath  on  being  called  a  Hessian, 
so  that  even  Victor  could  not  help  joining  Nellie's  merriment 
over  the  recital.  But  he  grew  sober  when  the  recollection  of 
his  own  situation  in  consequenee  of  yesterday's  events  again 
confronted  him  with  the  problem  of  his  immediate  future. 
The  Colonel,  noticing  his  sudden  depression,  said,  with  his 
pleasant  smile  and  in  his  kind  voice,  "  Are  you  thinking 
of  Mynheer's  blunt  speech  of  yesterday?  Leslie  tells  me, 
that  he  handled  you  rather  roughly,  and  perhaps  undeservedly 
so." 

"  Not  undeservedly,"  was  Victor's  honest  reply.  "  It  will 
be  but  justice,  if  he  dismiss  me  at  once." 

"  You  need  fear  nothing  of  the  kind,"  the  Colonel  assured 
him.  "  He  will  readily  pardon  your  zeal  in  m}^  cause.  Be- 
sides, I  happen  to  know,  that  he  would  on  no  account  spare 
you  willingly  from  his  business.  He  thinks  too  highly  of  the 
value  of  your  services." 

"As  to  the  value  of  my  services,"  Victor  replied,  "he 
has  told  me  repeatedly  that  I  lack  very  much  of  being  fitted 
for  a  merchant." 

Leslie  and  Nellie  looked  at  each  other  with  a  significant 
smile,  but  said  nothing. 

"  And  what  is  your  own  opinion  in  this  respect?  "  the 
Colonel  queried. 

"  I  think  he  is  right,"  said  Victor. 

A  smile  now  played  about  the  lips  of  Colonel  May  also,  but 
he  quickly  suppressed  it,  and  continued:  "Now,  Mr.  Wald- 
horst,  I  want  you  to  understand,  that  the  little  unpleasantness 
which  30U  believe  to  exist  between  Mynheer  Van  Braaken  and 


A   NEW  DEPARTUEE.  219 

yourself,  ueed  not  trouble  you.  Not  another  word  will  be 
said  to  you  on  the  subject.  But  how  would  it  suit  you  to  take 
up  another  vocation?  How  would  you  like  to  engage  in  the 
printing  business  ?  ' ' 

Victor  gave  a  furtive  glance  at  Leslie,  whose  face,  however, 
remained  perfectly  impassive.  "  I  think  I  would  like  it  very 
much,"  he  answered  eagerly. 

"  Mr.  Huffard,  as  Leslie  tells  me,"  the  Colonel  continued, 
"  is  convinced  that  you  will  make  an  excellent  printer.  And 
I  am  sure  that  you  will  make  your  mark  as  an  editor.  Your 
thirst  for  knowledge,  your  eagerness  for  politics,  your  enthu- 
siastic championship  of  what  you  deem  right  and  just,  will  lind 
a  much  wider  field  for  development  in  a  printing  office,  than 
behind  the  counter  of  a  country  store." 

"I?  An  editor?  "  the  young  man  gasped.  But  he  could 
not  conceal  his  delight  at  the  Colonel's  words. 

"You  need  not  assume  the  chief  editorship  of  a  leading 
journal  just  yet,"  said  the  Colonel.  "  There  will  be  much  for 
you  to  learn ;  and  some  things,  no  doubt  you  will  have  to 
unlearn.  But  don't  let  that  deter  3'ou,  if  3'ou  feel  that  you 
would  rather  be  a  printer  than  a  merchant." 

"  Indeed,  I  should  like  very  much  to  become  a  printer!  " 
was  Victor's  almost  involuntary  reply. 

"  Then  we  will  consider  it  settled  that  you  are  to  join  the 
working  staff  of  the  Ozark  Argus.  Mr.  Huffard  says  that  he 
will  be  glad  to  receive  you.  Some  day  perhaps  you  will  be 
called  on  to  serve  in  a  different  capacity :  for  a  large  propor- 
tion of  our  public  men  have  risen  from  the  ranks  of  the  printers. 
I  am  convinced,  that  in  one  way  or  another  you  will  distinguish 
yourself." 

' '  But  I  thought  that  you  had  set  your  heart  on  becoming  a 
lawyer!  "  said  Leslie,  smiling  curiously,  and  interrupting  Vic- 
tor's stammering  efforts  to  express  his  thanks.  "Have  you 
thought  better  of  that  ?  ' ' 

"Oh,  you  know  that  is  out  of  the  question!  "  Victor 
replied,  "  and  you  know  the  reason  why." 


220  THE  BEBEUS   DAUGHTER. 

"He  is  afraid,"  said  Leslie,  addressing  his  father,  "that 
he  has  not  learned  enough  Latin.  As  if  one  who  mastered 
the  English  grammar  in  a  course  of  ten  days  could  not  just  as 
easy  pick  up  Latin  enough  to  understand  Story's  pedantic 
quotations  from  the  civil  law,  and  the  maxims  scattered  through 
the  text  books  and  judges'  opinions,  chiefly  to  create  the 
impression  that  there  is  something  in  the  law  known  to  them, 
which  common  people  should  not  know !  I  had  a  talk  with 
Yancey  last  night,  and  he  says,  that  the  time  spent  in  our 
colleges  in  the  study  of  Latin  could  be  much  more  profitably 
employed  in  the  study  of  approved  text  writers.  Yancey 
thinks  that  Victor  could  study  in  his  office,  and  is  willing  to 
give  him  the  use  of  his  books." 

This  was  great  news  for  Victor.  He  looked  from  one  of  the 
gentlemen  to  the  other  with  eager,  questioning  eyes,  hardly 
daring  to  believe  in  the  reality  of  the  good  fortune  that  prom- 
ised to  put  him  in  the  way  of  gratifying  his  secret,  most 
cherished  ambition. 

The  Colonel  regarded  him  with  a  quizzical  smile.  "  Do  you 
believe  yourself  competent,"  he  said,  "  to  devote  an  hour  or 
two  every  day  to  the  acquisition  of  a  smattering  of  Latin,  and 
in  the  course  of  time  to  the  devouring  of  ponderous  law 
books,  in  addition  to  the  tasks  that  will  be  imi)osed  on  you  as 
a  jirinter's  devil?  " 

"  I'would  surely  try,"  was  the  answer,  given  in  a  low  voice, 
while  a  crimson  glow  spread  over  his  eager  features. 

"  Then,  I  know,  you  will  surely  succeed,"  the  Colonel  went 
on.  "  You  know  that '  where  there's  a  will  there's  a  way,'  or, 
as  the  Latin  maxim  has  it,  '  Labor  omnia  vincit.'  If  you  are 
really  in  earnest,  as  I  have  no  doubt  that  you  are,  your  chance 
is  fully  as  good,  indeed  better,  than  Leslie's,  with^all  his 
university  training,  to  become  a  successful,  if  not  distinguished, 
lawyer.  And  in  your  political  aspirations,  if  you  have  any, 
the  profession  of  the  law,  again,  will  prove  a  highly  useful 
stepping  stone." 

"  Why,  just  think,"  Nellie  spoke  up,  "  what  fun  it  would 


A  NEW  DEPARTURE.  221 

be  to  have  Mr.  Waldhorst  iu  partnership  with  Leslie  I  "What 
an  odd  team  they  would  make !  ' ' 

Mrs.  May  seemed  not  to  take  so  kindly  to  the  idea  of  a  bus- 
iness connection  between  her  son  and  Victor.  "  But  do  you 
think,"  she  said,  "  that  our  young  friend  possesses  sufficient  — 
what  shall  1  call  it  —  assurance  or  boldness  —  ' ' 

"  Call  it  cheek,  mama,  or  brass,  if  that's  what  you  mean," 
suggested  Leslie. 

—  "to  become  a  successful  lawyer?  "  she  continued,  not 
heeding  Leslie's  interruption.  "  Mr.  Waldhorst  is  so  —  gen- 
tle, so  —  " 

"  So  diffident  and  bashful!  "  Leslie  again  put  iu.  "Yes, 
he  will  have  to  get  over  that  amiable  foible  of  his,  if  he  ever 
expects  to  rescue  a  horse-thief  from  the  clutches  of  a  backwoods 
jury." 

"  Yes,"  Mrs.  May  continued,  smiling  graciously,  "  I  may 
say  it  without  wishing  to  disparage  the  merits  of  our  friend, 
that  in  my  opinion  his  modesty  will  sadly  interfere  w'ith  his 
success  as  an  advocate." 

"  Truly,  he  that  bloweth  not  his  own  horn,  his  horn  shall 
not  be  blown  !  ' '  said  Leslie  with  a  mischievous  twinkle  of  the 
eye. 

"  Never  fear  as  to  that !  "  said  roguish  Nellie.  "  If  brother 
Leslie  is  in  the  firm,  there  will  be  brass  and  cheek  enough  for 
both,  and  to  spare.  Mr.  Waldhorst  will  do  the  work,  and 
Leslie  the  tooting  ;  and  it  will  be  just  splendid !  " 

"And  if  we  should  lack  for  business,"  the  brother  retal- 
iated, "  Sissy  will  help  us  out  with  that  tell-tale  tongue  of 
hers.  She  has  already  helped  us  to  one  pretty  extensive  law- 
suit by  stirring  up  her  silly  admirers  against  each  other ;  with 
a  little  practice  she  will  soon  be  able  to  furnish  more  business 
than  we  can  attend  to.  I  suppose,  Nell,  that  we  will  have  to 
give  you  an  interest  in  the  firm." 

"  That  will  do,  children!  "  said  the  Colonel,  putting  an  end 
to  their  good-humored  banter. 

When  he,  true  to  his  promise,   accompanied  Victor  to  the 


222  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

store,  Victor  was  agreeably  surprised  to  notice  the  utter  ab- 
sence of  anything  like  displeasure  or  ill-feeling  on  the  part  of 
the  merchant,  who  seemed  to  regard  Victor's  plans  for  the 
future,  involving  his  withdrawal  from  the  Dutch  Store,  as 
quite  a  matter  of  course.  They  talked  the  subject  over  in  the 
most  amicable  mood,  Victor  himself  saying  but  little.  When 
they  had  discussed  the  whole  matter  as  to  Victor's  immediate 
plans,  the  Colonel  said  something  about  his  studying  law, 
whereat  the  merchant  grew  unusually  lively.  "  Yes,  yes,"  he 
said,  nodding  vigorously,  and  with  a  nervous  twitching  of  his 
weak  eye-lid.  "I  always  knew  there  was  something  in  the 
boy.  He  is  going  to  make  a  man  some  day.  But  he  has 
much  to  learn,  yet,"  winking  slyly  at  the  Colonel,  with  a 
grimace  that  was  meant  for  a  smile  —  "he  has  a  great  lesson 
to  learn.  He  is  smart  enough  to  be  a  lawyer,  and  he  knows 
enough  to  be  a  politician.  But  it  will  be  bad  for  his  clients  if 
he  tells  the  jury  all  he  knows  about  them.  And  he  will  never 
be  elected  when  he  runs  for  office  if  he  tells  the  voters  what  he 
thinks  of  them.  And  he  is  going  to  do  all  that,  if  he  don't 
learn  how  not  to  tell  the  truth  sometimes." 
*  *  * 

Victor  applied  himself  diligently  to  the  discharge  of  his 
duties  in  the  new  sphere  of  his  activity.  Simple  enough  they 
w^ere,  at  first,  though  irksome,  at  times,  requiring  the  per- 
formance of  the  merest  drudgery.  He  acquitted  himself  to 
the  perfect  satisfaction  of  Mr.  Huffard,  who  congratulated 
himself  on  the  acquisition  of  so  apt  an  apprentice.  Plenty  of 
leisure  was  at  bis  disposal,  which  he  conscientiously  utilized 
by  earnestly  devoting  himself  to  the  mastering  of  the  Latin 
grammar,  an  old  copy  of  which  Leslie  had  placed  at  his  dis- 
posal. This  gentleman  even  conquered  his  aversion  to  the  dry 
details  of  the  study,  from  which  he  himself  had  but  recently 
been  absolved,  so  far  as  to  help  his  young  friend  over  its  initial 
difficulties.  But  this  assistance  ceased  when,  early  in  the 
month  following,  Leslie  returned  to  Harvard  University. 
Nellie,   too,  was   taken   back  to  Columbia,  the  Colonel  himself 


A   NEW  DEPARTUBE.  223 

escorting  her  thither,  to  continue  her  course  at  the  Young 
Ladies'  Seminary.  A  lonely  time  ensued  for  Victor,  upon 
whom  the  absence  of  his  young  friends  weighed  heavily.  His 
visits  to  May  Meadows  that  had  been  to  him  bright  gleams  of 
sunshine  in  the  somber  monotony  of  life,  uovv  ceased  almost 
entirely  save  that  the  Colonel,  after  his  return  from  Columbia, 
now  and  then  insisted  on  taking  him  home  for  a  Sunday  din- 
ner, or  an  afternoon  drive.  These  occasions  served  only  to 
emphasize  the  absence  of  the  young  people  ;  —  he  sadly  missed 
the  vivacious  sallies  of  Nellie,  and  Leslie's  good-natured 
sai'casms. 

The  conversation  of  the  Colonel  was  not  without  its  charm, 
however,  and  Victor  soon  learned  to  listen  with  a  new  and 
quite  different  interest.  For  the  congressman-elect  often  dis- 
cussed before  him  the  political  program  he  was  chalking  out 
for  himself  and  the  party  he  I'epresented ;  and  the  young  man, 
proud  of  the  confidence  thus  reposed  in  him,  eagerly  absorbed 
the  views  of  his  patron  and  promised  to  become  an  enthusiastic 
champion  of  whatever  policy  was  thus  unfolded  before  him. 
Utterly  unconscious  of  himself,  Victor  in  this  way  became  a 
stout  adherent  to  the  States-right-school  of  the  Democratic 
party.  It  never  occurred  to  him  that  his  own  crude,  unsophis- 
ticated view^s  of  right  and  justice  were  of  any  value  to  his 
friend.  He  accepted  the  favors  shown  him  by  the  Colonel, 
with  a  grateful  heart,  and  adopted  his  political  principles  with- 
out question  or  doubt,  —  having  neither  the  disposition,  nor, 
indeed,  the  mental  ripeness,  to  detect  their  truth  or  error. 

During  the  first  few  mouths  after  Leslie's  return  to  college 
Victor  found  great  solace  in  a  voluminous  correspondence  with 
his  absent  friend.  For  a  while  the  collegian  answered 
promptly,  and  Victor  was  led  to  believe  that  his  gushing 
effusions  gave  as  much  satisfaction  to  Leslie  as  the  replies  did 
to  himself.  But  soon  the  answers  grew  shorter  and  less 
regular,  and  although  Leslie  excused  his  want  of  promptness 
on  the  score  of  absorbing  studies,  rendering  necessary  the 
most  assiduous  application  to  insure  a  diploma  at  the  end  of 


224  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

the  year,  when  he  proposed  to  orraduate,  yet  Victor  reluctantly 
admitted  to  himself  that  Leslie's  increasing  taciturnity  must 
be  due  rather  to  his  want  of  inclination  to  write,  than  to  the 
lack  of  opportunity. 

In  the  course  of  time,  Victor  was  promoted  from  his  devil- 
ship  in  the  printing  office  to  the  dignity  of  compositor  and 
pressman.  He  had  made  such  rapid  progress  in  both  branches 
of  the  business,  that  Mr.  Huffard  found  it  profitable  to  take 
another  apprentice  in  his  place  and  let  him  do  the  work  of  a 
journeyman.  But  this  advancement  was  not  half  so  encour- 
aging to  him  as  the  acceptance  by  the  editor  of  an  essay  writ- 
ten by  him  on  the  political  issues  then  before  the  country.  It 
was  a  proud  day  for  him  when  he  first  saw  his  own  thoughts 
confront  him  from  the  printed  sheet  of  the  Ozark  Argus.  A 
part  of  his  inmost  self  gone  forth  from  him,  beyond  his  reach, 
forever,  to  influence  others.  For  good?  He  hoped  so,  —  aye, 
he  was  sure  of  it :  for  truth  needs  but  manifest  itself  to  be 
triumphant.  And  was  he  not  adding  his  testimony  to  the 
cause  of  truth  ?  No  doubt  of  it ;  for  the  editor  of  the  Demo- 
cratic organ  of  the  Southwest  had  agreed  with  his  views,  and 
the  congressman-elect  had  approved  of  them.  Even  Leslie,  to 
whom  he  had,  in  the  first  flush  of  his  joy,  sent  a  copy  of  the 
paper  containing  his  article,  marked  with  a  red  pencil,  had 
written  to  congratulate  him,  saying  no  one  but  his  gifted, 
aspiring,  honest  young  friend  could  be  the  author  of  so  noble  a 
defense  of  Democracy.  His  success  inspired  him  to  further 
efforts,  and  it  was  not  long  before  Mr.  Huffard  left  him  to 
manage  a  considerable  share  of  the  editorial  work  on  the 
Argus,  to  his  own  liking.  The  young  recruit  to  the  editorial 
staff  displayed  quite  an  aptitude  in  getting  up  interesting 
items  of  news,  and  penning  them  in  pleasing  style,  as  well  as 
in  the  writing  of  political  leading  articles.  He  seemed  in  a 
fair  way  to  realize  Colonel  May's  prediction  that  he  would 
make  an  excellent  editor. 

About  this  time  the  formation  of  a  new  political  party, 
having  for  its  object  the  disfranchising  of  Catholics  and  natu- 


A  NEW  DEPASTURE.  225 

ralized  citizens,  strongly  enlisted  Victor's  opposition.  Being 
himself  a  ''  foreigner,"  it  was  but  natural  that  be  should 
keenly  feel  the  narrowness  of  the  maxim,  tliat  "  America 
belongs  to  the  Americans  ;  "  and  the  stand  taken  by  the  great 
majority  of  the  democrats  against  the  new  doctrine  served  to 
increase,  if  possible,  his  veneration  for  the  party,  whose  tenets 
demanded  equality  of  rights  for  all  American  citizens,  of  what- 
ever religious  creed,  or  nativity.  The  little  town  of  Brook- 
field,  to  be  sure,  afforded  but  small  vantage  ground  for  the 
American  party.  Besides  Orlando  Jones  and  his  father,  whose 
personal  experience  inclined  them  to  side  with  the  new  doc- 
trine, and  Mr.  Barnes  and  a  few  of  his  friends,  who  had  not 
forgotten  the  inconvenient  competition  of  the  Dutch  merchant, 
there  were  hardly  any  converts.  Even  Ralph  Pay  ton,  not- 
withstanding the  eloquent  protest  he  had  launched  against  the 
foreigners  in  his  maiden  speech  at  the  barbecue,  was  not  ready 
to  join  a  party,  whose  leading  object  was  plainly  to  disorganize 
the  Democracy. 

Nor  was  there  much  promise  of  success  for  the  American 
party  in  any  part  of  the  State,  save  in  one  or  two  of  its  larger 
cities  ;  or,  indeed,  in  any  of  the  Western  States.  But  in  the 
exchange  papers,  to  peruse  which  was  now  a  part  of  Victor's 
duty,  he  found  enthusiastic  accounts  of  its  rapid  spread  in  the 
East,  and  particularly  in  the  Middle  States.  He  was  troubled 
to  perceive  that  the  tidal  wave  assumed  such  mighty  propor- 
tions as  to  threaten  at  no  distant  day  to  engulf  the  entire 
nation.  True,  the  Democracy  everywhere  stood  firmly  by 
their  colors  ;  but  the  new  party  was  drawing  to  its  support  the 
discontented  elements  of  all  other  political  organizations.  The 
whigs,  who  had  hitherto  presented  an  unbroken  line  of  bat- 
tle against  the  democrats,  were  evidently  demoralized  by 
their  signal  defeat  at  the  last  election,  and  their  party  was 
plainly  in  the  process  of  disintegration.  Great  numbers  of 
them,  not  willing  to  ally  themselves  with  the  other  new 
party,  whose  opposition  to  Democracv  sprang  from  their  ab- 
horrence of  slavery,  acted  in  concert  with  the  Know-Nothings, 

15 


226  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

and  secured  for  them  victory  in  many  State  elections.  It  was 
but  natural,  therefore,  that  Victor  looked  forward  to  the  final 
issue  of  the  struggle,  involving  his  own  rights  as  a  citizen, 
with  apprehensive  anxietj^,  and  that  he  put  forward  his  best 
arguments  in  defense  of  Democra,cy,  in  the  articles  which 
appeared  from  his  pen  in  the  Ozark  Argus. 

In  writing  these  articles  he  soon  made  the  discovery,  which 
greatly  startled  him,  that  his  strongest  motive  in  their  compo- 
sition was  a  personal  one.  He  asked  himself,  what  would  be 
his  attitude  toward  the  party,  if  he  were  a  native  born  Ameri- 
can? The  answer,  which  he  could  not  conceal  from  himself, 
gave  him  much  trouble  and  perplexit3^  It  was  but  right  and 
wise,  that  Americans  should  rule  America.  It  was  but  just 
and  proper  that  the  American  nation  should  resist  all  foreign 
influence,  naturally  directed  against  our  republican  institu- 
tions, in  all  lawful  ways.  And  what  duty  could  be  more 
sacred  and  binding,  than  that  of  preserving  and  upholding  the 
Union  and  constitution  of  the  United  States? 

Meanwhile  time  passed  and  Victor  diligently  discharged  his 
duties  in  the  printing  office,  and  studied  Latin.  On  one  occa- 
sion he  asked  the  assistance  of  Mr.  Yancey  to  unravel  for  him 
a  knotty  point.  The  lawyer  met  him  with  much  kindness,  and 
after  giving  him  the  desired  information,  entered  into  a  gen- 
eral conversation  which  drifted  into  politics,  involving  the 
prospects  of  the  American  party.  Victor  soon  betrayed  his 
perplexity  in  respect  of  the  principles  which  he  thought  so 
true,  that  they  could  not  be  conscientiously  opposed. 

"  Let  me  understand  to  what  principles  you  refer,"  said 
Mr.  Yancey  quietly. 

"  Loyalty  to  the  Union  ;  jealousy  against  foreign  influence  ; 
preservation  of  republican  institutions,"  answered  Victor. 

' '  Does  any  one  propose  to  annul  any  of  these  ?  ' '  queried 
Mr.  Yancey  further. 

"Not  directly,  perhaps,"  said  Victor,  after  pondering 
awhile.  "But  then,  you  know,  the  abolitionists  think  slavery 
a  greater  evil  than  the  disruption  of  the  Union.     And  some 


A  NEW  DEPAUTUBE.  227 

of^them  ^have  actuallj^  denounced  the  constitution  as  wicked 
and  an  abomination.  And  then  —  are  not  some  of  the  foreign- 
ers too  ignorant  to  be  intrusted  with  the  privilege  of  the 
ballot?" 

""Why,  yes,"  the  lawyer  replied,  a  scarcely  perceptible 
smile  lighting  up  his  features.  "  Some  of  the  fanatics  have 
gone  the  length  of  denouncing  the  constitution  as  a  compact 
with  the  devil,  and  the  Union  a  league  with  hell,  or  something 
of  that  sort.  I  quote  from  memory.  But  have  you  not 
noticed  that  many  of  the  recruits  to  the  Know-Nothing  party 
come  from  these  same  abolitionists?  Such  is,  at  least,  a  fair 
inference  from  the  fact,  that  their  first  successes  were 
achieved  in  the  States  most  strongly  infested  by  them.  And 
does  it  occur  to  you,  that  their  '  jealousy  of  foreign  influence  ' 
is  due  chiefly  to  the  circumstance  that  the  great  majority  of 
German  and  Irish  emigrants  persistently  vote  the  Democratic 
ticket?" 

"  Is  not  that,"  suggested  Victor,  though  hesitatingly,  "  a 
corroboration  of  the  assertion,  that  they  are  too  ignorant  to 
have  an  opinion  of  their  own,  and  therefore  become  pliant 
tools  in  the  hands  of  designing  demagogues?  " 

"  It  proves,  at  any  rate,"  said  the  other,  "  that  they  have 
faith  in  Democratic  principles,  which  the  opponents  of  the 
Democratic  party  have  not.  There  is  greater  significance  in 
this  than  is  apparent  on  the  surface.  If  it  be  true,  as  you 
and  I  are  certainly  convinced,  that  the  Democratic  party 
represent  the  true  theory  of  our  government,  then  this  so-called 
American  party  is  not  only  un-democratic,  but  emphatically 
un-American.  Universal  freedom  is  the  caixlinal  principle  of 
the  American  government,  as  it  is  the  cardinal  tenet  of  the 
Democratic  party.  Hence  the  emigrant,  seeking  refuge  from 
oppression,  —  whether  industrial,  social,  or  political  —  in  this 
land  of  promise,  naturally  identifies  himself  with  the  party 
which  has  inscribed  the  promise  of  this  freedom  on  its  banner. 
But  what  is  the  principle  —  if  it  be  not  an  abuse  of  the  word 
to  apply  it  to  this  organization,  whose  sole  cohesive  force  con- 


228 


THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 


sists  of  its  opposition  to  Democracy  —  by  which  they  propose 
to  rule  Amei'ica?  How  are  tliey  going  to  'resist  foreign  in- 
fluence,' and  '  protect  and  uphold  the  constitution  and  the 
Union  ?  '  On  their  own  showing  they  mean  to  abolish  free- 
dom of  religion,  the  equality  of  man  before  the  law,  the  elect- 
ive franchise  for  freemen.  Catholics  are  to  be  denied  the 
rights  of  citizenship,  emigrants  to  be  branded  as  political  out- 
casts, the  right  of  suffrage  to  be  exercised  according  to  the 
flat  of  a  secret  association.  What  would  be  the  value  of  a 
Union  'preserved,'  of  a  constitution  'protected'  in  such 
fashion?  " 

How  easy  it  was  to  convince  Victor  of  what  he  was  so  eager 
to  believe !  Mr.  Yancey's  words  impressed  themselves  deeply 
on  his  mind  and  memory.  The  light  in  which  Mr.  Yancey 
had  put  the  argument  against  Know-Nothingism  relieved  him 
entirely  of  the  scruples  with  which  his  tender  conscience  had 
oppressed  him.  His  articles  in  the  Ozark  Argus  henceforth 
were  noticeably  bolder  and  more  incisive,  and  he  had  the  sat- 
isfaction to  see  most  of  them  coi^ied  and  strongly  commended 
by  the  exchange  papers  that  came  to  his  hands. 


XV. 

AWAKENING   FROM   LOVE'S  YOUNG   DREAM. 

'HROUGHOUT  all  the  long  winter  that  followed,  — a 
winter  unequaled  in  duration  and  severity  by  any 
within  the  memory  of  the  oldest  inhabitant — Victor 
had  looked  forward  with  yearning  heart.  Not  that  time  passed 
heavily  with  him.  What  with  his  duties  at  the  case  and  press  ; 
with  now  and  then  an  hour  or  two  devoted  to  the  penning  of 
local  items  for  the  "  Chronicle  of  the  Southwest,"  and  the 
pursuit  of  his  studies  under  the  guidance  of  Mr.  Yancey,  he 
was  kept  busy  enough.  Nor  was  it  alone  the  coming  of 
Spring,  —  that  season  so  full  of  promise  and  delight  to  the 
young  and  hopeful  —  that  he  so  eagerly  awaited.  Life  seemed 
pleasant  enough  to  the  aspiring  young  man,  who  had  con- 
vinced himself  that  he  was  preparing  for  a  life  of  usefulness 
and  activity,  —  not  void,  either,  of  a  lurking  hope,  that 
success,  perhaps,  was  in  store  for  him.  How  hapj^y  it  would 
make  him,  if  he  should  justify  the  good  opinion  of  his  friends  — 
of  Colonel  May,  of  Leslie — ,  Might  not  Nellie,  then,  forget 
that  he  was  of  graceless  and  ungainly  person?  It  was  this 
hope,  which  had  taken  hold  of  him  far  more  iirmly  than  he 
was  aware,  that  occupied  his  thoughts  and  wove  pleasant 
fancies  into  his  waking  dreams.  The  inclemency  of  the  season 
had  no  terror  for  him.  However  fiercely  the  tempest  howled 
without,  the  dingy  little  office,  from  which  the  Ozark  Argus 
took  its  weekly  flights  into  the  surrounding  country,  afforded 
cosy  shelter  to  the  young  man  who  was  busy  with  himself  — 
and  looked  forward. 

Spring  came  at  last,  as  Spring  will  always  come,  when 
winter  is  over,  —  tardily,  this  time,  but  all  the  more  joyfully 
welcomed    by   old    and   young ;  for    all  had  grown  weary  of 

(229) 


230  THE   BEBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

winter's  protracted  tyranny.  Springtime  and  May  —  delight- 
ful to  Victor  as  to  every  one  ;  still  he  looked  forward. 

For  Spring  would  be  followed  by  Summer,  and  Summer  — 
early,  in  the  season  —  would  bring  Leslie  home  from  the  uni- 
versity, laden  with  honors,  no  doubt;  for  had  not  Leslie 
written  to  him  that  he  meant  to  achieve  snmma  cum  kmde,  and 
was  there  anything  that  Leslie  could  not  achieve,  if  he  wished 
to?  And  —  well,  yes!  he  thought  of  that,  too  —  the  early 
Summer  would  end  Nellie's  term  at  the  Young  Ladies  Seminary 
at  Columbia.     So  he  looked  forward. 

But  hope's  fruition  rarely  equals  the  joy  of  anticipation. 
Nor  was  Victor's  case  an  exception,  when  the  time  came  to 
which  he  had  looked  forward.  For  when,  in  the  bright  and 
sunny  month  of  June,  with  its  fresh  green  foliage  and  delight- 
ful breezes,  Leslie  returned,  he  brought  with  him,  among 
other  trophies  culled  during  his  Harvard  campaign,  a  mus- 
tache,—  not  heavy,  nor  bristling,  nor  yet  of  jetty  hue;  but 
visible  to  Victor's  naked  eye  and  palpable  to  the  touch  —  at 
least  Victor  so  inferred  from  the  frequency  with  which  his 
friend's  thumb  and  forefinger  fondled  it. 

Now  there  was  nothing  startling  in  the  fact  of  his  friend's 
sporting  a  mustache,  except,  perhaps,  that  mustaches  and 
beards  were  not  in  fashion  in  those  days,  in  the  backwoods. 
But  the  young  student  had,  together  with  the  mustache, 
assumed  an  expression  of  face  that  did  not  fully  correspond  to 
the  image  that  Victor  treasured  in  his  memory,  and  so  the  joy 
experienced  on  his  friend's  return  was  dimmed  by  a  shadow,  — 
a  vague  disappointment ;  almost,  as  if  a  beloved  friend,  from 
whom  he  had  parted  nearly  a  year  before,  had  not  really  come 
back,  but  was  about  to  go  away  from  him  forever. 

Nellie,  too,  returned  soon  after.  She,  to  be  sure,  wore 
no  mustache,  however  greatly  she  admired  that  of  her 
brother,  and  thereby  set  an  example  to  the  young  ladies  of 
Brookfield,  who  thenceforth  unanimously  found  the  tuft  of 
hair  on  Leslie's  upper  lip  just  too  charming  for  anything. 
But  she  had  become  taller  in  stature,  and  her  figure  had  gained 


AWAKENING   FROM   LOVE'S    YOUNG   DEE  AM.       2:31 

wonderfully  in  grace  of  outline.  She,  too,  presented  a  con- 
trast, though  a  most  delightful  one,  to  the  image  which  he 
had  been  cherishing  in  his  inmost  heart. 

But  her  smile  was  as  sweet  as  ever,  and  the  cordiality  with 
which  she  greeted  him  on  his  first  visit  to  May  Meadows  after 
her  return,  made  it  easy  for  him  to  make  friends  with  the  fas- 
cinating young  lady  that  had  come  back  in  place  of  the 
sprightly  young  school-girl  of  last  Summer.  It  was  through 
the  influence  of  Nellie,  who  had  in  reality  changed  more  than 
Leslie,  that  Victor  soon  regained  his  old  footing  with  both. 
And  yet  there  was  a  drop  of  bitterness  in  the  sweet  draught  of 
bliss,  —  a  keen  pang  of  genuine  pain  that  disturbed,  now  and 
then,  the  delight  which  he  found  in  the  intercourse  with  the 
inmates  of  May  Meadows.  As  coming  events  cast  their 
shadows  before,  so  the  dread  of  the  Colonel's  departure  for 
Washington  threw  a  shadow  on  Victor's  sunny  path.  Nellie 
had  succeeded  in  persuading  her  parents  to  adopt  her  scheme 
of  removing  with  the  whole  family  to  the  Capitol,  for  one 
season  at  least.  The  plan  was  frequently  discussed  in  his 
presence,  for  the  young  people  took  great  delight  in  dwelling 
upon  the  pleasure  anticipated  from  their  admission  to  Washing- 
ton society,  and  Victor  vaguely  felt  that  the  separation  from 
his  young  friends  would  prove  more  thorough  than  a  tempo- 
rary cessation  of  personal  intercourse. 

But  his  dread  of  what  the  future  had  in  store  for  him  was 
not  the  only,  nor  indeed  his  most  formidable  trouble.  It  was 
clearly  wrong  and  unreasonable  in  him  to  regard  it  as  a  trouble 
at  all,  that  the  young  men  in  and  around  Brookfield  should 
share  his  admiration  of  Nellie  May  and  heavily  tax  the  hospi- 
tality of  May  Meadows  by  the  assiduity  of  their  attentions 
to  her.  No  one  knew  better  than  Victor,  how  ungenerous  it 
was  to  the  young  lady,  to  grudge  her  the  triumphs  which  she 
enjoyed,  evidently  enough,  with  great  relish.  He  was  ashamed 
of  the  feeling,  too  ;  yet  he  could  not  conquer  it,  and  it  made 
him  downright  miserable  to  notice  the  frequency  of  Ralph 
Payton's    visits,    and    the    very    evident    pleasure  he  took  in 


232  THE  BEBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

Nellie's  society.  Nellie  herself  was  equall}-  frieudl}'  to  all  her 
callers ;  she  treated  even  Orlando  Jones,  whose  father  had 
taken  so  decided  a  part  against  her  own  father  at  the  election, 
with  friendly  courtesy. 

As  the  time  approached,  when  preparations  had  to  be  made 
for  the  departure  of  the  May  family,  it  was  determined  that  a 
great  party  should  be  given  in  honor  of  the  occasion.  It  was 
to  take  place  in  the  mansion  of  the  congressman-elect.  The 
wealthiest  and  most  influential  inhabitants  of  Brookfield  were 
to  be  there  as  guests,  not  excluding,  however,  the  humbler, 
and  even  humblest,  classes.  Expectation  was  on  tip-toe ;  the 
gathering  was  talked  of  long  beforehand  as  an  event  in  the 
history  of  the  town,  second  only  —  if  second  at  all  —  to  the 
great  barbecue  of  last  year.  Of  course,  the  Chronicle  of  the 
Southwest  could  not  afford  to  ignore  this  stirring  topic  of 
news,  and  Victor  received  orders  from  Mr.  Huffard  to  try  him- 
self at  writing  a  "  stunning  puff  "  for  the  member  of  Congress 
in  connection  with  the  "  grand  soiree,"  — which  the  editor-in- 
chief  directed  his  assistant  to  spell  ' '  swaree  "  —  to  be  given 
his  constituents  on  the  eve  of  his  departure  for  Washington. 

The  getting  up  of  the  "  puff  "  was  easy  enough  for  the  enthu- 
siastic admirer  of  Colonel  May;  the  only  danger  was,  indeed, 
that  it  would  assume  proportions  entirelj'  too  "  stunning  "  to 
go  into  print.  But  the  backwoodsmen  were  not  fastidious  in 
their  taste,  as  Mr.  Huffard  knew,  and  so  he  allowed  his  assist- 
ant's enthusiasm  full  sway.  The  "  swaree,"  however,  proved  a 
difficult  matter  for  him  to  handle.  He  had  no  clear  notion  of 
the  meaning  of  the  word,  nor  had  he  ever  been  present  at  any 
of  the  social  gatherings  at  which  young  people  of  both  sexes 
amuse  themselves  after  a  da}'  spent  in  helping  the  host  shuck 
corn,  raise  a  log  cabin  quilt  coverlet,  or  do  some  such  work 
requiring  many  hands,  and  offering  opportunity,  under  specious 
pretense,  for  social  intercourse  in  the  evening.  A  broad  grin 
overspread  the  editor's  face  as  Victor  confessed  his  perplexity  ; 
but  he  relieved  his  assistant's  doubts  by  dashing  off  a  few 
lines  himself,  descriptive  of    the  frolic   to  be  expected,  and 


AWAKENING   FROM  LOVE'S    YOUNG  DEE  AM.       233 

appended  it  to  Victor's  glowing  panegyric.  Tlius  it  happened, 
that  the  party  to  be  given  at  May  Meadows  was  heralded  to 
the  world  with  a  bombast  hardly  inferior  to  that  which,  a  year 
or  so  before,  had  ushered  in  the  great  barbecue. 

To  Nellie  the  event  promised  illimitable  enjoyment —  "  fun  " 
was  her  expression  for  it.  She  meant  to  have  all  the  fun  there 
was  in  it.  She  meant  to  show  what  could  be  done  in  the  way 
of  giving  a  party  by  one  of  the  first  families  of  Virginia. 
Leslie,  too,  looked  with  some  expectation  for  the  frolic  to  come 
off.  His  mustache  had  grown  somewhat  during  the  Summer, 
and  assumed  a  tinge  distinctly  contrasting  with  his  fine  com- 
plexion. So  he  coveted  the  opportunity  of  trying  its  effect  on 
the  susceptible  rural  belles,  before  pursuing  more  difficult 
game  at  Washington.  Victor  was  of  course  among  the  in- 
vited. He  would  have  greatly  preferred  a  quiet  evening  with 
Nellie  and  Leslie  to  the  finest  party  in  the  world,  and  abso- 
lutely cast  about  for  an  excuse  to  remain  away.  It  might 
have  been  better  for  his  subsequent  peace  of  mind  if  he  had 
succeeded  in  finding  a  pretext  for  absence  from  the  dreaded 
ordeal ;  but  his  conscience  forbade  a  direct  untruth,  and  he 
found  no  plausible  pretext  for  a  refusal  to  come. 

It  was  a  beautiful  evening  tow-ard  the  end  of  October,  when 
Victor  accompanied  by  his  chief  set  oufupou  the  well-known 
path  leading  to  May  Meadows.  Mr.  Huffard  was  in  one  of 
his  talkative  moods,  entertaining,  or  thinking  that  he  enter- 
tained, Victor  —  (for  this  young  man  was  nervously  thinking 
of  the  party)  —  with  reminiscences  of  similar  affairs  through 
which  he  had  gone  in  his  youth.  But  his  anecdotes  failed  to 
enliven  Victor's  spirits ;  they  rather  depressed  him,  for  in 
every  one  of  them  the  hero  turned  out  superior  to  his  sur- 
roundings, achieving  his  triumphs  by  dint  of  ready  wit,  or 
wonderful  presence  of  mind  —  qualities,  in  which  Victor  felt 
his  inferiority  but  too  keenly.  The  story  of  the  scarecrow 
haunted  his  memory  like  a  nightmare. 

Both  he  and  the  editor  were  received  kindly  enough,  how- 
ever.    The  Colonel,  as  he  shook  hands  in  courtlv,  vet  cordial 


234  THE  BEBEUS  DAUQHTEB. 

manner,  expressed  the  great  pleasure  it  gave  him  to  see  the 
"  gentlemen  of  the  press,"  in  whose  pleasure  it  lay  "  to  make 
or  mar  "  the  reputations  of  public  men.  Nellie  was  all  smiles 
and  whispered  to  the  young  man  her  hope,  that  he  would 
amuse  himself  well  enough  to  insert  a  favorable  notice  of  the 
party  in  the  Argus.  Both  Colonel  and  Mrs.  May  showed  their 
Southern  blood  by  the  quiet  tact  displayed  as  host  and  hostess, 
in  putting  their  guests  at  ease.  A  considerable  number  of 
these  had  already  arrived.  Among  them  Ralph  Payton  and 
other  members  of  the  last  year's  grammar  class.  The  rival 
merchants  of  Brookfleld  were  there  —  Mynheer  Van  Braaken 
deeming  it  wise  to  come,  in  the  interest  of  the  Dutch  Store, 
while  Mr,  Barnes  was  anxious  to  jDropitiate  the  member  of 
Congress  for  the  district,  although  he  had  not  voted  for  him. 

As  yet  the  sexes  seemed  afraid  of  each  other ;  the  young 
men  held  themselves  strictly  aloof  from  the  ladies,  —  talking 
in  little  groups  among  themselves,  and  showing,  by  the  readi- 
ness with  which  they  laughed,  loud  and  boisterously,  over 
each  puny  attempt  at  witticism,  how  thoroughly  self-possessed 
they  were,  and  how  immensely  they  enjoyed  themselves.  Not 
to  be  behind  them  in  the  display  of  sociability,  the  girls  on 
their  part  giggled  among  themselves. 

Leslie,  noticing  the  constraint  that  kept  the  young  people 
apart,  determined  to  break  the  ice  for  them.  An  old-fash- 
ioned "  play-song  "  he  knew  to  be  as  efficient  to  bring  to- 
gether a  room  full  of  people  anxious  to  be  sociable,  as  the 
Polonaise  in  opening  a  ball.  He  beckoned  to  Ralph  Payton, 
requesting  him  to  choose  a  partner  and  lead  off.  Nothing  loth, 
the  young  man  stepped  up  to  Miss  May  and  begged  her,  with 
a  graceful  bow,  to  honor  him,  while  Leslie  did  the  same  with 
Miss  Matlack.  The  quartette  promenaded  through  the  room 
singing,  to  a  popular  melod}^,  words,  which  Victor  understood 
about  as  follows : 

"  We  are  marching  on  to  Baltimore, 
Two  behind,  and  two  before; 
Let  our  band  be  never  parted. 


AWAKENING  FE03I  LOVE'S    YOUNG   DEE  AM.       235 

But  when  you  see  a  soldier  true, 
And  a  faithful  lassie  too, 

Then  open  the  ring 

And  let  another  in 
That  you  think  will  prove  true-hearted." 

The  i)romenaders  were  just  passing  Victor  when  they  sang 
the  last  w^ords,  and  he  was  puzzled  on  receiving  a  curtsy  from 
Miss  Matlack ;  Miss  Shannon,  who  had  received  a  similar 
compliment  from  Leslie,  approached  from  the  other  side  of  the 
room  and  took  Victor  by  the  hand.  Then  he  understood  that 
he  was  the  "  soldier  true  "  of  whom  they  had  been  singing, 
and  that  Miss  Shannon  must  be  the  lassie  allotted  to  be  faithful 
to  him.  So  he  bravely  marched  along  in  the  procession  with  his 
fair  partner,  swelling  the  chorus  of  voices  that  were  now  again 

" — marching  on  to  Baltimore," 

until  they  had  ' '  taken  another  in  ;  "  after  which  the  singing 
and  marching  continued,  until  as  many  as  wished  to  participate 
had  taken  up  the  march  to  Baltimore. 

Victor  having  never  seen  anything  of  the  kind  before,  was 
for  a  while  quite  interested.  It  amused  him  to  see  how 
anxious  some  of  the  outsiders  seemed,  to  be  elected  into  the 
patriotic  band.  But  as  the  procession  grew  in  numbers,  and 
the  same  words  Avere  repeated  without  variation,  the  interest 
slackened,  and  he  wondered  how  long  the  thing  was  going  to 
last  in  this  way.  A  question  to  this  effect  brought  from  his 
fair  partner  an  exultant  smile.  "  Oh  —  don't  you  know?  "  she 
whispered  eagerly,  "  why,  all  the  fun  is  going  to  come  in  the 
wind-up.     You  will  see." 

And  he  did  see.  Upon  a  signal  from  Pay  ton  the  procession 
came  to  a  halt,  the  song  ceased,  and  he  led  Miss  May  into  the 
middle  of  the  room,  the  others  joining  hands  and  forming  a 
circle  around  the  couple  in  the  center.  Leslie  then  led  off 
with  a  new  song  to  a  different  air,  somewhat  in  this  fashion : 

"  King  William  was  King  James's  son, 
Upon  a  royal  race  the}'  run  ; 


236  THE  REBEL' 8  DAUGHTEli. 

Upon  his  breast  he  wore  a  star 
That  shone  near  and  that  shone  far. 
Down  on  the  carpet  you  must  kneel 
As  sure  as  grass  grows  on  the  field  —  ' ' 

Ralph  Pay  ton  gracefully  complied  with  this  injunction,  and 
it  gave  Victor  a  genuine  pang  of  distress  to  notice  the  charm- 
ing tableau  presented  by  the  couple  in  this  attitude  —  Nellie 
standing  erect,  radiant  in  her  loveliness,  looking  down  upon 
her  gallant  adorer  with  a  roguish  smile ;  Ralph  in  elegant 
pose,  holding  tlie  tips  of  her  fingers  in  his  right  hand,  gazing 
with  rapt  admiration  into  her  beautiful  face.  The  song 
continued : 

' '  Salute  your  bride  and  kiss  her  sweet  —  ' ' 

Suiting  the  action  to  the  words  Ralph  leaped  up,  encircled  the 
lovely  maiden  with  his  arm,  and  culled  from  her  tempting  lips 
the  reward  for  his  chivalry. 

This  filled  Victor's  cup  of  misery.  It  cost  him  a  powerful 
effort  to  conceal  his  emotion,  and  it  was  absolutely  impossible 
for  him  to  answer  in  words  the  tittering  remark  of  his  partner, 
"  Didn't  they  do  it  nicely?  "  His  heart  beat  in  almost  audi- 
ble throbs  as  she  said,  "  I  wonder  who  is  going  to  be  her  real 
choice?  " 

The  song  went  on  :  — 

"  Now  you  may  rise  upon  your  feet —  " 

whereupon  Ralph,  with  courtly  bow,  answered  by  an  equally 
graceful  curtsy  from  her,  left  the  circle.  Still  the  song  went 
on;  Nellie,  meanwhile,  mustering  the  faces  of  those  com^wsing 
the  ring : 

"  If  he's  not  here  to  take  your  part, 
Go  choose  another  with  all  your  heart ; 
Go  choose  in  the  East,  go  choose  in  the  West, 
Go  choose  the  one  that  you  love  best !  ' ' 

Victor  was  intensely  excited.  She  was  now  to  "  choose  the 
one  that   she  loves    best."      Whom  ivill  she  choose?    Nellie's 


AWAKENING   FROM  LOVE'S   YOUNG   DUE  AM.       237 

eyes,  in  sweeping  over  tlie  circle,  caught  the  intensely  eager 
gaze  of  Victor,  and  a  bright  smile  illumined  her  face.  But 
only  for  a  moment.  Then  her  eyes  turned  from  him,  searching 
for  some  one  else.     As  the  words  were  reached : 

"  Go  choose  the  one  that  you  love  best  " 

she  nodded,  smiled  sweetly,  —  not  on  Victor.  He  was  petri- 
fied with  dismay  to  see  Orlando  Jones  step  into  the  ring,  kneel 
to  her,  and  be  kissed  by  her !  Orlando  Jones  —  his  bitter 
enemy  from  the  grammar  class, — his  traducer,  he,  whom 
Nellie,  a  little  more  than  a  year  ago,  had  called  a  low,  mean 
fellow,  and  now,  to  Jiiss  him!  He  never  forgot  the  bitterness 
of  that  moment.  But  for  the  soreness  of  his  heart  his  wounded 
vanity  might  have  been  soothed  by  the  malice  of  Miss  Shan- 
non's remark,  "isn't  it  just  too  ridiculous  to  see  Mr.  Jones 
stand  up  with  Nellie  May,  after  Ralph  Pay  ton?  "  Even  Nel- 
lie's encouraging  smile  and  the  assurance  whispered  into  his 
ear  as  she  passed  out  of  the  circle  to  resume  her  duties  as 
hostess,  that  his  time  to  choose  and  be  chosen  would  soon 
come,  failed  to  lighten  the  burden  at  his  heart.  What  cared 
he  to  be  chosen  by  any  but  the  one  maiden  in  all  the  world ,  or 
to  choose,  when  she  was  not  to  be  chosen? 

The  song  went  on  as  if  nothing  had  happened  to  blot  out  the 
sunshine  of  his  life.  One  by  one  the  youths  and  lasses  were 
invited  into  the  coveted  ch'cle,  and  dismissed  from  it,  until  his 
own  turn  came ;  he  went  through  the  motions  as  he  had  seen 
others  do,  chosen  by  whom  he  cared  not ;  choosing,  he  hardly 
knew  whom;  kissing  with  an  indifference  hardly  just  to  his 
fair  partners. 

The  introductory  play-song  and  its  winding  up  had  occupied 
a  considerable  portion  of  the  evening,  and  Leslie  had  fully 
accomplished  his  purpose.  The  conversation  was  general  and 
very  lively  long  before  its  completion.  The  older  guests  had 
grouped  themselves  according  to  their  inclinations  and  talked 
about  politics,  crops,  the  marvelous  development  of  Brook- 
field,  and  whatever  other  topics  that  lay  nearest  their  interests, 


238  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

while  the  younger  ones  discussed  affairs  most  interesting  to 
them,  much  as  young  people  do  everywhere,  finding  ever  new 
fascination  in  the  old,  old  story.  Nellie  flitted  about  among 
her  guests  like  a  lovely  butterfly,  laughing  and  chatting  now 
with  one  group,  now  with  another,  always  merry,  always 
graceful,  the  favorite  of  young  and  old,  having  won  the  aj}- 
proval  of  even  the  young  lady  guests  by  her  tact  in  choosing 
the  least  popular  young  swains  to  be  favored  with  her  kiss, 
whereby  she  had  so  deeply  wounded  poor  Victor.  But  she 
had  determined  with  equal  tact  on  compensating  him  in  her 
own  way,  later  in  the  evening.  Refreshments  Avere  not  want- 
ing: Lemonade  for  the  ladies  ;  for  the  men,  — patronized  not 
exclusively  by  the  elder  ones  —  the  staple  beverage  of  the 
country,  whiskey.  For  those  who  liked  it,  the  Colonel  had 
provided  wine,  relished,  however,  by  but  few.  What  with  the 
exhilarating  effects  of  the  whiskey,  the  wine,  and  the  cheering 
influence  of  pleasant  and  social  intercourse,  the  assemblage 
was  soon  in  the  best  possible  spirits. 

Games  of  various  kinds  were  introduced  and  participated  in 
with  enthusiastic  enjoyment.  In  one  of  them  it  fell  to  the  lot 
of  Leslie  to  name  the  penance  by  which  a  forfeit  was  to  be 
redeemed.  Although  his  eyes  were  bandaged,  he  correctly 
surmised  the  pawn  to  belong  to  Victor,  and,  having  noticed 
the  young  man's  depression,  determined  to  give  him  an  oppor- 
tunity to  show  off  in  his  own  line,  and  put  himself  in  a  better 
light  before  the  company.  So  he  decreed  that  the  ow^ner  of 
the  pawn  must  instantly  pronounce  a  funeral  sermon  on  the 
demise  of  the  Whig  party.  Victor  was  greatly  embarrassed. 
But  he  must  not  show  the  white  feather.  Summoning  all  his 
courage,  he  stepped  forward  and  claimed  the  pawn.  "  I  will 
give  you  a  few  words  of  lament  instead  of  the  sermon,"  he 
said,  when  the  applause  had  subsided,  with  which  the  company 
had  received  the  announcement  of  the  sentence  against  the 
owner  of  the  forfeit ;  ' '  such  as  a  patriotic  whig  might  be 
supposed  to  indulge  in  after  the  defeat  of  his  party.  I  shall 
call  it 


AWAKENING  FBOM  LOVE'S   YOUNQ   DEE  AM.       239 

THE  LAY  OF  A  GOXE  COON. 

Old  Tip  is  dead 

And  the  coons  are  fled 
To  a  country  all  unknown,  Sir! 

Our  cider's  spilt 

And  the  cabins  we  built 
Are  up  to  the  moon  all  blown,  Sir ! 

And  Tyler,  too, 

Has  proved  untrue 
Since  the  coons  away  did  go.  Sir! 

And  so  we  moan 

Forlorn  and  lone 
Like  a  widow  without  a  beau ,  Sir ! 

Here's  Harry,  who 

Oft  tried  to  woo 
The  people  in  his  way.  Sir ! 

But  his  ways  don't  take. 

And  'tis  a  mistake 
To  trust  this  kind  of  Clay,  Sir! 

Even  God-like  Dan 

Is  not  the  man 
That  can  us  now  avail.  Sir ! 

So  we  must  weep 

Our  misery  deep 
And  up  Salt  Eiver  sail,  Sir!  " 

The  beginning  of  the  declamation,  spoken  in  a  low,  uncer- 
tain voice,  amid  the  buzz  of  conversation  carried  on  outside 
of  the  circle  of  those  participating  in  the  game,  was  lost  to 
most  of  the  company;  but  before  he  had  concluded,  the 
utmost  silence  prevailed,  and  when  he  was  through  there  was 
a  general  clamor  for  a  repetition,  in  which  General  Waddle 
the  defeated  whig  candidate  for  Congress,  joined.  So  Victor, 
although  he  had  honestly  redeemed  his  forfeit,  was  by  general 
acclamation    sentenced   to   pay   the    i^enalty   a   second  time. 


240  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

Restored  to  a  degree  of  confldeuce  by  the  flattering  request, 
he  succeeded  in  reciting  the  little  lampoon  in  a  steadier  voice 
emphasizing  the  tone  of  dejection  and  philosophical  resigna- 
tion he  meant  to  express,  and  thus  greatly  heightening  the 
effect  upon  the  company.  The  applause  was  spontaneous  and 
cordial;  more  so  from  the  older  than  from  the  younger  folks, 
for  every  line  contained  some  illusion  to  the  well-remembered 
"  hard  cider  and  log  cabin  "  campaign,  in  which  the  "  coons," 
as  the  whigs  were  derisively  called,  had  gained  so  brilliant  a 
victory,  and  been  so  bitterly  disappointed  of  its  fruits  in  con- 
sequence of  the  death  of  the  president  and  defection  of  the 
vice-president. 

"  A  very  creditable  performance,"  was  the  verdict  of  Gen- 
eral Waddle.  "  If  the  situation  depicted  were  only  true,  I 
would  call  it  a  most  excellent  performance.  As  it  is,  we  must 
give  our  Democratic  young  friend  credit  for  a  lively  imagina- 
tion, and  a  marvelous  proficiency  in  improvisation." 

Victor  blushed  with  pleasure,  and  his  eyes  sought  out 
Nellie,  who  beamed  upon  him  an  approval  that  he  prized  more 
highly  than  even  the  encomiums  from  her  father,  and  all  the 
rest  of  the  company  together.  But  his  honesty  would  not  per- 
mit him  to  api^ropriate  laurels  not  strictly  his  due.  "  It  is 
not  an  improvisation,"  he  said.  "I  had  thought  it  out 
before." 

"What!  "  exclaimed  Mr.  Huffard,  his  brows  contracting 
with  comical  indignation,  "  and  kept  it  treacherously  to  your- 
self? Don't  you  know,  that  your  brain,  and  all  its  political 
and  poetical  i)roductions  belong  to  the  Argus?  To  think  that 
it  should  have  been  despoiled  of  its  legitimate  dues  in  this  sur- 
reptitious manner!     You'll  bear  watching,  young  man!  " 

"  We  will  have  it  in  the  Argus  in  proper  time,"  cried 
Leslie,  well  pleased  by  his  success  in  bringing  Victor  out  of 
his  dumps.  "But  just  now  we  will  make  a  song  of  it.  It 
will  go  excellently  well  to  the  tune  of  "  Sitting  on  a  Rail." 
So  let  us  have  the  words  once  more,  Victor,  and  the  whole 
company,  whigs  and  all,  will  join  in  the  chorus." 


AWAKENING    FliOM  LOVE'S    YOUNG   DREAM.        241 

The  song  was  a  social  success.  Every  person  present  was 
familiar  with  the  tune  to  which  "  The  Lay  of  a  Gone  Coon," 
was  sung  with  a  hearty  good  will. 

But  the  grand  feature  of  the  May  Meadows  party  was  still 
in  petto  of  Nellie  and  Leslie.  It  was  nothing  less  than  a  mock- 
marriage,  with  all  the  pomp  and  circumstance  of  a  real  one,  — 
a  bride,  bridesmaids,  groom,  groomsmen,  parson,  ceremony, 
reception,  festive  wedding  supper,  and  dancing  for  those  whose 
conscience  did  not  forbid  the  delightful  pastime.  The  idea 
had  originated  with  Nellie,  who  would  of  course  personate  the 
bride,  and  she  had  extensively  provided  herself  with  the  neces- 
sary ornaments  and  trappings  appropriate  to  the  occasion  — 
bridal  robe,  veil,  wreath,  rings  and  all.  Although  Leslie  had, 
at  first,  been  reluctant  to  enter  into  the  scheme,  he,  when  his 
impetuous  sister  had  coaxed  him  into  it,  seconded  her  plans 
with  energy,  and  had  undertaken  to  acquaint  the  company  at 
the  proper  time  with  the  proposed  entertainment,  as  well  as  to 
attend  to  such  other  matters  of  detail  as  would  more  properly 
be  attended  to  by  him.  It  fell  to  his  lot  to  select  the  ladies 
and  gentlemen  who  were  to  act  as  bridesmaids  and  groomsmen, 
and  also  to  inform  the  groom  himself  of  the  high  distinction 
that  was  to  be  conferred  upon  him.  The  brother  and  sister 
had  kept  the  whole  thing  a  profound  secret  until  the  time  for 
action  came,  —  partly  because  it  would  enhance  the  enjoyment 
of  the  affair  if  sprung  upon  the  company  as  a  surprise,  and 
partly  because  the}'  wished  to  avoid  the  gossip  that  might  busy 
itself  with  the  relations  between  Nellie  and  the  gentleman  chosen 
as  groom. 

During  a  somewhat  protracted  absence  of  Nellie  from  the 
room,  the  cause  of  which  Victor  sought  in  vain  to  imagine, 
Leslie  surprised  him  by  a  whispered  invitation  to  follow  him 
into  a  side  room,  where  he  completely  took  away  his  breath  by 
the  inquiry,  how  he  would  like  it  to  become  Nellie's  husband? 
A  crimson  flood  suffused  the  3'oung  man's  cheeks  and  fore- 
head, followed  swiftly  by  a  deathly  pallor. 

"Nellie's  husband!"  he  stammered,    stunned  by  the  bare 

16 


242  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

mention  of  that  as  a  possibility,  which  he  had  in  his  inmost 
lieart,  in  rare  moments  only,  dared  to  picture  to  himself  as 
supreme,  but  utterly  unattainable,  bliss.  "What  —  what  do 
you  mean?  " 

-  "  Just  what  I  say,"  Leslie,  replied,  smiling  mischievously. 
"  Nellie  wants  to  get  married  to-night,  and  has  hit  upon  you 
for  a  partner.     Have  you  any  objection?  " 

"  I?  Marry  3Iiss  Nellie?  "  Victor  slowly  repeated,  gazing 
into  her  brother's  face  in  helpless  bewilderment.  "  You  do 
not  —  you  cannot  — .mean  it  ?  " 

"  Why  not?  "  replied  Leslie,  with  a  tantalizing  smile,  keenly 
enjoying  Victor's  dazed  astonishment.  Then,  as  if  taking 
pity  ou  his  painful  perplexity,  he  added:  "  Not  for  good,  you 
know,  but  just  in  fun.  We  wish  to  entertain  our  guests  with 
the  sijectacle  of  a  wedding,  and  Nellie  believes  it  will  give  you 
pleasure  to  stand  up  with  her  for  the  mock  ceremony.  It  is 
all  play,  you  know :  but  I  dare  say  that  many  of  the  l)oys  will 
envy  you  the  fun  you  will  have." 

"Oh!  "  sighed  Victor,  catching  his  breath,  as  if  relieved 
from  a  heavy  burden.  "Just  for  fun!  "  Then  he  added, 
the  color  coming  back  into  his  face  more  deeply  than  before, 
"  Miss  Nellie  wishes  'to  marry  —  me  —  in  fun!  " 

"Yes,"  Leslie  rejoined,  "I  am  sure  it  will  be  capital 
sport  to  you  and  Nellie,  —  and  to  the  whole  company —  to  go 
through  the  whole  rigmarole  of  a  marriage  ceremony,  —  the 
parson  standing  before  you,  joining  your  hands  and  preaching 
to  you  about  the  duties  of  married  life,  and  all  that.  By  the 
by,  I  mean  to  have  Huffard  act  the  parson.  Won't  he  put  all 
the  •  mock  gravity  and  sanctimonious  unction  required  for  the 
solemnity  of  the  occasion  into  his  part?  I  think  I  hear  him 
enjoin  you  to  '  love,  honor  and  obey  '  sister  Nellie!  Beware, 
Victor,  how  you  promise,  or  she  will  make  you  her  abject 
slave  for  the  rest  of  your  life." 

Again  the  color  faded  from  Victor's  face,  — hardly,  how- 
ever, because  he  feai'ed  the  doom  of  slavery  at  Nellie's  hands  — 
for  he  said,  with  an  imploring  look  into  Leslie's  eyes,  genuine 


AWAKENING   FROM  LOVE'S   YOUNG   DUE  AM.       243 

agony  audible  even  in  liis  whis^jered  words :  "I  am  sorry,  Mr. 
May,  that  Miss  May  wishes  to  marry —  in  fan." 

' '  Sorry ,  Victor  ?     Why  ?  " 

Victor  made  no  answer  to  this  question,  but  continued,  after 
a  brief  pause,  during  which  his  eyes  had  slowly  dropped,  as  if 
unable  to  Ijear  .the  astonished  gaze  of  his  friend:  •' I  thank 
you,  and  I  thank  your  sister,  from  the  bottom  of  my  heart,  for 
your  very  great  kindness.  It  was,  indeed,  very  kind  of  you  — 
of  both  of  you  —  to  think  of  me  in  —  in  this  way.  But  I  —  I 
cannot  stand  up  with  Miss  May  —  in  fun  !  ' ' 

"  What  do  you  mean?  What  on  earth  can  be  your  objec- 
tion?" Leslie  exclaimed,  his  astonishment  fast  turning  into 
anger.  "  You  have  always  professed  such  chivalrous  devo- 
tion to  my  sister,  that  we  thought  that  this  thing  would  be  a 
gratification  to  you.  And  now  you  say  that  you  can't  do  it? 
Nellie  will  be  even  more  surprised  than  I  am !  " 

"  Oh,  do  not  be  angry,  Mr.  May!  "  implored  Victor.  "  It 
would  make  me  but  too  happy  to  do  anything  for  you  and  Miss 
May  —  anything  compatible  with  honor  and  duty —  " 

"  Compatible  with  honor  and  duty!  "  Leslie  repeated  in  a 
tone  of  withering  sarcasm,  his  brows  contracting  to  a  sinister 
scowl  that  absolutely  frightened  Victor,  who  had  never  seen 
his  friend  in  such  a  mood.  "And  pray,  Mr.  Waldhorst,  do 
you  consider  it  incompatible  with  honor  and  duty  to  stand  up 
with  Miss  May  ?  ' ' 

"  To  make  sport  of  so  sacred  a  thing!  "  said  Victor,  in  a 
whisper  hai'dly  audible.  "  It  would  be  committing  sacrilege, 
to  repeat,  before  a  whole  room  full  of  people,  who  would 
giggle  and  laugh,  words  of  the  most  sacred  import,  in  wanton 
mockerj^" 

He  had  hardly  finished  these  words  when  the  door  opened 
and  Nellie,  wreathed  in  smiles,  and  in  Victor's  eyes  unspeak- 
ably beautiful  in  the  bridal  robe  of  snowy  whiteness,  entered 
and,  walking  straight  up  to  Leslie,  asked  him  whether  he  had 
gotten  through  with  all  the  arrangements  ;  but  w^ithout  waiting 
for  an  answer,  she  turned  to  Victor,  who  stood  spellbound  in 


244  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTEB. 

the  presence  of  such  ravishing  beauty,  and  asked  him  with  a 
gracious  smile:  "How  do  you  like  your  bride,  Mr.  Wald- 
horst?" 

Victor  made  no  answer.  The  beads  of  perspiration  gathering 
on  his  forehead  gave  token  of  the  anguish  that  racked  his  soul. 

Nellie  sobered  up.  "  Why,  what  is  the  matter,  Mr.  Wald- 
horst?  "  she  asked.  "  I  expected  a  different  welcome  to 
this,  from  my  devoted  cavalier,  when  he  is  about  to  receive 
his  reward  for  his  faithful  constancy." 

"Faithful  fiddlesticks!"  Leslie  spoke  up.  "Behold  a 
sanctimonious  Puritan,  who  finds  it  '  incompatible  with  honor 
and  duty  '  to  marry  my  sister,  even  in  fun !  He  evidently 
thinks  you  a  forward  minx,  to  ask  him  to  marry  j^ou,  and 
sternly  gives  you  the  mitten.  Serves  us  right,  though,  for  our 
folly  in  not  taking  into  account  the  fastidious  taste  of  your  — 
outlandish  beau." 

The  girl  turned  as  white  as  her  bridal  robe.  "  Is  this  so, 
Mr.  Waldhorst?  "  she  inquired  in  low  accents,  regarding 
Victor  with  pathetic  appeal  for  contradiction.  But  as  Victor 
hung  his  head  without  replying  in  words,  the  blood  rushed 
back  in  a  mighty  flood,  dying  her  neck,  cheeks  and  forehead 
with  lovely  crimson  ;  and  she  flashed  upon  him  such  a  look  of 
angry  indignation  and  fierce  scorn,  as  might  have  caused  a 
bolder  man  than  Victor  to  quail.  Turning  to  her  brother,  she 
bade  him  at  once  summon  Mr.  Payton,  adding  that  he,  at 
least,  would  not  disgrace  her  by  a  shameful  repulse. 

When  Leslie  had  left  the  room,  after  assuring  his  sister  that 
everything  would  be  ready  in  a  minute  or  two,  Victor  essayed 
to  beg  forgiveness  of  the  haughty  beauty.  His  voice  sounded 
hollow,  even  to  his  own  ear;  but  he  managed,  by  a  mighty 
effort,  to  stammer  out  a  few  words.  Instead  of  answering 
him,  she  said,  in  a  voice  that  froze  the  young  man's  blood, 
"  I  have  a  great  favor  to  ask  of  you.  If  you  possess  a  spark 
of  manhood,  you  will  not  refuse  it.  I  beg  of  you,  that  you 
will  not  boast  of  the  triumph  you  have  gained  over  me  this 
night." 


^v/v^...  . 


'' Faithful  McUesticks  1  "  Leslie  spoke  up. 


AWAKENING   FBOM  LOVE'S    YOUNG   DUE  AM.       245 

"  You  wrong  ine,  Miss  Nellie  !  Oh,  how  you  misunderstand 
me!  "  The  words  were  wrung  from  Victor  in  very  torture, 
and  Avere  his  only  reply  to  Nellie's  cruel  speech. 

"  My  name  is  Eleonora ;  and  strangers  call  me  by  the  name 
mj'  father  bears,"  she  said,  haughtil}'. 

The  entrance  of  Ralph  Payton,  at  this  moment,  smiling  in 
eager  expectation,  relieved  Victor  from  the  necessity  of  reply- 
ing, and  made  it  impossible  to  seek  to  explain  himself  more 
fully.     He  felt  himself  dismissed. 

In  leaving  the  room  he  caught  what  appeared  to  him  a  glance 
of  malicious  triumph  from  Payton,  and  noticed  the  unusual 
paleness  of  Nellie's  face,  as  she  smiled  upon  the  latter.  He 
noticed  also  that  she  had  not  quite  relaxed  her  haughty 
bearing. 

*  *  * 

It  is  not  important  to  dwell  upon  the  further  events  transpir- 
ing at  the  party.  So  much  may  be  recorded,  that  the  mock 
marriage  was  gone  through  with,  almost  literally  in  accordance 
with  the  program  laid  down  by  the  brother  and  sister,  save 
that  Nellie  was  led  to  the  improvised  altar  with  a  grace  and 
elegance  that  Victor  could  not  have  displayed.  The  reception 
after  the  ceremony,  at  which  the  bride  was  kissed  by  all  the 
gentlemen  present,  as  was  the  fashion  at  real  weddings,  —  the 
sumptuous  supper,  served  in  a  style  befitting  the  hospitality  of 
the  May  family  —  the  dance,  to  the  music  of  two  negro  fid- 
dlers, at  which  the  bridal  couple  led  off  in  a  waltz,  and  had 
all  the  floor  to  themselves,  round  dances  being  comparatively 
unknown  at  Brookfield,  —  all  came  off  to  the  great  edification 
of  the  assemblage,  who  voted  the  May  party  a  grand  success 
and  noted  the  feature  of  the  mock-marriage  for  imitation  on 
future  occasions. 

When  the  guests  had  departed,  Nellie  sat  weai'ily  upon  a 
lounge,  reflecting,  with  a  far-off  look  in  her  eyes,  on  the 
occurrences  of  the  night.  Leslie  broke  in  upon  her  revery 
with  the  question:  "  Well,  Sissy,  and  what  do  you  think  of 
our  part}'?     I  rather  flatter  myself  that  it  was  comme  il  faat. 


246  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

The  palm  of  success  is  unquestionably  due  to  you,  for  I  fancy 
that  that  mock-marriage  astonished  the  natives  and  will  become 
an  institution  at  all  their  frolics  hereafter." 

Nellie  was  wrapped  in  deep  thought.  Without  looking  at 
her  brother  she  said:  "I  wish,  that  we  had  not  set  the 
example." 

"  What?  "  exclaimed  Leslie,  regarding  his  sister  with  un- 
feigned astonishment.  "  Wh}',  I  almost  believe  that  that 
silly  boy  has  infected  you  with  his  Puritanical  squeamish- 
ness.  He  deserves  a  cowhiding  for  his  shameful  insult  to 
you." 

"Victor  is  a  romantic  dunce,"  said  the  girl,  deliberately, 
"  and  he  has  thoroughly  spoilt  for  me  the  enjoyment  of  the 
evening,  to  which  I  had  looked  forward  so  eagerly.  But  his 
punishment  has  been  far  more  severe  than  his  offense.  I  dare 
say  that  he  will  not  soon  forget  the  cut  I  gave  him." 

"  And  serve  him  right !  "  Leslie  interrupted  her.  "  It  makes 
my  blood  boil  even  now  to  think  of  his  insolence  and  ingrati- 
tude, after  the  petting  he  has  received  in  this  house.  Don't 
let  the  thought  of  him  disturb  your  enjoyment  of  the  triumph 
in  the  success  of  our  —  let  me  say  your —  stroke  of  genius." 

"  Was  it  quite  the  thing,  Leslie,  for  me  to  make  a  spectacle 
of  myself,  for  the  amusement  and  gratification  of  vulgar 
loobies?  "  Nellie  asked,  her  manner  indicating  that  her  Avords 
implied  an  assertion  rather  than  a  question. 

"  For  mercy's  sake,  Nellie,  don't  become  a  sentimental  fool, 
like  this  German  dreamer  !  You  will  make  yourself  the  laugh- 
ing stock  of  the  whole  town.  Talking  about  loobies, —  think 
what  a  painful  experience  you  escaped  in  not  having  to  go 
through  the  ceremony  with  him." 

"  Yes,  Leslie.  And  it  was  Victor  that  saved  me  from  that 
ordeal.  Don't  you  think  that  he  showed  himself  more  of  a 
gentleman  —  ' ' 

"  Than?  "  demanded  Leslie,  as  Nellie  hesitated. 

"Than  I  showed  myself  a  lady?"  said  Nellie,  smiling 
dubiously. 


AWAKENING   FROM  LOVE'S   YOUNG   DREAM.       247 

"Bosh!  Get  off  to  bed !  "  said  Leslie.  "You  are  worn 
out  and  sleepy.  To-morrow  you  will  be  yourself  again,  and 
be  proud  of  the  triumj)hs  you  have  scored  to-night." 

"  I  hope  I  will,"  was  Nellie's  response,  as  she  languidly 
bid  her  brother  good-night. 

Whatever  effect  the  party  at  May  Meadows  may  have  had 
on  the  young  people  having  attended  it,  it  certainly  proved 
a  turning  point  in  the  life  of  the  printer's  apprentice.  The 
May  family  departed  for  Washington  a  few  days  afterwards, 
and  so  Victor  was  deprived  of  the  melancholy  pleasure  of 
bidding  farewell  to  his  young  friends.  For  it  occurred  to  him 
that  under  the  circumstances  it  would  be  for  him  a  humil- 
iation to  visit  May  Meadows.  So  he  saw  nothing  more  of 
either  Leslie  or  Nellie.  Colonel  May  himself  was  as  cordial 
as  ever  when,  on  the  morning  of  the  departure,  he  came  to 
the  printing  office  to  say  good-bye  to  Huffard  and  Victor, 
playfully  requesting  the  latter  to  remember  him  kindly, 
and  leniently  criticise  his  official  conduct  in  Congress.  It 
w^as,  of  course,  out  of  the  question,  he  knew,  for  the  young- 
lady  to  call  on  him  ;  but  he  had  secretly  hoped  that  Leslie 
would  shake  hands  with  him  before  leaving,  and  perhaps  say 
that  Nellie  wished  him  good-bye.  It  stung  him  to  the  quick, 
therefore,  to  see  the  carriages  start  for  the  metropolis,  where 
the  family  were  to  take  boat  for  Pittsburg,  without  his  having 
received  so  much  as  a  word  or  a  glance  from  either. 

Perhaps  it  was  well  for  Victor  that  things  took  this  turn. 
For  even  his  infatuation  did  not  prevent  him  from  seeing,  — 
though  so  thoroughly  biased  in  their  favor  —  the  cruel  injustice 
of  their  conduct.  His  mettle  was,  for  once,  aroused.  Pride 
came  to  his  aid  in  battling  with  his  feeling  of  bitter  disappoint- 
ment. He  had  acted  rightly.  They  were  in  the  wrong.  But 
however  soothing  to  his  dignity,  the  spirit  of  resentment  and 
retaliation  engendered  by  the  contemplation  of  their  injustice, 
was  not  so  potent  as  to  heal  the  ache  in  the  innermost  recesses 
of  his  heart.  Deep  down,  there  was  woe  more  bitter  than  the 
wounds  caused  by  the  harsh  treatment  he  ha(,l  received,  —  an 


248  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

agony  all  the  more  poignant  because  he  was  hardly  aware  of 
its  true  cause.  Nellie  herself  had  dimmed  the  lustre  of  the 
halo  created  about  her  person  by  his  poetic  imagination.  She 
had,  with  cruel  hand,  sullied  his  divinely  beautiful  ideal  of 
womanhood,  —  most  cruel,  because  none  other  than  her  own 
hand  could  besmirch  his  worshiped  idol. 

But  the  rude  awakening  from  his  romantic  dreams,  so  far 
from  crushing  out  his  ambitious  aspirations,  served  as  a  new 
impetus  to  school  himself  for  a  life  of  usefulness  in  the  service 
of  humanity  —  of  freedom,  as  ideally  embodied  in  the  princi- 
ples underljang  the  American  government, — of  Democracy, 
as  the  party  whose  goal  was  the  realization  of  his  ideal. 
Firm  in  this  conviction,  he  devoted  himself  to  the  task  of 
becoming  a  true  democrat,  and  threw  himself  with  all  his 
might  upon  the  discharge  of  the  duties  immediately  before 
him. 

During  the  next  few  years  he  thoroughly  mastered  the  de- 
tails of  the  printing  business,  so  far  as  the  limited  resources 
of  a  country  office  permitted.  Nor  did  he  neglect  the  diligent 
study  of  the  law  under  the  guidance  of  Mr.  Yancey,  making 
such  progress  therein  as  elicited  admiration  and  sincere  com- 
mendation from  this  gentleman.  He  took  occasion,  indeed,  to 
suggest  to  Victor  to  seek  a  wider  field  for  the  display  of  his 
talent  than  Brookfleld  afforded,  —  a  piece  of  advice  that  im- 
pressed the  young  man,  because  it  so  perfectly  accorded  with 
nis  own  inclination. 

Colonel  May  had  ])een  twice  re-elected  to  Congress,  owing 
much  of  his  success,  at  home  at  least,  to  the  loyal,  vigorous 
support  received  fixDm  the  Ozark  Argus,  the  leading  articles  of 
which  emanated  mostly  from  Victor's  pen.  He  spent  several 
months  during  the  recess  of  Congress,  at  home  ;  but  the  family 
had  not  returned.  They  spent  the  most  of  the  time  when 
Congress  was  not  in  session  in  traveling,  both  in  Europe  and 
in  the  United  States,  accompanied,  sometimes,  by  Leslie,  who, 
as  Victor  had  learned  from  the  Colonel,  was  now  about  to 
settle  in  the  metropolis  for  the  practice  of  the  law.     The  attach- 


AWAKENING   FROM  LOVE'S    YOUNG    DREAM.       249 

ment  of  the  youug  man  for  his  early  patron  suffered  no 
diminution  ;  indeed,  their  intercourse  was,  considering  the  dif- 
ference in  their  ages  and  position  in  life,  remarkably  intimate, 
arid  the  interchange  of  letters  between  them  livel}^  But  while 
Victor  preserved  the  most  ardent  sentiments  of  gratitude  and 
admiration  for  his  benefactor,  their  communications  related 
mostly  to  political  affairs,  and  the  magnet  that  had  once  drawn 
him  so  powerfully  to  May  Meadows,  was  no  longer  there. 
Nellie  and  Leslie  gone,  what  was  there  to  attract  Victor? 

Letters  about  this  time  received  from  his  sister,  breathing  a 
love  and  affection  very  grateful  to  his  hungry  heart,  awakened 
a  feeling  akin  to  homesickness  which,  in  connection  with  advice 
received  from  Mr.  Yancey,  ripened  in  his  mind  the  resolution, 
to  turn  his  back  upon  the  town  of  Brookfield,  and  to  seek  in 
the  great  city,  a  iield  of  activity  at  once  more  congenial  to  his 
tastes  and  more  promising  to  his  ambition. 

He  left  the  town,  one  lovely  day  of  Spring,  in  company  of 
his  old  companion,  Yahkop,  regretted  by  none  so  much  as  by 
Mr.  Huffard,  who,  however,  joined  his  former  chief,  Mynheer 
Van  Braaken,  in  prophesying  for  him  a  bright  future,  in  a 
sphere  af^jrding  scope  for  his  ambition. 


PART  SECOND: 
DEMOCRACY  DIVIDED  AGAINST  ITSELF. 


XVI. 

GAMBRINUS   UNDER  A   CLOUD. 

HS^  politics  of  the  country,  as  viewed  by  politicians  of 
the  ordinary  calibre,  were  in  a  muddle.  Self-consti- 
tuted rulers  of  primaries  and  ward-meeting  orators 
had  lost  their  reckoning.  For  the  straws  that  indicated  the 
public  mind  were  blown,  by  fitful  gusts  of  political  winds,  in 
unexpected  and  incalculable  directions.  Fickleness  was  a 
mild  term  to  apply  to  the  mood  in  which  the  political  weather- 
vane  boxed  the  compass  in  erratic  jumps.  Croakers  there 
were,  who  saw  portentous  clouds  arise  in  the  political  hori- 
zon, auguring  foul  weather  to  follow.  But  they  shared  the 
fate  of  curse-stricken  Cassandra,  whose  prophesies  of  evil 
fell  upon  listless  ears.  Hopeful,  easy  going  patriots  of  the 
stay-at-home  class  dreamed  not  of  danger ;  for  had  not  many 
clouds  come  and  gone  in  the  horizon,  leaving  the  ship  of  State 
serenely  sailing  its  wonted  course,  favored  by  the  fairest 
weather?  Sore-heads  there  always  had  been;  misunderstood, 
unappreciated  statesmen,  disappointed  demagogues,  purse- 
poor  patriots  with  unappeased  hunger  for  office,  —  who  of 
course  must  presage  utter  ruin  to  a  misguided,  unappreciative 
country.  For  what  good  is  in  a  commonwealth  that  is  deaf  to 
their  wisdom,  unresponsive  to  their  appeals,  inexcusably  blind 
to  their  claims  for  office  ?  They  have  croaked  before  ;  they 
will  go  on  croaking,  unless  their  mouths  are  stopped  Avith 
official  pap.  Still,  even  hopefully  inclined  politicians  were 
(250) 


GAMBRINUS    UNDER  A    CLOUD.  251 

puzzled  to  make  out  their  course,  or  to  predict  the  direction 
into  which  the  political  wind  would  eventually  settle. 

One  of  the  symptoms  of  the  time,  unaccountable  to  many, 
was  the  meteor-like  brilliancy  with  which  the  new  light  of 
Know-Nothingism  dazzled  the  people.  Some,  to  be  sure,  saw 
in  it  the  legitimate  fruition  of  the  disorganizing  effect  pro- 
duced by  the  final  collapse  of  the  Whig  party.  Triumphant 
Democracy,  no  longer  held  together  by  pressure  from  without, 
gave  signs  of  falling  to  pieces  of  its  own  weight.  The  active 
principles  of  its  vitality,  no  longer  directed  against  the  veteran 
enemy  with  whom  it  had  measured  swords  so  often,  began  to 
attack  its  own  vitals.  It  had  outgrown  the  proportions  of  a 
party,  being  no  longer  a  part  only  of  the  Avhole  ;  and  must 
now  disintegrate  into  new  parties.  Then  had  come  the  tempt- 
ing opportunity  for  crafty  politicians  to  foist  off  upon  the 
community  their  counterfeit  patriotism.  Ardent  love  for  the 
constitution  and  devotion  to  the  Union,  paraded  along  with  an 
array  of  cabalistic  catch-words,  shrouded  in  mysterious  sym- 
bolism, dazzled  and  dazed  the  voters,  who  believed  that  the 
purity  of  the  ballot  can  be  preserved  by  the  use  of  secret  signs 
and  passwords,  and  rascals  kept  out  of  a  patriotic  party  by 
arming  its  honest  followers  with  a  Shibboleth  and  a  secret  grip. 
Thus  reasoned  they  who  thought  to  ascribe  the  phenomenal 
success  of  the  Know-Nothing  party  to  the  ordinary  law  of  cause 
and  effect ;  and  marveled  not  thereat. 

There  was  another  factor,  too,  to  be  reckoned  with  in  sum- 
ming up  the  political  situation.  Among  those  who  were  not 
caught  by  the  hocus-pocus  of  Know-Nothingism,  and  who 
could  not  sanction  its  proscriptive  policy,  were  many  who  had 
identified  themselves  with  that  band  of  persistent  enthusiasts, 
whose  earnest  zeal  in  the  cause  of  freedom  had  won  for  them 
the  nick-name  of  "  Freedom  Shriekers,"  because  they 
marched,  just  then,  to  the  battle-cry  of  "  Free-Soil,  Free 
Speech,  Free  Labor,  Free  Men!"  Their  opponents,  who 
agreed  in  nothing  so  well  as  in  making  common  cause  against 
these  enthusiasts,  conducted  the  warfare  against  them  largely 


252  THE  BEBEL'8  DAUGHTER. 

with  the  weapons  of  mockery  and  ridicule.  But  neither  sport- 
ive raillery,  nor  keen  satire,  nor  venomous  shafts  of  sarcasm, 
deterred  the  zealots  from  their  jjurpose.  They  seemed  to 
thrive  under  this  system  of  opposition,  which  they  chose  to 
point  out  as  persecution  and  denial  of  sacred  right.  However 
ridiculous  might  be  their  pretensions,  it  behooved  wise  poli- 
ticians to  take  them  into  account  in  figuring  on  the  probabili- 
ties of  future  elections.  Let  triumphant  Democracy,  in  par- 
ticular, summon  Israel  to  its  tents ;  for  the  battle  is  not 
always  to  the  strong,  nor  the  race  to  the  swift. 

Victor  Waldhorst  had  returned  to  the  metropolis.  He 
found,  that  there  the  party  that  he  had  so  faithfully  combatted 
in  the  columns  of  the  Ozark  Avijiis,  had  it  all  their  own  way. 
The  city  had  yielded  at  almost  the  first  onslaught,  surrendering 
unconditionally  to  the  victorious  Know-No  things.  They  had 
captured  the  office  of  the  chief  executive,  a  decisive  majority 
in  both  branches  of  its  legislative  councils,  as  well  as  the 
judiciary  (in  the  shape  of  the  police  judge,  then  styled 
Recorder).  New  brooms  proverbially  sweep  clean,  and  so 
there  was,  of  course,  a  decidedly  clean  sweep  from  office  of 
the  petty  placemen,  who  held  appointments  more  or  less  fat, 
as  compensation  for  the  services  rendered  as  partisans  of  the 
now  dethroned  party  potentates.  Loud  were  the  wails  that 
went  up  from  the  victims  of  the  municipal  new  broom,  and 
bitter  the  imprecations  heaped  upon  the  heads  of  the  new 
administration,  amid  impotent  gnashing  of  teeth.  But  after 
the  usual  storm  of  indignation  and  Cassandra  prophesies  of 
turned  out  office-holders  things  went  on  very  much  as  before. 
There  was  plenty  of  remunerative  work  for  those  unfortunates 
that  had  to  be  weaned  from  the  official  fleshpots,  if  they  de- 
sired to  earn  the  bread  they  ate,  even  though  they  belonged  to 
the  class  of  Dutch,  Irish  or  Catholics  proscribed  by  the  party 
of  patriots  in  power.  And  even  those  who  possessed  the  pass- 
words and  grips  of  the  Mystic  Order,  —  at  least  such  of  them 
as  had  not  been  admitted  to  the  Holy  of  Holies,  —  had  no 
bread    to   eat  not   spiced   l)y  the  sweat  of  their  brow.     Rum 


QAMBRINUS    UNDER  A    CLOUD.  253 

shops  ami  beer  houses  still  did  a  thriving  business,  tliough 
now  begiiiuing  to  arrogate  to  themselves  the  more  euphonious 
appellation  of  "  saloons."  On  Sundays,  the  spacious  beer 
gardens,  located  mostly  in  the  suburbs,  though  not  scarce  in 
the  city  proper,  were  well  patronized  by  socially  disposed 
citizens  of  Teutonic  descent,  seeking  there,  with  their  wives 
and  children,  recreation  in  the  open  air,  and  enjoying  the 
national  beverage  with  pretzels  and  Limburg  cheese,  listening 
the  while  to  soothing  or  inspiring  strains  of  music  discoursed 
by  well  trained  bands. 

Ah,  those  beer  gardens !  That  desecration  of  the  Holy 
Sabbath  Day  by  music  from  brass  and  stringed  instruments ! 
What  a  flagrant  violation  of  the  law  of  the  land !  For  was 
there  not  an  ordinance  of  the  city  prohibiting  the  keeping  open 
of  any  place  for  the  sale  of  intoxicating  drinks  on  the  first 
day  of  the  week,  commonly  called  Sunday?  Did  not  the 
statute  of  the  State  declare  such  to  be  a  misdemeanor,  indict- 
able by  the  grand  jury  and  punishable  by  fine  not  exceeding 
fifty  dollars?  Surely,  this  was  a  signal  instance  of  the  law- 
lessness of  the  foreign  population,  and  of  the  rottenness  of  the 
old  parties  that  had  winked  at  and  connived  with  the  evil 
doers,  thus  encouraging  open  defiance  of  law  and  order. 

Here,  then,  was  a  task  worthy  of  the  municipal  broom.  The 
law  must  be  vindicated.  The  American  party  must  weed  out 
these  heathenish  customs  and  protect  the  country  against  dan- 
gerous foreign  influence.  And  the  American  party  shrank  not 
from  its  self-imposed  task:  it  was  equal  to  the  emergency, — 
the  fiat  went  forth  :  The  beer  garden  must  go ! 

A  glorious  time  ensued  for  the  lawyers.  Sheriff,  marshal, 
clerks  of  the  criminal  courts  and  prosecuting  officers  grew  fat, 
metaphorically  speaking,  on  the  plentiful  harvest  of  fees  inuring 
to  them  out  of  the  crusade  against  beer  gardens.  True  bills 
for  the  violation  of  the  Sunday  law  monopolized  the  attention 
of  the  grand  jury  ;  their  trials  engaged  the  time  of  the  criminal 
courts  to  the  extent  of  crowding  cases  against  murderers, 
thieves  and  other  common  malefactors. 


254  THE  EEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

The  jimior  member  of  one  of  the  law  firms  retahied  to  de- 
fend the  proprietor  of  an  extensive  beer  garden  under  indict- 
ment, was  a  young  man  who  had  recently  settled  in  the  Qiiy 
for  the  practice  of  the  law.  An  old  practitioner  entered  into 
partnership  with  him  in  the  hope  of  an  advantageous  increase 
of  business.  The  case  in  hand  fell  to  the  management  of  the 
junior  partner.  It  involved  not  a  single  question  of  law  that 
had  not  already  been  decided  by  the  Supreme  Court  adversely 
to  their  client,  so  that  the  only  possibility  of  a  favorable  issue 
lay  in  the  highly  Improbable  chance  of  breaking  down  the 
testimony  of  the  prosecution.  The  client  had  been  fairly 
informed  of  the  hopelessness  of  his  chances,  and  the  implicit 
confidence  placed  by  him  in  the  integrity  of  his  lawyers  put 
them  on  their  mettle.  The  young  man  determined  to  bring 
his  utmost  ability  to  bear  in  the  achievement  of  an  acquittal  of 
his  client  if  within  the  reach  of  human  exertion.  With  the  view 
of  posting  himself  on  the  details  involved  in  the  trial,  and  to 
familiarize  himself  with  the  manner  in  which  business  was 
conducted  in  these  places,  he  determined  to  visit  the  establish- 
ment of  his  client,  and  study  the  character  and  habits  of  its 
patrons. 

Leslie  May —  for  such  was  the  name  of  the  junior  i3artner 
of  the  firm  of  Simms  &  May,  —  reached  the  pleasant  grounds 
known  as  Vaux  Hall  Park  on  a  bright,  sunny  Sunday  after- 
noon in  the  month  of  July.  It  was  accessible  not  only  to 
pedestrians,  but  Avas,  on  line  Sundays,  equally  the  resort  of 
pleasure  seekers  who  came  on  horseback,  in  buggies,  ba- 
rouches and  carriages  of  higher  pretensions  ;  and  most  of  all 
in  those  omnibuses  of  illimitable  capacity,  in  which  there  is 
always  room  for  one  more  passenger.  Mr.  May  found  the  cool 
shade  and  green  foliage  of  the  pax'k  exceedingly  refreshing 
after  his  hot  walk  in  the  scorching  July  sun,  and  sat  down  to 
one  of  the  many  tables  provided  for  the  accommodation  of  the 
guests,  wiping  the  perspiration  from  his  streaming  forehead. 
He  ordered  the  waiter,  who  promptly  approached,  in  shirt- 
sleeves and  apron  of  immaculate  white,  to  bring  him  a  glass  of 


GAMBBINUS    UNDER  A   CLOUD.  255 

the  "ice-cold  lemonade,"  of  which  guests  were  reniinded  by 
little  signs  hung  up  ou  the  ti'unks  of  the  trees.  "  Don't  forget 
to  put  plenty  of  ice  in  it!  "  he  called  out  in  a  loud  voice,  as 
the  waiter  hurried  away. 

The  young  lawyer  looked  around.  The  spacious  grounds 
were  not  yet  half  filled  with  guests,  although  a  continuous 
stream  of  perspiring  humanity  poured  in  from  the  dusty  roads 
outside,  through  gates  at  opposite  sides.  Leslie  noticed  that 
there  were  almost  as  many  ladies  and  children  among  the 
comers  as  men,  and  they  came  mostly  in  groups,  or  at  least  in 
couples.  They  seated  themselves  at  a  convenient  distance 
from  the  music  stand,  where  an  orchestra  of  twelve  musicians 
were  already  tuning  their  instruments.  The  table  next  his 
own  was  but  a  few  feet  off,  and  Leslie  noticed  that  the  single 
occupant  of  the  bench  before  it  was  regarding  him  with 
evident  interest. 

"  It  is  a  warm  day,"  said  the  stranger,  as  soon  as  their 
eyes  met. 

"I  have  found  it  to  be  so  in  reaching  this  place,"  Leslie 
answered. 

"  You  did  come  by  foot,  sir?  "  the  other  continued. 

"  Exactly  so,"  said  Leslie,  amused  by  the  curiosity  of  his 
interlocutor.     "  And  I  found  it  quite  a  hot  walk." 

"  Pardo?;  /  "  said  the  neighbor,  pronouncing  the  last  sylla- 
ble with  a  strong  emphasis.  "  I  see  you  are  very  much 
warmed.  And  I  did  hear  you  command  cold  lemonade.  With 
plenty  ice  in  it.  You  wish  to  drink  ice-cold  lemonade,  when 
you  are  very  much  warmed  ?  ' ' 

"  Why,  yes,"  said  Leslie  May,  smiling.  "  That  is  just 
what  I  crave.  I  want  cooling  off,  and  a  glass  of  iced  lemon- 
ade is,  I  think,  about  the  thing." 

"  Psivdon  !  "  the  stranger  repeated,  rolling  the  r  sufficiently 
to  betray  that  he  was  not  speaking  in  his  mother  tongue. 
' '  Have  you  already  'owned  a  horse  ?  Yes  ?  And  when  you 
drive  him  fast  on  a  warm  day,  like  it  is  this  day,  and  when  he 
is  very  much  warmed,  like  you  are  warmed,   just  now,  gave 


256  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTEE. 

you  him  cold  water  to  drink,  first?  No?  Tlieii,  why  will 
you  be  more  considerate  with  your  horse,  as  you  will  be  with 
yourself?  " 

The  earnestness  of  the  stranger's  manner  precluded  the  idea 
of  officious  meddling,  and  highly  amused  the  young  lawyer. 
Before  he  made  answer  the  waiter  appeared,  bearing  on  a  tray 
a  large  glass  with  a  straw  in  it.  As  Leslie  was  parang  the 
waiter,  the  stranger  continued  : 

"You  must  not  drink  that  stuff,  so  warm  as  you  are!  If 
you  will  honor  me,  drink  with  me  a  glass  beer.  It  is  excel- 
lent to-day.  It  is  of  Uhrig's  choice  brew.  Or  drink  with  me 
a  glass  wine,  if  you  like  better.  Then  if  you  are  cooled,  I 
will  drink  with  you  lemonade,  and  it  will  not  make  you  sick. 
If  you  drink  that  stuff  now,  it  will  be,  for  you,  poison." 

"  Do  you  think  that  drinking  wine  will  cool  me  off?  "  Leslie 
inquired  with  a  smile. 

"  It  will  warm  for  you  the  stomach,"  the  other  replietl 
gravely,  "  and  make  the  blood  to  circulate,  and  cold  water  will 
afterward  not  hurt  you.  Shall  I  order  a  bottle  wine,  or  prefer 
you  beer  ? ' ' 

"I  will  leave  that  entirely  to  your  choice,  since  you  take 
such  interest  in  my  health,"  Leslie  replied.  "  But  may  I  in- 
quire, what  induces  you  to  favor  me  with  your,  no  doubt 
excellent,  advice?  " 

"  Right,  young  man!  "  the  old  gentleman  spoke  up,  apolo- 
getically. "My  name  is  Auf  dem  Busoh  ;  and  I  am  a  mer- 
chant. —  Waiter !  A  bottle  Riidesheimer !  —  I  have  no  motive, 
but  wish  not  to  see  a  young  man  to  ruin  his  constitution,  when 
he  is  heated,  like  you  are." 

"My  name  is  Leslie  May!  "  the  lawyer  explained.  "  I 
am  very  thankful  to  you  for  your  kindness  ;  though  I  must 
say,  that  I  have  never  experienced  any  injurious  effects  from 
drinking  lemonade,  while  I  have  seen  bad  results  from  the  use 
of  more  ardent  drinks." 

Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch  shook  hands  with  Leslie  on  learning  his 
name,  and  proceeded  to  enlighten  the  latter  on  the  evils  of  in- 


-^<?^l^ 


"  Do  yoLi  know.  Mi-.  May,  that  you  are  hardly 
a  stranger  to  me '  " 


CrAMBIilNUS    UNDER   A    CLOUD.  ^bl 

teniporaiK'c,  in  {iiiy  shape,  —  even  in  the  drinking  of  vo\(\ 
lemonade.  A  lively  conversation  ensued  between  the  two  as 
they  quaffed  their  wine,  which  Leslie  found  to  l)e  of  excellent 
(luality.  lie  readily  fell  in  with  the  humor  of  his  newly  found 
friend  ;  and  adroitly  turned  the  conversation  on  the  subject  of 
the  enforcement  of  the  Sunday-law,  with  the  view  of  picking 
up  any  information  that  he  might  utilize  in  the  coming  trial. 

The  interchange  of  opinions  l)etween  them  was  so  interesting 
to  both  that  they  paid  but  little  attention  to  the  really  excellent 
music  discoursed  by  the  band,  nor  heeded  the  arrival  of  the 
numerous  guests  that  began  to  collect  at  the  tables  around 
them.  Not  even  a  party  of  ladies  and  gentlemen,  until  these 
had  approached  quite  near,  and  Leslie  heard  his  name  called 
out  by  a  voice  betraying  joyful  surprise.  On  looking  up, 
V^ictor  Waldhorst  stood  before  him,  offering  both  hands  in 
cordial  welcome.  Leslie  himself  was  both  pleased  and  sur- 
prised to  meet  his  Brookfield  crony  so  unexpectedly  ;  but  the 
delight  of  the  latter  was  unbounded.  After  heartily  shaking 
hands,  —  finding  it  difRcult  to  repress  a  strong  impulse  to 
embrace  his  friend  Leslie  then  and  there  —  he  turned  with 
beaming  face  to  the  old  gentleman  with  whom  Leslie  had  been 
conversing  and  said:  "  Uncle  Auf  dem  Busch,  permit  me  to 
introduce  to  you  ray  dearest  friend,  Leslie  May,  who,  as  well 
as  his  excellent  father,  has  been  a  real  benefactor  to  me." 
Then,  turning  to  a  lady  of  rather  stout  build  and  comely 
appearance,  he  added,  "  and  this,  Leslie,  is  my  aunt,  Mrs. 
Auf  dem  Busch  ;  and  this  "  — turning  to  a  young  lady,  who 
blushed  on  being  referred  to —  "is  my  sister  Pauline." 

Leslie  had  courteously  bowed  to  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch ;  but 
when  Miss  Pauline  was  introduced  to  him,  he  rose  with  easy 
grace,  and  offered  his  hand,  which  was  cordially  clasped  by 
the  young  lady.  "  Do  you  know,  Mr.  May,"  she  said,  smilino- 
pleasantly,  "that  you  are  hardly  a  stranger  to  me?  M}^ 
brother  has  spoken  so  often  of  you,  and  is  so  enthusiastic  in 
your  praise,  that  I  feel  as  if  I  had  known  you  for  a  long  time." 

' '  I  fear  that  the  fond  partiality  of  your  brother  has  endowed 

17 


258  THE   BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

me  with  virtues  and  hero-like  qualities  whose  absence  you  will, 
on  nearer  acquaintance,  but  too  speedily  discover,"  said  the 
young  man,  looking  well  pleased,  nevertheless,  and  scarcely 
betraying  the  modesty  he  professed.  "I  only  hope  that  in 
your  kindness  you  will  look  leniently  on  the  great  disparity 
between  your  brother's  idealized  hero  and  ray  commonplace 
self." 

The  company,  in  taking  seats,  distributed  themselves  so  as 
to  occupy  both  tables,  and  Leslie  adroitly  placed  himself 
beside  Victor's  sister.  There  was  another  gentleman  in  the 
party,  whom  Victor  introduced  as  his  cousin,  Woldemar  Auf 
dem  Busch,  and  who,  in  consequence  of  Leslie's  maneuvering, 
found  himself  at  the  same  table  with  his  father  and  mother, 
leaving  the  young  lady  seated  between  her  brother  and  the 
young  lawyer,  —  an  arrangement,  Avhich  was  not,  apparently, 
to  the  taste  of  the  young  man  last  introduced  ;  for  an  unmis- 
takable frown  darkened  his  face, — unnoticed  by  the  others, 
but  acknowledged  by  Leslie  with  a  scarcely  perceptible  smile. 
Whether  this  frown  excited  Leslie's  mischievous  propensity  to 
tease,  or  whether  he  was  prompted  by  an  amiable  desire  to 
please  the  sister  of  his  friend,  who  had  received  him  so 
graciously,  certain  it  is  that  he  brought  his  conversational 
powers  into  full  play,  and  succeeded  in  charming  not  only  the 
young  lady,  who  proved  an  attentive  listener,  but  also,  and 
particularly,  the  old  gentleman.  Victor,  who  was  eager  to 
hear  about  Nellie,  inquired  after  the  family  of  Colonel  May ; 
but  Leslie  put  him  off  with  the  promise  to  satisfy  his  curiosity 
to  the  fullest  extent  as  soon  as  occasion  offered  for  a  talk 
between  themselves,  proceeding  meanwhile  to  entertain  his 
hearers  with  a  sprightly  account  of  his  experiences  of  Wash- 
ington life,  as  well  as  of  his  travels.  The  close  attention 
which  was  paid  to  everything  he  said  must  have  gratified  his 
vanity ;  and  the  few  questions  addressed  to  him  by  the  elder 
Auf  dem  Busch  enabled  him  to  divine  and  dwell  upon  the 
topics  most  interesting  to  his  auditors.  Several  more  bottles 
of  Kiidesheimer  were  disposed  of  by  the  company,  and  it  is  to 


OAMBBINUS    UNDER  A    CLOUD.  259 

be  feared  that  the  young  lawyer  sadly  forgot  the  main  {)uri)Ose 
of  his  visit  to  Vaux  Hall  Park,  whatever  progress  he  made  in 
gaining  the  good  will  of  his  new  acquaintances. 

The  sun  was  declining  in  the  west,  and  a  cool  breeze  fanned 
the  heated  faces  of  the  guests  at  the  Park,  now  glowing, 
mostly,  with  a  fervor  not  due  to  tlie  external  temperature 
alone.  The  band  had  left  the  platform  on  which  they  had 
performed  during  the  afternoon,  and  were  now  striking  up 
dance  melodies  in  a  large  pavilon  devoted  to  the  worshipers 
of  Terpsichore.  Many  of  the  guests  were  leaving,  and  Mrs. 
Auf  dem  Busch  reminded  her  husband  that  it  was  time  to  think 
of  going  home.  The  young  lady  promptly  arose  on  hearing 
the  suggestion,  and  Leslie,  following  her  example,  expressed 
his  regret  that  the  extremely  pleasant  time  he  was  enjoying 
should  end  so  soon.  "  Surely,  Miss  Waldhorst,"  looking 
coaxingly  into  the  fair,  fresh  face  of  the  young  girl,  —  "  you 
may  stay  just  long  enough  to  honor  me  with  your  hand  for  a 
turn  in  that  exquisite  waltz  they  are  playing  ?  Listen  —  It  is 
Strauss'  'Beautiful  Blue  Danube!  '  Can  you  resist  the 
allurement  of  those  inspiring  strains?  " 

Pauline  looked  at  him  for  a  second  in  mild  wonderment. 
The  slightest  touch  of  a  smile  brightened  her  rosy  lips  and 
found  reflection  in  her  brown  eyes,  as  she  threw  a  glance 
toward  the  gentleman  at  the  other  table,  meeting  a  frown  of 
pronounced  disapproval  on  the  face  of  the  younger  Auf  dem 
Busch,  not  unnoticed  by  Leslie;  "  You  must  excuse  me,  Mr. 
May,"  she  said,  "  do  you  think  it  would  be  quite  the  proper 
thing  to  do?  " 

"  Why  not?  "  Leshe  rejoined  eagerly.  "  See  how  all  those 
young  people  are  enjoying  themselves !  You  are  not  averse  to 
dancing,  are  you  ?  " 

"  On  the  contrary,  I  am  very  fond  of  it!  "  said  Pauline,  her 
sparkling  eyes  giving  emphasis  to  her  words.  ' '  But  —  it  is  too 
late.     We  must  be  going  home." 

"  I  am  sure  that  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch,  and  you,  Mr.  Auf 
dem  Busch,"  said  Leslie,  turning  to  the  elder  members  of  the 


260  THE  BEBEL'S   DAUGHTEB. 

party  with  the  most  winning  smile  of  entreaty,  "  will  gladly 
postpone  your  departure  for  a  few  moments  to  give  me  the 
pleasure  of  a  dance  with  Miss  Waldhorst,  if  she  does  not 
object." 

"But  she  does  object!"  exclaimed  the  old  gentleman 
bluntly.  "  Said  she  not,  it  is  not  proper?  She  has  right. 
Mark  you  the  dancers  on  the  dance-floor.  See  you  any  there 
besides  servant-maids  and  work-folks?  Dancing  on  Sunday, 
in  a  public  park,  is  for  them  right.  They  shall  enjoy  so  much 
as  they  can  on  Sunday ;  because  they  have  only  one  Sunday 
in  the  week.  If  you  will  dance,  or  if  Pauline  will  dance,  you 
shall  dance  every  day  in  the  week,  on  a  day  more  fitting  as 
Sunday,  and  in  a  place  for  you  more  fit  as  a  park." 

Leslie  yielded  gracefully,  although  it  puzzled  him  to  account 
for  his  discomfiture.  Did  the  young  lady  really  consider  it 
bad  taste  to  dance  on  Sunday?  Now  he  thought  of  it,  her 
behavior  had  been  jjerfectly  consistent  with  such  refinement. 
The  recollection  of  Victor's  conduct  toward  Nellie  on  the  occa- 
sion of  that  last  party  at  Brookfield  flashed  through  his  mind. 
But  the  old  gentleman  —  did  /;e  consider  his  family  too  good 
to  mix  with  "servant-maids"  and  "  work -folks  ?  "  Then 
why  were  they  in  the  park  at  all  ?  Or  had  the  frown  on  young 
Auf  dem  Busch's  face  anything  to  do  with  the  girl's  refusal? 
Perhaps  so.  At  least  his  suspicions  in  that  direction  gained 
consistency  when  she,  as  he  was  about  to  escort  her  to  the 
gate,  where  the  carriage  was  waiting  for  the  party,  somewhat 
hastily  accepted  her  cousin's  arm,  who  officiously  helped  her  to 
her  seat  and  thus  cut  off  further  opportunity  for  conversation. 

"  I  will  take  your  place  in  the  carriage,"  the  old  gentleman 
said  to  Victor ;  ' '  for  you  will  like  it  to  have  more  conversation 
with  your  friend.  And  forget  not,"  he  added,  as  he  climbed 
into  the  carriage,  "  Professor  Rauhenfels  comes  after-to-mor- 
row.    Miss  not  to  come." 

Victor  was  but  too  glad  to  see  them  leave,  and  Leslie, 
whether  glad  or  not,  bowed  his  adieux  as  they  drove  off,  and 
took  Victor's  arm. 


GAMBBINUS   UNDEB  A    CLOUD.  261 

"  Let  us  go  back  to  the  garden,"  he  said;  "  we  can  talk 
there  as  well  as  anywhere  else,  and  I  have  taken  a  fancy  to 
that  '  Riidesheimer  '  your  uncle  introduced  us  to.  And  now, 
before  you  ply  me  with  the  thousand  and  one  questions  that 
are  on  the  tip  of  your  tongue,  let  me  put  you  through  your 
catechism.  Tell  me,  first  of  all,  how  you  got  away  from 
Brookfield,  and  what  you  are  doing  here." 

Victor  felt  the  old  fascination  in  Leslie's  company.  The 
last  harsh  speech  he  had  spoken  before  their  parting  was  for- 
given, if  not  forgotten.  However  great  the  change  which  the 
experience  of  years  had  wrought  in  both  young  men,  —  change 
never  more  pronounced  than  in  the  period  of  adolescence 
through  which  they  had  both  passed  —  it  had  not  diminished 
the  glowing,  devoted  friendship  between  them,  at  least  on 
Victor's  part.  As  of  old,  the  slightest  wish  of  his  friend  was 
to  him  as  a  peremptory  command.  And  so,  though  his  heart 
fairly  ached  to  hear  about  the  other  members  of  the  May 
family,  he  willingly  complied  with  the  request  to  speak  of  him- 
self first. 

There  was  not  so  much  to  tell.  He  modestly  alluded  to  the 
desolation  he  felt  after  the  departure  of  the  Mays  from  Brook- 
field  ;  of  the  progress  he  made  in  learning  his  trade,  and  of  his 
studies  ;  of  his  conviction,  that  there  was  so  much  more  to  learn 
than  could  be  taught  him  at  Brookfield  ;  and  wound  up  by 
stating  that  he  had  finally  concluded  to  return  to  the  metrop- 
olis, where  he  had  found  congenial  employment  as  editor  of 
a  German  newspaper.  "  And  now  tell  me,  Leslie,"  he 
begged,  when  he  had  finishsd  his  little  narration,  "  where 
have  you  been  during  all  the  time  I  have  not  seen  you  ?  —  I 
learned  from  your  father  that  you  had  traveled  much  of  the 
time,  and  was  delighted  with  the  account  you  gave  us  this 
afternoon  of  some  of  your  interesting  experiences.  But  I  want 
to  hear  about  yourself  and  about  your  mother,  and  — " 

"  About  Nellie,"  Leslie  interrupted  him,  "  yes,  I  know. 
I  am  going  to  tell  you  all  about  all  of  them  presently.  But 
you  have  not  told  me  half  1  want  to  know  about  yourself.      Who 


262  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

is  this  uncle  of  yours  ;  and  how  do  you  stand  with  him  ?  Do 
you  live  at  his  house?  " 

"  No,"  was  the  answer.  "  Nor  is  he  my  uncle.  Our  re- 
lationship is  very  distant.  But  he  was  a  friend  of  my  father, 
and  after  the  death  of  my  parents  took  care  of  my  sister  Pauline. 
He  was  very  kind  to  her,  treating  her  in  every  respect  as  if  she 
were  his  own  daughter,  although  he  has  a  number  of  children  of 
his  own." 

"  Of  whom  this  cousin  of  3'ours,  this  Woldemar,  is  one?  " 

"  Exactly.  He  is  the  oldest  of  them,  and  both  Mrs.  and 
Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch  are  very  proud  of  him —  " 

"  I  should  think  so,"  said  Leslie,  not  waiting  for  the  finish- 
ing of  the  sentence.  "  But  tell  me,  Victor,  are  >/on  proud  of 
him,  too?  " 

"I?  Why  should  /  be  proud  of  him?  I  have  no  proprie- 
torship in  him ;  and  our  relationship  is  so  distant,  that  neither 
of  us  lays  stress  upon  it,  though  Uncle  Auf  dem  Busch  wishes 
us  to  call  one  another  cousin." 

"  I  see,"  said  Leslie  musing.  Then  he  continued :  "But 
do  you  like  him  ?  ' ' 

"  Of  course  I  like  him  !  "  Victor  answered  promptly.  "  He 
is  a  manly  fellow ;  a  little  proud,  which  I  think  he  has  a  right 
to  be—" 

"  And  not  a  little  imperious !  "  Leslie  again  interrupted. 

"  Why,  yes,  he  is  rather  imperious,"  Victor  smilingly  ad- 
mitted. "  But  what  makes  you  think  so?  I  believe  he  has 
hardly  spoken  a  dozen  words  in  your  hearing." 

"  And  a  little  jealous?  " 

"  Jealous !     What  do  you  mean?     Jealous  of  what?  " 

"Of  your  sister's  admirers,  for  instance.  She  has  many, 
has  she  not?  " 

"I  have  never  seen  anything  like  jealousy  on  his  part," 
said  Victor.     "But — " 

"Well?" 

"  1  think  he  is  kind  to  my  sister;  yes,  I  am  sure,  he  is  very 
kind  to  her." 


GAMBRINUa    UNDER   A    CLOUD.  263 

"  Oh,  no  doubt  of  that,"  said  Leslie,  not  without  a  slight 
sneer.  "  And  that  is  not  wliat  you  started  to  say.  But  never 
mind.  Tell  me  about  the  paper  you  are  editing.  AVhat  is  its 
political  creed?  " 

•'How  can  you  ask  me  that!"'  the  young  man  exclaimed, 
almost  reproachfully.  "  You  know  my  politics  as  well  as  I  do, 
seeing  that  I  am  but  your  father's  disciple." 

"Yes,  certainly.  But  I  did  not  ask  you  about '/oi'u- poli- 
tics, but  about  the  creed  of  the  paper  you  are  editing." 

"  Do  you  believe  me  capable  of  advocating  anything  but  my 
convictions  ?  ' ' 

"  No  I  "  Leslie  admitted  frankly.  "And  I  might  have 
known  better  than, to  ask  the  question.  I  have  heard  say,  that 
an  editor  trims  his  sails,  sometimes,  so  as  to  please  not  only 
the  proprietor,  but  also  his  readers." 

"  Such  an  editor  is  to  be  despised.  1  could  not,  if  I  would, 
take  charge  of  a  paper  on  such  conditions." 

"And  would  not,  if  you  could!"  Leslie  exclaimed  cor- 
dially. "  Forgive  me,  if  my  question  suggested  a  doubt, 
which  I  did  not  entertain. — I  suppose  that  you  take  a 
decided  stand  against  this  warfare  on  Sunday  beer  gardens?  " 

A  deep  blush  spread  over  Victor's  face.  "I  —  I  must 
confess,"  he  said,  somewhat  dejected,  "  that  in  this  particular 
the  articles  in  my  paper  do  not  exactly  reflect  my  conviction. 
I  cannot  conceal  to  myself,  that  it  is  wrong  to  openly  defy 
the  law,  even  if  the  law  is  an  obnoxious  one  —  " 

"Therein  you  differ  from  some  of  your  countrymen," 
Leslie  interrupted.  "  I  heard  one  of  them  argue,  —  no  less 
a  person,  than  the  proprietor  of  this  establishment,  who  is  a 
client  of  mine  —  that  it  is  a  sacred  duty  to  combat  wrong  in 
whatever  shape  we  meet  it,  though  it  assume  the  shape  of  a 
law  —  ' ' 

"  Yes,  I  know;  "  Victor  broke  in.  "  That  is  the  higher 
law  doctrine,  which  neither  you  nor  I  believe  in.  But  it  is 
not  in  good  taste,  for  one  class  of  citizens  to  array  themselves 
against  another  class  —  presumably  the  majority,  else  it  would 


264  THE   ItEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

not  be  the  law  —  as  my  German  speaking  fellow-citizens  are 
doing  in  this  matter  of  the  Sunday  laws." 

' '  Do  not  forget  the  Irish  !  ' '  put  in  the  young  lawyer.  ' '  They 
are  in  full  accord  with  you  Germans  on  this  question." 

"  Nor  am  I  sure  that  the  law  is  not  in  the  main  a  wise  one," 
Victor  continued,  looking  intently  at  the  glass  before  him,  half 
tilled  with  the  golden  juice  from  the  Rhein.  "  Is  there  not  a 
fascination  aV)out  this  delicious  beverage  Avhich  some  people 
find  it  impossible  to  resist  —  entii'ely  too  many,  as  you  may 
satisfy  yourself  by  looking  around  you  —  and  who  abandon 
themselves  to  its  influence  to  an  extent  depriving  them 
temporarily  of  the  full  use  of  reason?  " 

"  Bah  !  "  rejoined  Leslie  contemptuously,  "  I  dare  say,  that 
hardly  one  in  twenty  of  the  guests  here  rise  above  the  level  of 
their  beloved  lager  beer  — '  Uiirig's  choice  brew,'  as  your 
uncle  named  it  —  and  those  that  do  are  surely  none  the  worse 
for  the  inspii'ation  and  quicl^ening  of  their  wits  imbibed  with 
this  glorious  nectar!  "  Then,  emptying  his  glass  with  great 
gusto,  he  added:  ''  Ah!  There  is  a  drink  truly  fit  for  the 
gods  !  Your  uncle  is  an  excellent  judge  of  wine,  A'ictor  ;  there 
is  no  denying  that." 

"  So  he  is,"  said  Victor,  "  and  of  beer,  too.  Perhaps  these 
men  around  us  get  as  nuich  enjoyment  out  of  their  beer,  as 
you  or  I  do  out  of  this  excellent  wine.  And  I  fear  that  the 
consequences,  when  nature  exacts  the  penalty  for  the  violation 
of  her  immutable  laws,  will  be  much  the  same  in  either  case." 
"  Katzenjammer?  "  suggested  Leslie,  with  such  a  droll 
smile,  and  so  grotesque  a  pronunciation,  that  Victor  could  not 
suppress  a  burst  of  laughter. 

"  Where  did  you  pick  up  that  word,  and  what  do  you  know 
about  it?  "  he  asked. 

"  When  I  was  at  Heidelberg,"  Leslie  explained,  "  I  was 
naturally  curious  to  see  the  sights  of  the  great  university, 
making  use  of  my  sheepskin  from  Harvard  to  get  an  intro- 
duction. Well,  I  succeeded  to  the  length  of  obtaining  an 
invitation    to  one  of    their  drinking   bouts    in  honor  of  Alma 


GAMBEINUS    UNDER   A    CLOUD.  265 

Mater,  which  they  call  Comraers,  and  where  they  '  rubbed  the 
Salamander,'  avowedly  in  honor  of  their  distinguished  Amer- 
ican visitor,  with  such  hearty  good  will,  that  a  plentiful  crop 
of  '  Katzenjaranier  '  was  the  result  next  morning.  An  old 
professor  of  philology,  whose  acquaintance  I  had  made  at  one 
of  the  '  Kneipen  '  resorted  to  by  students,  and  who  helped  me 
get  away  with  many  a  Schoppen  of  their  excellent  Neckar 
wine,  cheerfully  expounded  to  me  the  mysterious  misery  of 
this  significant  word,  involving  the  explanation  that  it  in  no 
wise  referred  to  cats,  as  an  ignorant  foreigner  might  be  led  to 
suppose,  but  really  meant  something  far  less  itsthetic, — 
exactly  expressive,  however,  of  the  humor  of  the  stomach 
after  attending  a  Commers." 

"But  that  is  the  smallest  part  of  the  evil  brought  on  by 
excessive  indulgence  —  " 

"Do  spare  me!  "  Leslie  interrupted  the  moralizing  editor. 
"  I've  had  a  sermon  on  temperance  from  your  uncle  already, 
and  I  wish  you  would  tell  me  about  the  professor  that  you  are 
to  meet  '  after-to-morrow  '  at  your  uncle's.  Who  and  what  is 
he?  " 

"  I  know  very  little  about  him,  except  that  uncle  picked 
him  up  somewhere  in  the  interior  of  the  State,  while  he  was  on 
a  hunting  excursion.  Uncle  says  that  he  is  the  most  learned 
man  he  has  ever  met  with,  and  that  his  book  learning  has  not 
spoilt  his  common  sense,  for  he  is  an  excellent  shot  and  a 
remarkably  successful  huntsman,  knowing  all  about  the  haunts 
and  habits  of  game.  I  think  he  lives  alone  in  a  log  cabin  in  the 
woods,  dividing  his  time  between  study  and  shooting  game, 
on  which  he  manages  to  live.  Just  at  present  he  is  teaching 
philosophy  to  a  class  of  students  of  Hegel,  and  uncle  wishes 
me  to  become  acquainted  with  him.  He  thinks  that  I  will 
greatly  profit  by  the  intercourse." 

"So,  so!  A  philosopher!  "  said  Leslie,  with  a  quizzical 
look  at  Victor.  "I  should  like  to  see  him.  Couldn't  you 
manage  to  introduce  me?  " 

"  Nothing  easier!  "  Victor  replied  eagerly.     "  Come  along 


266  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

with  me  to  uncle's  to  meet  him.  I  shall  be  very  glad  to  have 
you  with  me,  for,  to  tell  the  truth,  I  expect  to  be  dreadfully 
bored  by  him,  especially  if  he  gives  us  some  tough  hunting 
yarns,  as  uncle  does,  sometimes,  or  quizzes  me  on  philosophy. 
Do  come  with  me,  if  your  time  permits.  I  am  sure  uncle  will 
be  very  much  pleased  to  have  you  come.  He  has  evidently 
taken  a  great  liking  to  you." 

"  Consider  it  settled  that  I  come,"  said  Leslie,  rather 
patronizingly,  yet  evidently  much  pleased.  "  And  now  I  will 
treat  you  to  a  thrilling  account  of  The  Adventures  of  the  May 
Family  Abroad." 

Victor  listened  eagerly,  as  Leslie,  in  his  vivacious  way, 
recounted  the  experiences  of  their  Washington  life,  and  of 
their  travels  to  the  mountains,  the  seashore  and  to  Europe. 
Victor  judged  from  Leslie's  account  that  Nellie  must  have 
been  a  reigning  belle  in  Washington,  as  well  as  wherever  else 
she  graced  society  with  her  presence.  "  She  is  now  at  Sara- 
toga with  mama,"  Leslie  concluded,  "  where  they  expect  to 
remain  until  the  season  is  over,  when  the  governor  will  join 
them  and  escort  them  back  to  the  city." 

"  And  so  you  were  not  in  Washington,  last  winter,  at  all?  " 
asked  Victor. 

"  No,"  Leslie  replied.  "  I  w^as  at  Cambridge,  taking  a 
post-graduate  course  in  the  law-school,  to  brush  up  for 
practice,  which  I  have  now  begun  in  downright  earnest.  That 
reminds  me,"  he  added,  "  that  I  have  a  letter  from  Nellie  in 
my  room,  which  you  may  like  to  read.  It  was  written  to  me 
from  Washington  just  before  I  left  Boston,  and  is  full  of  her 
notion  of  things,  political  and  otherwise,  that  hap|)ened  there 
last  winter." 

It  was  late  when  the  friends  parted  that  night,  and  Victor 
accompanied  the  young  lawyer  to  his  room,  eager  to  get  Nellie's 
letter.  His  impatience  to  peruse  it  did  not  permit  him  to 
accept  Leslie's  pressing  invitation  to  stay  longer.  But  he 
promised  him  that  he  would  call  to  take  him  along  to  his 
uncle's  house,  where  they  were  to  meet  Professor  Rauhenfels. 


I 


XVII. 
FROM   OUR   WASHINGTON  CORRESPONDENT. 

Jr  WONDER  whether   you    will    believe   me,    dear    brother 
[     mine,  when  I  tell  you  that  I  am    honestly  —  what  you 

■  lawyers  would  call  bonajide — glad  that  Lent  has  come? 
Truly,  it  is  even  so.  For  although  stern  Society  wield  her 
scepter  never  more  tyrannically,  exacting  unabated  assiduity 
(Heavens !  what  a  string  of  dictionary  words ! )  in  attending 
parties,  suppers  (which  they  mostly  call  dinners  here),  not  to 
mention  at  homes,  soirees,  conversazioni,  and  what  not,  all  to 
be  gone  through  with  e?t  grande  toilette;  yet  balls  are  over  for 
the  season,  hops  are  under  a  ban,  and  the  german  is  inter- 
dicted during  Lent.  From  which  it  follows,  that  Society's 
muchly  tried  votaries  enjoy  a  qualified  respite  from  daily 
toil-e^  —  relief  and  rest,  if  only  by  way  of  change  in  the  pro- 
gram, as  one  finds  rest  in  that  delightful  new  trick  of  revers- 
ing in  the  waltz  —  and  now  and  then  —  just  think  of  the 
glorious  boon! — an  evening  to  be  spent  at  one's  own  sweet 
will. 

And  so,  vwit  cher  frere,  you  will  rejoice  with  me  at  the 
advent  of  Lent.  For  behold !  one  of  the  delightful  free 
evenings  has  come  to  me  that  are  so  grudgingl}^  doled  out  by 
stern  Society  aforesaid,  and  I  am  going  to  devote  it  to  a  big 
brother  at  Boston,  for  whose  edification  I  propose  to  compose 
a  charmingly  nonsensical  letter,  full  of  delightful  gossip.  Oh, 
you  may  turn  up  that  nose  of  youj's,  like  a  solemn  bird  of 
Minerva,  as  becomes  a  denizen  of  the  Hub  of  the  Universe,  — 
but  don't  I  know  how  dearly  that  wise  brother  of  mine  loves 
gossip,  especiall}'  if  there  be  no  sense  in  it?  And  I  am  not 
in  the  mood  to  restrict  myself  to  the  tedious  rules  of  ele- 
gant diction  and   timid  propriety,  nor  even  to  conform  to  the 

(267) 


268  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

canons  of  syntax  that  Professor  Caleb  Amos  tried  so  hard  to 
rub  into  us  at  that  famous  grammar  class.  So  look  out  for  a 
cosy  chat,  with  plenty  of  nonsense,  and  don't  be  shocked  at 
a  bit  of  slang,  now  and  then,  to  hit  off  what  I  could  not  say 
so  well  in  regulation  language. 

I  have  given  strict  orders  to  Cressie,  (who,  let  me  tell  you, 
has  developed  into  an  accomplished  lady's  maid  under  the 
influence  of  Washington  Society)  that  I  am  not  at  home  to 
any  one  this  evening ;  least  of  all  to  the  empty-pated  gentle- 
men in  glossy  broadcloth  and  immaculate  kids,  who  essay  to 
curry  favor  with  pa  by  paying  court  to  his  lovely  daughter. 
Cressie  is  very  loyal  to  me.  I  can  trust  her,  not  only  as  to 
her  honesty,  but,  what  is  of  more  importance,  sometimes,  her 
discretion.  This,  you  will  understand,  is  very  high  praise  of 
a  domestic  in  Washington.  So  I  anticipate  a  delightfully 
quiet  time ;  immunity,  for  once,  from  the  stereotype  phrases  of 
polite  company,  so  pleasantly  suggestive,  once,  to  the  un- 
sophisticated maiden  ;  grown,  now,  oh !  so  stale  and  wearying  in 
their  ever  recurring  iteration  and  unmeaningness ! 

—  Apro2)os  of  admirers,  can  you  guess  who  called  on  me  last 
week  ?  Let  me  draw  the  picture  for  you :  A  young  man  — 
mark  you,  a  max,  —  by  which  I  mean,  in  this  instance,  some- 
thing more  than  the  current  term  gentleman  imports  —  of  say 
twenty-five  ;  a  little  disguised  in  a  faultless  evening  costume, 
not  omitting  the  white  cravat  and  stovepipe  of  intensest 
gloss;  rather  tall,  with  a  round,  honest  face,  haughty  eyes, 
and  a  saucy  mustache  of  russet  hue.  Do  you  recognize  him? 
Of  course  you  do.  Let  me  add  that  he  brought  with  him  the 
aroma  of  Western  Prairies,  and  that  he  addressed  me  in 
the  dear  familiar  dialect  of  Virginians  emigrated  to  the  West- 
ern backwoods,  that  reminded  me  so  vividly  of  bygone  days 
in  our  delightful  Western  home.  Of  course  he  was  none  other 
than  my  sturdy  rural  beau,  whose  attentions  to  me  were  so  sore 
a  trial  to  poor,  bashful  Victor  Waldhorst.  Yes,  it  was  Ralph 
Payton.  You  cannot  imagine  how  glad  I  was  to  see  him. 
He  presented   so  agreeable  a  contrast  to  the  regulation  society 


FBOM  OUR    WASHINGTON  COIiBESPONDENT.       2G9 

ligures  at  Washington.  Not  Init  that  he  wonld  hold  his  own 
on  the  score  of  etiquette  in  any  company ;  for  he  is  neither 
ignorant  of  the  forms  of  good  breeding  demanded  by  Society, 
nor  backward  in  tlie  use  of  the  stereot\'])e  phrases  she  pre- 
scribes. But  these  phrases,  when  they  are  uttered  by  him, 
sound,  somehow,  as  if  they  meant  something.  When  he 
expressed  his  pleasure  at  seeing  me,  I  believed  him,  and  the 
pleasure  was  mutual  and  genuine.  I  was  happy  in  the  i-emi- 
niscenees  of  olden  times,  and  eagerly  abandoned  myself  to 
their  influence.  But  he  soon  dashed  cold  water  over  my 
idyllic  mood,  and  spoiled  my  pleasure  by  a  silly  joke.  I  hap- 
pened to  ask  him  what  business  had  brought  him  to  Washing- 
ton, and  he  answered  that  the  most  important  part  of  his 
business  here  was  —  to  see  his  bride !  The  remark  was 
accompanied  by  so  significant  a  smile,  that  it  would  have  been 
silly  in  me  to  ignore  its  meaning:  so  I  had  to  smile  also,  or 
appear  rude.  It  must  have  been  a  sickly  attempt  for  I  felt 
myself  blushing  violently.  His  remark  was  not  in  good  taste, 
was  it,  Leslie?  I  am  sure  that  that  silly  boy,  Victor,  who 
dared  even  under  the  influence  of  his  painful  bashfulness,  to 
question  the  propriety  of  my  conduct  on  the  occasion  of  that 
mock-marriage,  would  have  jDossessed  more  delicacy  than  to 
allude  to  it,  under  the  circumstances.  Victor  offended  me 
deeply  in  that  affair;  but  has  it  ever  occurred  to  you,  that 
his  conduct  on  the  occasion  was  that  of  a  true  gentleman,  and 
that  he  displayed  a  courage  and  heroism  of  which  the  bolder 
man  was  incapable  ? 

Payton's  unfortunate  allusion  thoroughly  spoiled  the  rest 
of  his  visit  for  me.  Luckily,  there  had  been  no  other  person 
near  enough  to  hear  or  at  least  to  understand  the  remark, 
and  I  showed  him  so  plainly  that  the  subject  was  distasteful  to 
me,  that  he  will  not,  probably,  allude  to  it  again.  Still  I  did 
not  venture  to  repeat  my  question  as  to  his  business  here,  and 
he  did  not  volunteer  the  information.  Nor  has  he  repeated 
his  visit.  I  learn  from  papa  that  he  is  still  in  the  city,  and 
has  called  on  him  several  times.     Can  he  be  seeking  for  office, 


270  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

do  you  think,  and  wants  papa's  influence  with  the  govern- 
ment ? 

—  In  speaking  of  stereotype  Society  figures  at  Washington, 
I  do  not  mean  to  be  understood  as  seeing  no  difference  in 
them.  I  am  aware,  of  course,  that  no  city  in  the  world 
boasts  such  a  variety  of  types  and  specimens  of  humanity, 
probably,  as  the  cajjital  of  our  nation.  One  hears  the  state- 
ment so  often  in  conversation,  and  meets  with  it  so  often  in  print 
that  it  has  become  trite.  What  I  mean  is,  that  Society  pol- 
ishes down  those  whom  it  admits  within  its  jealously  guarded 
precincts,  freezing  out  all  sharp  edges  and  acute  angles  of 
personal  characteristics  by  the  uniformity  of  dress,  deportment, 
even  of  conversation,  which  she  decrees,  and  will  not  permit 
to  be  departed  from.  Now  this  uniform  fits  some  better  than 
others,  and  some  not  at  all.  Consequently  one  m-ay  discern 
cliaracter  and  individuality  by  the  way  the  uniform  fits  the 
wearer;  and  it  is  a  source  of  amusement  to  some  of  us,  to 
guess  whether  a  gentleman  introduced  to  us  is  a  member  of  Con- 
gress, a  government  officer,  or  a  lobbyist  with  a  big  or  a  little 
ax  to  grind,  by  the  way  he  uses  his  napkin  or  eats  his  soup. 
I  have  made  some  pretty  sharp  guesses  in  this  way.  But  one 
is  picked  up,  sometimes,  in  forming  the  estimate  of  a  man's 
character  or  standing  by  the  way  he  conducts  himself  in 
Society.  A  rather  annoying,  — I  may  admit  to  you,  svJt  rosa, 
humiliating  —  thing  happened  to  me  the  other  night  in  this 
direction,  which  I  don't  mind  telling  you — minding  that  the 
miles  between  Washington  and  Boston  protect  me  equally 
against  your  mischievous  smiles  and  your  polite  sarcasms. 

We  had  all  been  invited  to  a  conversazione  at  the  hotel  of 
the  Secretary  of  War,  whose  daughter,  you  remember  is  an  inti- 
mate friend  of  mine.  Jennie  had  often  invited  me  to  tea  ;  and 
as  papa  was  not  certain  whether  he  would  have  time  to  escort 
us  in  the  evening,  I  persuaded  mama  to  go  there  with  me  in 
the  afternoon  and  remain,  feeling  sure  that  Mrs.  Secretary 
Would  be  glad  enough  to  have  us  assist  in  receiving  the  guests. 

I  made  in  this  way  a  number  of  new  acquaintances.     Sena- 


FROM   OUR    WASHINGTON   CORRESPONDENT.       271 

tors,  Members,  Judges,  Lawyers  and  people  of  all  sorts  were 
iutroduced.  I  could  not  possibly  remember  all  the  names. 
Among  them  were  two  who  had  come  together,  and  who  hardly 
separated  from  each  other  during  the  whole  evening.  I  could 
not  help  noticing  them,  for  they  presented  a  striking  contrast : 
the  one  being  a  small,  rotund,  dumpy  little  gentleman,  while 
the  other  was  tall,  lean,  gawky,  —  overtopping  his  companion 
by  a  head  and  a  shoulder,  —  a  goodly  sized  shoulder  at  that.  I 
had  not  caught  their  names,  when  they  were  introduced  to  the 
hostess  ;  but  somehow  I  had  the  impression  that  the  tall  one 
was  a  Methodist  preacher.  Perhaps  it  was  because  he  had  a 
long,  sallow  face,  closely  shaven ;  dark  eyes,  and  a  great 
mouth,  which  gave  him  a  pious  look.  The  length  of  his  arms 
was  wonderful.  It  seemed  to  trouble  him  greatly  to  know  just 
what  to  do  with  them.  While  I  was  noticing  these  things,  a 
gentleman  passed  in  front  of  us,  bearing  refreshments  upon  a 
tray  to  a  group  of  ladies,  and  I  could  not  help  imagining  what 
a  funny  figure  our  tall  visitor  would  make,  steering  through 
the  room  with  such  a  waiter  poised  upon  his  elongated  arms. 
Jennie  laughed  as  I  whispered  something  of  the  kind  into  her 
ear,  and  left  me  with  the  remark —  '  Let  us  have  the  picture 
by  all  means.' 

Before  I  was  fairly  aware  of  her  intention,  she  had  crossed 
over  to  where  the  two  gentlemen  were  conversing  with  Mrs. 
Secretary  and  mama.  I  could  not  hear  what  she  said  to  them  ; 
but  i^reseutly  the  tall  one  threw  a  glance  in  the  direction  where 
I  stood,  then  bowed  to  Jennie  and  started  off  toward  the 
buffet.  When  he  returned,  he  walked  slowly,  his  eyes  riveted 
on  the  tray  he  was  bearing,  holding  it  out  at  arm's  length,  and 
grasping  it  firmly  with  both  hands.  He  seemed  to  be  painfully 
apprehensive  that  the  two  glasses  of  water  freighting  it  might 
slip  off  and  spill  their  contents  on  the  carpet.  Jennie,  as  well 
as  the  short-statured  friend,  looked  on  with  evident  amusement, 
and  many  eyes  were  turned  on  him,  including  my  own,  taking 
in  the  fun  of  the  situation.  I  am  afraid  that  he  may  have 
read    something    of    the    kind  in  my  face ;   for  when,   having 


272  THE    REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

bowed,  not  ungracefully,  to  both  Jennie  and  myself,  as  we 
each  took  one  of  the  glasses,  he  looked  at  me,  his  bright  eyes 
twinkling  with  fun,  and  a  good-natured  smile  made  his  big 
mouth  really  handsome. 

"  I  am  happy,"  he  said,  "  in  liaving  been  permitted  to 
render  a  slight  service  to  ladies  so  fair.  But  I  fear  it  would 
go  hard  with  me  to  make  my  living  as  a  waiter  in  Washington 
City.  Carrying  this  load  has  been  rather  harder  work  to  me 
than  splitting  rails.  But,"  he  added,  a  flash  of  irresistible 
drollery  lighting  up  his  face,  "waiters  rarely  receive  such 
precious  wages  as  I  am  getting." 

I  thanked  him,  as  courteously  as  if  he  had  been  the  most 
accomplished  cavalier,  for  the  trouble  he  had  put  himself  to  on 
our  account  and  asked  him  what  he  meant  by  wages. 

"  Don't  you  know?  "  he  asked  in  return.  "  Why,  that  re- 
minds me  of  a  story  —  no,  I  mean  of  a  ballad  I  once  read. 
Are  you  acquainted  with  the  poems  of  Schiller?  " 

I  regretted  my  ignorance. 

"  Then  there  is  a  treat  in  store  for  you,"  he  went  on. 
"  Schiller  felt,  and  in  his  poems  knew  how  to  describe  in 
burning  colors,  the  exquisite  bliss,  as  well  as  the  keen  torture 
of  human  passion.  He  was,  if  not  a  keen  observer  of,  cer- 
tainly in  genuine  sympathy  with,  the  virtues  and  frailties  of 
men  and  Avomen.  You  will  be  delighted  and  imj) roved  by 
reading  the  excellent  translation  by  Bulwer.  —  Unless,  in- 
deed," he  added  with  a  questioning  bow,  "the  original  is 
accessible  to  you  ?  —  And  when  you  come  across  the  ballad  of 
The  Glove,  you  will  know  what  I  mean  by  wages.  Mean- 
while ladies,  I  have  been  very  happy  to  make  your  acquaint- 
ance." 

Saying  which,  he  bowed  himself  away,  and  joined  his  com- 
panion, with  whom  he  had  a  jolly  laugh.  And,  oh  Leslie, 
they  must  have  laughed  at  me !  For  when  Jennie  asked  me 
how  I  liked  my  Methodist  preacher  as  a  cavalier,  she  laughed 
too  ;  and  when  I  pressed  her  to  tell  me  the  names  of  the  two 
gentlemen,  I  was  petrified  to  learn  that  the  short  one  was  the 


FE03I   OUR    WaSIIINOTON   CORRESPONDENT.       273 

Senator  from  Illinois,  anil  the  tall  one  was  his  late  competitor, 
and  the  long  and  short  of  it  is,  that  they  are  the  two  most 
famous  men  in  the  United  States  just  now  on  account  of  their 
brilliant  joint  debate,  a  year  ago  last  fall,  on  the  slavery 
question.  It  was  a  shabby  trick  of  Jennie  to  get  me  into  such 
a  scrape,  was  it  not?  I  was  awfully  mad  at  her,  and  did  not 
fail  to  let  her  know ;  but  that  did  not  mend  matters  any. 
And  I  don't  like  the  Illinois  Senator  any  the  better  for  drag- 
ging his  rail-splitting  opponent  into  our  conversazione  getting 
me  into  a  scrape.  And  oh,  Leslie,  tell  me,  what  did  he  mean 
by  that  ballad  of  The  Glove? 

*  *  * 

—  It  is  several  days  since  I  began  this  tediously  long  letter 
to  you.  I  got  to  thinking  about  the  ballad  of  The  Glove,  and 
whether  that  gawky  rail-splitter  meant  to  deal  me  as  severe  a 
blow  as  he  did  his  opponent  in  that  joint  debate  :  for  reallj-, 
he  had  the  best  of  the  argument,  did  he  not?  Because  I 
remember  hearing  papa  say  that  he  had  given  the  Squatter 
Sovereignty  doctrine  a  settler  for  good  and  all.  But  I  am 
glad  that  he  was  not  elected  senator.  Papa  is  glad  too,  I  be- 
lieve. And  in  thinking  over  these  things,  I  got  sleepy,  and 
put  off  finishing  this  letter.  The  next  time  I  got  time,  I 
didn't  have  time  :  for  hardly  had  I  sat  down  to  read  the  stuff 
that  I  had  written,  preparatory  to  a  continuation,  when 
Cressie  announced  a  visitor,  and  brought  me  the  card  of  Ralph 
Payton.  Of  course,  I  was  at  home  to  him;  so  the  letter  to 
you  flew  unceremoniously  into  my  desk,  and  Ralph  Payton 
presented  himself,  gotten  up  in  prime  style  by  barber  and 
hairdresser,  and  showing  good  taste  in  the  selection  of  his 
tailor.  Conversation  between  us  was  brisk  enough  this  time. 
And  what  do  3'ou  think  it  was  that  brought  him  to  Washington 
City?  He  told  me  of  his  own  accord.  He  wants  to  bring 
out  papa  as  a  candidate  for  the  United  States  Senate ! 
And  he  came  to  offer  his  services  in  the  canvass.  Think 
how  I  wronged  him  in  supposing  that  he  wanted  papa's 
influence   for   himself!     He   is    perfectly  sure  that  papa  will 

18 


274  THE   REBEL'S   DAUGHTER. 

succeed  witli  ease.  So  am  1,  if  papa  will  consent  to  make  the 
race.  And  the  thouoht  of  seeing;  him  in  the  Senate  chamber, 
mama  and  I  looking  down  ni)on  him  from  the  gallery  reserved 
for  the  families  of  Senators,  listening  to  his  stirring  appeals 
for  the  rights  of  the  South  —  it  almost  lills  the  measure  of  my 
ambition.  I  was  so  glad  over  the  news,  that  I  believe  I 
danced,  and  laughed,  and  scpieezed  his  hands,  and  made  a 
fool  of  myself  generally.  I  think  it  was  just  grand  in  him  to 
come  all  the  way  to  Washington  to  offer  his  help  to  papa  to 
make  him  a  United  States  Senator.      Don't  you? 

*  *  * 

There  was  another  interruption,  of  course,  to  prevent  me 
from  finishing  this  epistle  to  yon.  I  am  hurrying  on  to  the 
end  now,  else  I  fear  you  may  never  get  it.  Well,  as  soon  as 
Mr.  Payton  left  that  evening,  I  ran  up  to  mama's  room  to  talk 
over  the  great  news  with  her.  She  took  it  very  coolly,  I 
thought.  Perhaps  papa  has  already  talked  it  over  with  her. 
Pretty  soon  papa  himself  came  home,  and  I  of  course  tackled 
him  upon  the  subject  uppermost  in  my  mind.  It  is  all  true, 
Leslie!  At  hrst  he  was  rather  ba(?kward  in  owning  up,  talk- 
ing about  the  dirticulty  of  making  a  canvass  all  over  the  State  ; 
but  finally  it  all  came  out,  and  he  admitted  that  he  had  fully 
made  up  his  mind  to  make  the  run.  And  you  know,  as  well 
as  I  do,  that  if  papa  tries,  the  thing  is  as  good  as  settled.  In 
my  joy  I  mentioned  to  him  what  Ralph  had  told  me  about 
helping  him;  whereat  he  smiled,  saying  that  Mr.  Payton  evi- 
dently knew  on  which  side  his  liread  was  buttei'ed,  for  that  his 
own  election  to  the  House  of  Representatives  was  dependent 
on  papa's  election  to  the  Senate.  Just  think  of  it,  Leslie ! 
Papa  in  the  Senate,  and  Ralph  Payton  in  the  House,  and  both 
from    the    little   town   of   Brookfield!      Won't   Brookfleld   feel 

proud  ? 

*  *  * 

.lust  one  thing  more,  before  1  send  off  this  interminable 
letter.  The  senatorial  election,  so  I  heard  i)apa  say,  does  not 
come  off  until  next  winter.      l>nl  I  do  l)elieve  that  he  is  already 


FROM    OVIt    WASHINGTON    COItRESPONDENT.       275 

preparing  for  the  race.  He  made  a  great  s{)eecli  this  evening 
in  Congress,  in  wliich  lie  just  demolished  the  Know-Nothiugs, 
sailed  into  the  black  republicans,  and  regretted  that  the  only 
honest  enemies  the  democrats  ever  had,  the  whigs,  were  now 
fighting  under  false  colors  and  helping  the  common  enemy  of 
whigs  and  democrats  undermine  the  constitution.  The  con- 
stitution, he  said,  must  be  our  watchword;  its  strict  inter- 
pretation our  creed;  its  preservation  our  slieet-anchor of  hope, 
and  its  principles  —  Freedom  and  Equality  before  the  Law  — 
the  highest  aim  and  motive  of  political  charity.  What  do  you 
think  of  such  a  speech  for  a  campaign  document?  Of  course, 
every  one  that  has  talked  to  me  or  in  my  presence  about  it,  is 
extravagant  in  its  praise  ;  but  then  you  know,  we  can't  take 
nmch  stock  in  what  people  say  to  our  faces.  Papa  is  going  to 
have  ever  so  many  thousand  copies  of  it  printed  and  scattered 
all  over  the  State.  That  looks  like  business,  does  it  not?  I 
wish  we  were  at  home,  for  I  do  believe  I  could  help  papa  in 
some  wa_^  in  this  matter.  Won't  you  try  and  persuade  mama 
to  make  a  visit,  at  least,  to  Brookfteld,  before  the  election  for 
senator  comes  off  next  winter?  Papa  will  have  to  come  any 
how,  I  suppose,  and  1  feel  like  doing  some  electioneering  for 
him. 

We  are  all  well.  B^ven  Cressie,  who  wishes  she  were  away 
from  this  wicked  place.  Mama  sends  her  love.  Papa  hopes 
you  will  settle  down  to  the  practice  of  law  soon.  And  nobody 
is  going  to  be  prouder  of  your  success  at  the  bar  than 

Your  loving  sister 

Nellie. 


xvm. 

THE   PHILOSOPHY  OF  CARVING. 

HE  firm  of  Auf  dem  Buseh  and  Son  was  well  known  on 
Main  street.  Its  senior  member,  not  without  shrewd 
business  tact,  had  made  for  himself  a  reputation  for 
honesty,  punctuality  and  strictly  upright  dealing,  which  had 
gone  far  to  secure  success.  His  gains  had  accumulated 
slowly,  for  he  was  cautious  and  shy  of  hazardous  speculations  ; 
steadily,  because  he  was  waiy  and  watchful  in  taking  advan- 
tage of  turns  in  the  market.  And  so,  when  his  eldest  son  had 
returned  from  Europe,  whither  he  had  been  sent  to  receive  a 
thorough  mercantile  training,  the  new  firm  entei'ed  on  its 
career  under  favorable  auspices. 

The  old  gentleman  was  proud  of  his  son.  His  joy,  how- 
ever, was  not  without  its  drop  of  bitterness.  There  was 
a  lack  of  enthusiasm  in  the  son's  nature.  He  did  not  seem  to 
appreciate  the  signal  advantages  that  had  fallen  to  his 
lot.  This  first  puzzled,  then  pained  the  fond  father.  In  the 
fullness  of  his  joy  he  had  tendered  the  young  man  an  interest 
in  the  firm,  — the  highest  mark  of  confidence  and  approbation 
in  his  power  to  bestow ;  —  it  had  been  received  with  cool 
politeness,  as  if  the  young  man  thought  that  in  accepting  the 
partnership  he  was  conferring  a  benefit  on  his  father  rather 
than  receiving  one.  It  nettled  the  old  gentleman  also,  that 
Woldemar  exhibited  no  slightest  emotion  on  being  welcomed, 
on  his  return,  in  a  charming  new  residence,  which  the  mer- 
chant had  acquired  during  his  absence,  and  of  which  no  men- 
tion had  been  made  in  the  letters  to  him,  on  purpose  to  give 
him  an  agreeable  surprise.  So,  too,  he  had  quietly  accepted 
the  addition  to  the  family  circle  of  a  grown  up  young  lady, 
without  comment  or  question.  And  yet  the  father  was  very 
(276) 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF  CARVING.  277 

proud,  of  both  the  new  villa  in  the  suburbs,  and  of  the  young 
lady  cousin,  whom  he  had  adopted  into  the  family,  and  whom 
he  thought  a  paragon  of  beauty  and  excellence. 

Probably  the  old  gentleman  was  unreasonable  in  expectino- 
Woldemar  to  take  as  much  interest  in  these  things  as  he  did 
himself ;  at  least  Woldemar  thought  so.  For  Woldemar  had 
been  to  Europe.  He  had  seen  great  cities,  whose  architectural 
displays  would  put  to  blush  the  modest  pretensions  of  his 
father's  villa.  How  could  one  be  proud  of  anything  this 
Western  world  afforded,  after  seeing  the  great  palaces,  the 
imposing,  artistic  structures,  the  "  frozen  harmony  "  as  he 
had  heard  it  called,  of  cathedrals  and  domes  in  the  old 
country  ? 

And  as  to  the  young  lady  —  why,  he  had  been  smiled  upon 
and  made  much  of  by  those  who  were  infinitely  above  Pauline 
in  point  of  beauty,  familj^  and  wealth,  not  to  mention  refine- 
ment and  culture.  How  could  he  be  expected  to  go  into 
ecstacies  over  a  simple  maid  like  Pauline  ?  Plainly  his  father 
did  not  take  into  account  the  superior  educational  advantages 
he  had  enjoyed,  nor  the  polish  acquired  by  social  intercourse 
with  people  of  high  culture. 

Still,  he  found  Pauline  not  so  bad  in  her  way.  True,  she 
had  not  so  many  compliments  for  him  as  some  of  the  Fraulein 
in  the  old  country  had  lavished  upon  him  ;  and  seemed  scarcely 
impressed  with  the  high  value  of  his  good  opinion.  But  then 
she  had  a  pleasant  way  of  looking  straight  at  him  out  of  her 
clear  round  eyes  when  she  spoke  to  him  ;  her  mouth  was  reallv 
pretty  when  she  smiled,  as  she  did  on  small  jDro vocation. 
And  one  day,  when  there  was  company  in  the  parlor,  he  was 
quite  astonished  to  find  that  she  could  entertain  the  visitors, 
in  the  absence  of  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch,  with  perfect  self-pos- 
session, and  that  they  listened  to  her  sprighly  conversation 
with  as  much  jileasure,  —  almost,  —  as  to  his  own  interestino- 
accounts  of  foreign  experiences. 

Pauline  herself  seemed  well  pleased  with  him.  Her 
"  Cousin  "  Woldemar  had,  before  his  return  from  Germany, 


278  THE  REBEL'S  D AUGHT EB. 

been  freely  talked  over  in  the  family.  His  brilliant  future 
was  a  theme  upon  which  her  "  Uncle  "  Auf  dem  Busch  had 
loved  to  dAvell.  So  she  had  come  to  look  upon  her  "  cousin  " 
as  a  paragon  of  excellence,  to  win  whose  approbation  might  be 
as  high  a  boon  as  Fortune  had  in  store  for  any  young  lady. 
She  was  heart-free,  knowing  of  love  just  what  she  had  learned 
from  books,  and  as  yet  her  ideal  hero  had  not  assumed  a  clearly 
defined  shape.  Bound  by  the  deepest  sentiment  of  gratitude 
to  the  family  that  had  received  her  with  open  arms  when  she 
was  cast  upon  the  world  a  homeless  orphan,  treated  by  Uncle 
Auf  dem  Busch  with  all  the  tenderness  and  protecting  care  of 
a  father,  she  repaid  the  Ivindness  and  love  of  those  in  Avhose 
midst  she  had  found  a  happy  home  with  fervent  affection. 
What  more  natural,  then,  than  that  she  should  deem  the  evi- 
dent wish  of  her  benefactor  in  respect  of  her  relations  to 
Woldemar  a  new  proof  of  his  kindness  ?  Yes  ;  it  was  an  easy 
and  not  at  all  unpleasant  task  to  try  and  win  the  love  of  the 
excellent  young  man,  if  she  could  ;  and  to  marr^^  him,  if  he 
wanted  her. 

Thus  there  was  a  tacit  understanding  in  the  family,  that  at 
some  future  time  tliere  might  be  a  more  binding  tie  between 
Woldemar  and  Pauline,  than  that  of  the  distant  relationsliip 
now  existing.  Not  expressed  in  words,  however,  even  by  the 
merchant  himself ;  least  of  all  by  the  young  man.  He  would 
not  displease  his  father  liy  showing  opposition  ;  but  it  was 
surely  not  necessary  to  entangle  himself  by  any  avowal  of 
intention  which  might  be  considered  binding.  And  things 
went  on  in  this  way,  pleasantly  enough,  until  the  Sunday 
afternoon,  when  the  appearance  of  Leslie  May  in  Vaux  Hall 
Garden  had  aroused  Woldemar's  displeasure.  Pauline,  for 
her  part,  was  not.  at  all  displeased.  She  was  rather  gratified 
to  meet  the  idolized  friend  of  her  brother,  and  was  at  a  loss  to 
account  for  the  very  evident  aversion  displayed  by  Woldemar. 
But  she  asked  no  questions,  and,  indeed,  soon  dismissed  the 
subject  from  her  mind. 

Victor  had  informed  his  uncle  of  his  intention  to  bring  Mr. 


THE  riiiLosoniY  of  cauvinu.  279 

May  with  liiiu  to  meet  Professor  Raubenfels  ;  and  on  the  day 
appointed  for  the  visit  preparations  were  going  on  at  Bnsch 
Bluff  —  so  the  merchant  had  named  his  pretty  villa  —  for  the 
reception  of  the  guests.  Pauline  was  busy,  flitting  from 
parlor  to  kitchen  and  dining  room,  when  Woldemarcame  home, 
rather  earlier  than  was  his  wont,  announcing  that  Mr.  Auf  dem 
Busch  would  soon  follow  with  the  visitors.  The  busj'  young 
girl  welcomed  him  with  her  usual  smile  and  pleasant  greeting, 
and  he  could  not  help  noticing  that  she  looked  more  than 
usually  charming.  His  acknowledgment,  however,  was  not 
more  friendly  than  usual,  but  rather  less  so,  showing,  indeed, 
an  ostentatious  disapproval  of  the  cheerfulness  with  which  she 
tidied  the  parlor  and  superintended  the  cooking.  He  made  it 
evident  that  he  not  only  disliked  the  expected  visitors,  but 
also  that  he  felt  it  to  be  a  personal  grievance  that  Pauline 
declined  to  share  his  aversion.  To  be  sure,  she  showed  no 
particular  interest  in  that  conceited  bear,  Professor  Rauhen- 
fels,  who  in  some  unaccountable  way  fascinated  his  father ; 
but  then,  Victor  meant  to  bring,  also,  that  insolent  young 
Southerner,  who  had  so  importunately  persecuted  the  young 
lady  with  his  attentions.  What  business  had  he  in  this  house? 
And  what  business  had  she  to  expect  the  coming  of  the  guests 
with  such  evident  eagerness?  Surely,  she  must  know,  that  it 
was  unlady-like  to  receive  the  unsolicited  attentions  of  a  silly 
3'oung  coxcomb,  who  was  a  perfect  stranger  to  her,  without 
protest!  The  correct  young  gentleman,  who  had  been  to 
Europe,  would  not  stand  it.     He  must  tell  her  so. 

But,  whether  for  weal  or  ill,  the  young  gentleman  was  pre- 
vented from  carrying  out  his  well-meant  resolution.  Before 
he  had  settled  on  the  proper  words  to  say,  and  on  the  manner 
of  saying  them,  he  heard  the  deep  bass  of  Professor  Kauhen- 
fels,  which  he  hated,  and  saw  his  father  approach  through  the 
grounds,  engaged  in  lively  conversation  with  the  guests  he 
was  bringing,  Woldemar  went  to  the  door  and  received  the 
company  with  elaborate  politeness,  contrasting  perceptibly 
with  the  cordial  h')spitality  of  the  owner  of  the  mansion,  and 


280  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

the  bright  welcome  extended  to  them  by  the  young  lady,  who 
had  also  gone  to  the  door  to  meet  them.  They  were  soon 
seated  in  the  parlor,  where  Professor  Rauhenfels  continued 
the  narration  of  a  marvelous  hunting  story.  Leslie  May  was 
seated  opposite  to  him  and  found,  for  the  first  time  since  his 
introduction  in  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch's  store,  an  oj^portunity 
to  notice  his  personal  appearance.  Paying  no  attention  to 
the  story  he  was  telling,  which  he  supposed  to  be  on  a  par 
with  the  yarns  usually  spun  by  amateur  sportsmen,  he 
leisurely  took  a  mental  inventory  of  the  Professor's  prominent 
traits . 

A  man,  he  found  him,  of  rather  tall  stature,  well  propor- 
tioned, broad  shouldered  ;  clad  in  sovereign  contempt  of  fickle 
fashion  and  arbitrary  rules  of  etiquette,  almost  to  the  defiance 
of  conventional  propriety.  His  feet  were  encased  in  a  pair  of 
low  shoes,  not  always  closely  laced  ;  and  as  the  extremities  of 
his  nether  garments  did  not  quite  reach  the  top  of  his  shoes,  a 
considerable  expanse  of  sock  was  visible,  now  and  then,  which, 
in  default  of  garters,  sat  loosely,  in  picturesque,  if  not  grace- 
ful, undulations.  The  weather  being  of  the  kind  to  which  the 
denizens  of  the  Western  metropolis  were  accustomed  in  high 
summer,  a  waistcoat  was  clearly  a  superfluous  luxury:  the 
lio-ht  jacket  of  brown  holland  that  he  wore,  affording  sufficient 
covering.  The  only  portion  of  his  wardrobe  making  any  pre- 
tension to  amplitude  was  his  shirt  collar.  Not  a  sham  imitation 
in  paper,  —  he  hated  shams  in  any  shape  —  nor  even  of  snowy 
linen  ;  but  a  genuine  part  of  the  garment  itself,  turned  over  a 
ribbon  doing  service  as  a  neck-tie,  somewhat  in  the  fashion 
which  painters  love  to  give  to  the  collars  of  Schiller  and 
Byron,  and  which,  in  connection  with  his  jetty  hair,  worn 
long,  might  remind  one  who  had  known  him  of  the  romancist 
Ned  Buntline.  Leslie  took  in  the  peculiarities  of  his  dress  at  a 
glance.  But  the  expression  of  his  features,  —  bold  and 
striking  though  they  were —  was  not  so  easily  read. 

A  broad,  high,  somewhat  retreating  forehead,  suggestive  of 
poetic  power  and  force  of  imagination ;  a  prominent  aquiline 


THE   PHILOSOPHY  OF   CARVING.  281 

nose,  indicative  of  strong  will ;  square  jaws  and  high  cheek- 
bones, giving  him,  especially  when  seen  in  profile,  a  command- 
ing, eagle-like  mien,  in  no  wise  softened  by  the  sparkle  of  his 
keen,  brown-black  eyes  set  far  apart.  His  rather  large, 
mobile  mouth  might  have  betokened  sensuality,  but  for 
the  slight  downward  curve  of  the  corners,  which  readily 
assumed  the  proportions  of  a  sneer,  and  was  capable  of  im- 
parting to  his  features  the  expression  of  intense  scorn,  or, 
when  under  excitement,  of  impassioned  enthusiasm. 

One  of  the  peculiarities  about  him  was  the  rich,  deep  bass 
of  his  voice,  which  commanded  attention  even  in  ordinary  con- 
versation, such  as  he  was  engaged  in  while  Leslie  observed 
him.  But  when  the  ladies  appeared  to  summon  the  guests  to 
table,  it  put  the  observer  to  a  severe  test  to  maintain  his 
gravity;  for  as  he  rose  to  greet  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch,  his 
inquiry  after  her  health  was  couched  in  falsetto,  an  octave  or 
two  above  the  usual  pitch  of  his  voice,  and  with  an  inflection 
of  the  tenderest  solicitude. 

It  was  also  a  surjjrise  to  Leslie,  to  see  the  host  motioning 
the  professor  to  the  head  of  the  table.  "  You  shall  be  sur- 
prised," he  explained  to  the  other  guests,  "  to  see  and  admire 
our  friend's  wonderful  skillfulness,  which  he  has  in  the  art  of 
carving.  If  it  be  a  turkey,  or  if  it  be  a  goose  ;  and  much 
more,  if  it  be  a  matter  of  carving  a  smaller  bird.  It  is  not 
now  the  time  for  turkeys  ;  but  one  of  the  consignors  to  our 
firm  has  honored  me  with  a  prairie  chicken  or  two,  and  it  shall 
taste  to  us  better,  when  our  friend  has  so  skillfully  carved  it 
like  he  can  do." 

Leslie,  who  had  promjjtly  offered  his  arm  to  Miss  Wald- 
horst,  was  less  amused  by  this  speech  than  he  would  probably 
have  been,  if  his  attention  had  not  been  attracted  by  the  scowl 
on  young  Auf  dem  Busch's  face,  as  he,  Leslie,  took  his  seat 
by  the  side  of  that  which  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch  assigned  to 
Pauline,  quietly  ignoring  the  evident  intention  of  that  lady 
that  her  son  Woldemar  should  occupy  it.  Mrs.  Auf  dem 
Busch,  whose  plans  were  thus  crossed,  had  not  the  presence  of 


282  THE  EEBEL'S   DAUGHTER. 

mind  to  call  her  guest's  attention  to  the  mistake  he  had  made, 
and  the  old  gentleman  failed  to  notice  it. 

Nevertheless,  conversation  in  no  wise  flagged.  Professor 
Rauheufels,  deprecating  the  merchant's  compliments  to  his 
skill,  favored  the  company  with  a  loquacious  dissertation  on 
the  art  of  carving,  demonstrating  that  the  chief  requisite  of  a 
successful  carver  consisted  in  the  accurate  knowledge  of  the 
anatomy  of  the  bird. 

"  Oh,  ho!  "  the  A'ounger  merchant  exclaimed  ;  "  give  me  a 
fat  bird  and  a  sharp  knife,  and  I  will  guarantee  you  that  I  get 
away  with  the  meat,  if  I  were  at  all  hungry,  with  or  without 
knowing  anatom3^" 

"  Yes,"  observed  Leslie,  "  or  even  with  a  dull  knife,  or  none 
at  all.  But  then  the  professor  might  say,  that  that  was 
carving  with  Alexander's  sword,  which  was  simply  cutting 
through  the  knot  instead  of  unraveling  it." 

"  Just  so,"  the  professor  assented.  "  The  kind  of  carving 
the  wolf  does,  when  he  munches  the  lamb  he  has  stolen.  But 
mark  you,  the  wolf  is  not  so  ignorant  of  the  lamb's  anatomy 
as  our  young  friend  here  assumes  in  his  hypothesis  —  " 

"When  he  is  through  with  his  meal,"  Leslie  interrupted,  "he 
has  probably  devoured  the  whole  subject,  anatomy  and  all." 

"  But  the  professor  will  say,  that  is  munching,  and  not  carv- 
ing, "  said  Victor. 

"Exactly;"  Rauheufels  replied,  somewhat  emphatically. 
"  Do  you  not  see  that  the  bird  and  the  knife,  as  well  as  the 
hand  that  holds  it,  are  but  tools,  that  obey  the  carver's  will?  " 

"  Granted  !  "  Woldemar  threw  in.  "  So  the  wolf  also  works 
his  will  on  the  lamb.  What  difference,  then,  between  the 
two?" 

"  Only  this,"  said  the  professor,  "  the  carver  —  presumably 
a  rational  being  —  exercises  his  free  will,  while  the  wolf 
blindly  obeys  his  appetite.  The  one  is  a  master  ruling,  the 
other  a  servant  ruled  by  nature." 

"  Are  we  masters,  ruling  nature?  "  Victor  inquired  in 
surprise. 


O     ?o 


THE  PHILOSOPHY  OF    CARVING.  283 

"Oh,  no,"  sneered  Woldeniar.  "You  misunderstand.  It 
is  only  the  adept  at  carving  that  rises  to  that  dignity." 

"Just  so,"  said  the  professor  looking  sharply  at  the  last 
speaker  for  a  second,  but  then  addressing  himself  to  Victor. 
"Nature  has  given  us  eyes  to  see;  that  much  she  has  done 
for  the  wolf  also.  But  she  has  given  us^  what  she  has  not 
given  the  wolf,  reason  —  that  divine  attribute  in  virtue  of 
which  man  rules  the  world." 

"  Rules  the  world  ?"  Victor  repeated  with  eagerly  questioning 
eyes.  "  How  can  that  be,  when  so  many  human  beings 
annually  perish  for  the  want  of  simple  means  of  subsistence, 
or  fall  victims  in  other  wa3's  to  the  inexorable  laws  of  nature, 
which  man  is  utterly  impotent  to  abrogate,  or  even  modify?  " 

"  Right,  my  friend,"  the  professor  answered,  complacently. 
"The  laws  of  nature  are  eternal  and  immutable.  What  an 
insigniiicant  accident  man  would  be,  were  it  otherwise! 
Imagine,  if  you  can,  what  must  follow  an  instant's  cessation 
of  the  law  of  gravity.  Chaos  ?  Not  *so  much  as  that :  for  in 
chaos,  in  so  far  as  we  can  conceive  it  at  all,  is  relation  and 
coherence.  But  utter  nothingness :  for  the  single  substantial 
quality  of  all  matter  is  gravitation." 

Leslie,  witli  a  good-natured  smile  of  incredulity,  addressed 
this  question,  rather  to  his  fair  neighbor:  "  What  then  does 
man's  supreme  rule  of  tlie  world  amount  to,  in  view  of  the 
supremacy  of  the  law,  for  instance,  of  gravitation?  " 

"  Man  cannot,  of  course,  ignore  the  law  of  nature  in  any 
direction,"  the  professor  answered,  "  any  more  than  he  could 
create  it.  But  he  can  subordinate  it  to  his  purposes.  He 
commands  this  gigantic  monster,  gravitation,  to  do  his  bid- 
ding, and  it  yields  unquestioning  obedience.  It  grinds  for 
him  his  corn,  it  holds  together  his  habitations,  carries  him  and 
his  wares  across  continents,  over  oceans,  and  through  the  air; 
it  points  out  to  him  the  paths  of  the  heavenly  bodies,  and 
measures  for  him  time  and  space.  Which,  think  you,  is  the 
master,  and  which  the  servant?  " 

"  I  should  tiiink,  that  they  took  turns  about  in  having  things 


284  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

their  own  way,"  Leslie  suggested.  "  Wlien  tliis  monster  plays 
snow-balling  with  mighty  avalanches,  or  shakes  down  houses 
and  cities  during  an  earthquake,  his  obedience  shines  con- 
spicuously by  absence.  Where,  under  such  circumstances,  is 
man's  mastery?  " 

"Asleep!"  Rauhenfels  almost  shouted,  "Don't  blame 
man's  stupidity  on  the  faithful  servant  who  simply  does  what 
he  is  bid  to  do.  Let  me  help  you  to  a  fine  piece  of  tlie  breast 
of  this  bird.  See, — I  lay  it  on  your  plate,  and  this  monster, 
gravitation,  holds  it  there  for  you,  like  the  obedient  servant  he 
is.  Now  you  know  that  he  would  dash  it  to  the  floor  with 
equal  readiness,  if  you  ordered  him  to  do  so  by  the  way  you 
hold  your  plate.  Would  it  not,  then,  be  ridiculously  unjust  to 
hold  him  responsible  for  your  awkwardness  if  you  should 
drop  the  meat  from  your  plate?  And  just  so  if  a  man  puts 
himself  in  the  pathway  of  the  falling  avalanche,  or  builds  top- 
heavy  houses  in  the  regions  of  earthquakes." 

"  Then,"  interposed  Leslie,  "  to  guard  against  avalanches, 
you  expect  man  to  level  the  mountain,  so  as  to  keep  the  snow- 
ball out  of  the  monster's  power?  " 

"  An  easier  way  would  be  for  him  to  keep  away  from  the 
mountains  during  snowstorms,"  said  Rauhenfels.  "  But 
supposing  that  the  occasional  recurrence  of  avalanches  were 
known  to  threaten  extermination  of  the  human  race,  then  were 
it  not  willful  self-destruction  if  it  failed  to  level  the  moun- 
tains,—  that  being  the  only  means  of  avoiding  avalanches? 
So,  you  see,"  he  continued,  again  turning  to  Victor,  "  that 
the  question  of  mastery  between  man  and  the  forces,  or  laws, 
as  we  have  called  them,  of  nature,  is  quite  easil}^  settled. 
Remembering  that  man  is  free  —  that  is  to  say,  that  his  will 
is  first  cause,  or  self-cause,  his  superiority  over  that  which  is 
unfree,  or  cause  only  as  it  is  effect,  is  patent." 

Victor  had  listened  with  deep  attention.  "  Do  you  then 
mean  to  say,"  he  now  inquired  eagerly,  "  that  man  is  above 
the  law?  Why,  that  would  clothe  him  with  the  attributes  of 
divinity !  ' ' 


THE  riJILOSOniY  OF  CAEVING.  285 

"  Well,"  the  professor  replied,  his  voice  assuming  its  bass 
pitch,  and  his  eyes  beginning  to  sparkle,  "  and  is  not  freedom 
divine  ?  Is  not  God  freedom  ?  And  do  3^011  not  claim  that 
God-like  atti'ibute  for  yourself  ?  Understand,  —  I  do  not  mean 
the  potentiality  to  do  or  not  to  do  which  is  all  that  some  people 
see  in  will,  or  liberty.  That  is  will  in  its  capricious,  arbitrary 
form,  which  man  possesses  in  common  with  the  mule  and 
which  is  the  highest  law  to  the  wolf  when  he  devours  the  lamb. 
Man  possesses  a  goodly  share  of  this  kind  of  will,  or  freedom. 
Vast  numbers  of  men  and  women  never  rise  higher  in  the 
realm  of  existence.  There  are  slaves, — aye,  and  more  of 
them  than  are  now  held  in  bondage  in  this  free  land  of  ours  — 
who  prove,  by  their  very  condition  as  slaves,  their  incapacity 
for  freedom,  —  for  free  men  cannot  be  made  slaves.  So  there 
are  tyrants,  despots,  whose  claim  to  the  divine  attribute  stands 
upon  no  higher  ground.  And  you  are  right,  my  young 
friend,  in  doubting  the  attributes  of  divinity  of  either  extreme." 

"  Then,  I  understand,  after  all,  that  man  is  not  above  the 
law?  "  said  Victor  interrogatively. 

"  But  man  may  antagonize  the  laws  of  nature  against  each 
other,"  exclaimed  the  professor  with  some  animation,  "and 
thus  make  them  his  servants.  He  commands  Gravitation  to 
float  his  ships,  and  Boreas  to  waft  them  over  the  ocean ;  or,  if 
he  desires  a  more  relialjle  agent,  he  harnesses  Phcebus  himself 
to  his  chariots,  compelling  him  to  propel  them  with  the  swift- 
ness of  the  fleetest  bird  whither  he  listeth ;  he  has  wrested  the 
thunderbolt  from  Jupiter's  hand,  and  sends  his  messenger 
more  swiftly  over  the  earth,  than  Hermes  served  Jove  of  old. 
Is  not  man  greater  than  the  mythological  gods?  " 

"  Mythological  gods,  yes,"  Woldemar  spoke  up.  "  But 
they,  like  the  laws  Victor  spoke  of,  are  of  man's  making. 
Not  much  divinity  about  them,  I  should  think." 

The  professor  fixed  a  keen  glance  upon  the  new  speaker,  the 
curves  of  his  mouth  assuming  a  contemptuous  expression. 
"  You  seem  to  think,"  said  he,  "  that  man  can  make  laws,  as 
well  as  o-ods  ?  ' ' 


286  THE  BEBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

"  Of  course,"  was  Woldemar's  prompt  auswer.  "  In 
monarchies,  rulers,  '  by  the  grace  of  God  '  fashion  the  laws 
to  their  liking ;  in  republics,  they  are  made  by  the  people 
themselves.     You  do  not  question  so  much,  I  hope?  " 

"  And  will  you  please  inform  me,  what  you  understand  by 
law?  "  the  professor  asked  with  a  show  of  innocent  curiosity. 

"Why,  law,  in  the  sense  I  spoke  of  it,  is  the  will  of  the 
people,  expressed  in  some  form  recognized  as  binding,"  Victor 
answered,  instead  of  Woldemar. 

"  An  act  of  the  legislature,  whether  it  exjiresses  the  will  of 
the  people  or  not,"  suggested  Leslie,  who,  though  really 
anxious  to  draw  the  ladies  into  participation,  had  shown  him- 
self an  attentive  listener. 

"  Why  not  say  plainly,  the  pretended  will  of  the  sovereignty, 
if  that  is  what  you  are  driving  at?  "  said  tlie  professor,  suavely- 
enough.  But  suddenly  assuming  a  severity  of  tone  and  a 
lierceness  of  manner  that  startled  Victor,  he  added:  "But 
tliat  is  a  miserable  makeshift.  You  can  find  half  a  dozen 
sucli  delinitious  in  the  ordinary  dictionaries.  Why,  even 
Blackstone  knew  that  much,  only  it  took  him  a  great  many 
more  words  to  say  it.  And  every  jackanapes  of  a  lawyer  that 
has  bought  him  a  sheep-skin  from  some  diploma-mill  chatters 
it  after  him  ever  since.  That,  to  be  sure,  is  the  kind  of 
law  that  the  British  Parliament,  the  American  Congress,  and 
every  puny  State  legislature  grinds  out  daily  by  the  cart-load. 
You  can  get  it  made  to  order,  cheap  for  cash.  The  capricious 
whimsicalities  of  unlimited  monarchs  are  on  a  par  with  the 
trash  given  us  by  constitutional  governments,  —  for,  —  mark 
you,  Blackstone  is  not  sure  but  that  anything  Parliament  sa3's, 
no  matter  how  absurdly  ridiculous,  is  law.  And  I  suppose  I 
need  not  tell  you,  gentlemen,  that  whoever  has  an  axe  to 
grind,  or  even  a  small  hatchet,  is  a  welcome  guest  in  the  halls 
of  your  legislatures,  not  to  mention  the  smaller  fry  of  city 
coinicils  and  other  law-making  corporosities,  provided  he 
furnish  the  sugar  to  sweeten  their  tempers.  Lcmo^  indeed ! 
If  this  sort  of  law  did  not,  fortunately,  possess  the  knack  of 


THE   PHILOSOPHY  OF   CARVING.  287 

the  Kilkenny  cats,  which,  you  know,  ate  each  other  up  until 
nothing  was  left  of  them  but  the  tails,  it  would  long  ago  have 
inundated  the  world,  like  a  second  Deluge." 

When  Rauhenfels  made  mention  of  "  jackanapes  "  of  law- 
yers, Leslie  had  winked  at  Victor  so  droll  a  grimace  as  to 
start  the  young  Auf  dem  Buschs  into  an  audible  smile, 
severely  testing  the  self-control  of  the  ladies  to  avoid  following 
their  example.  He  now  improved  the  opportunity  afforded 
by  the  pause,  to  demurely  inquire,  what,  in  the  professor's 
opinion,  became  of  the  tails  left  by  all  the  Kilkenny  cats? 

"  Tails,  is  it?  "  snorted  the  professor,  flashing  a  keen  glance 
of  defiance  at  the  demure  speaker.  "  Pray  sir,  will  you  tell 
me,  what  it  is,  that  your  statute  books  contain,  but  just  cats' 
tails?  From  cover  to  cover,  from  A  to  Izzard,  what  Init  cats' 
tails?  Not  even  assorted,  but  just  thrown  together,  pell-mell, 
relying  on  the  charitable  presumption  that  judges  and  lawyers 
know  their  A-B-C-,  the  scientific  jirineiple  upon  which  indexes 
are  constructed,  by  means  of  which  to  put  their  hands  on  tail 
A  or  tail  Izzard,  as  occasion  may  require!  Why,  my  young 
friend,  eliminate  from  your  Statutes  at  Large,  your  Common 
Law,  your  Omnium-gatherum  of  Chancery  Rules,  stolen  from 
the  Civil  Law,  —  eliminate  from  them  the  few  ingots  of 
rational  thought  that  have  come  down  to  us  from  such  ven- 
erable seers  as  composed  the  decalogue  and  like  codes,  and 
you  will  have  a  vast  and  imposing  mass  of  cats'  tails  for  your 
trouble.     Put  them  into  your  pipe  and  smoke  them !  " 

"  You  would  not  impose  so  cruel  a  task  on  me,  now  would 
you  ? ' ' said  Leslie,  with  pleading  voice.  ' '  Even  if  I  deserved  it, 
it  would  be  unmerciful  to  the  ladies,  who,  I  submit,  are  not  to 
be  blamed  for  the  cats'  tails  in  our  statute  books.  I  trust, 
rather,  that  you  will  condescend  to  enlighten  us  as  to  liow  we 
are  to  obtain  a  better  quality  of  law.  For  if  neither  monarchs 
nor  legislative  assemblies  are  to  be  relied  on,  I  can  think  of  but 
one  other  source  from  which  law  could  emanate,  — the  people 
themselves,  in  their  original  sovereign  capacity.  But  the  only 
instance  I   can  remember   in   historv   or  fiction,  in  which  that 


288  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

plan  received  a  trial,  was  a  signal  failure.  Even  our  Pilgrim 
Fathers,  who  for  a  time  undertook  to  personate  legislatures, 
judges  and  executioners  in  their  aggregate  capacity,  soon 
found,  that  a  pure  Democracy  would  not,  to  use  a  phrase  of 
Carlyle,  march." 

"  I  should  think  not,"  sneered  the  professor,  the  down- 
ward curves  of  his  mouth  deepening  perceptibly.  "  And  sup- 
posing it  did  march,  think  you  that  the  quality  of  the  law 
would  thereby  improve?  I  may  grant  you,  that  the  people 
have  a  marvelous  proficiency  in  picking  out  knaves  and  fools 
as  their  representatives ;  but  they  are  representatives ;  and 
since  the  stream  can  rise  no  higher  than  its  source,  they  reflect 
truly  the  calibre  of  their  constituents.  No,  my  young  friend! 
The  chances  are,  that  a  hundred  thousand  fools  will  quite  equal, 
in  their  aggregate  stupidity,  the  folly  of  any  smaller  number 
of  them,  just  as  the  tyranny  of  majorities  is  as  destructive  of 
liberty,  as  that  of  a  single-headed  despot.  Oh,  no,  do  not 
understand  me  as  joining  in  the  popular  cry,  in  this  sense,  of 
Vox  Populi  vox  Dei !  " 

"  But  you  have  not  vouchsafed  the  information  we  crave," 
Leslie  insisted.  "  You  have,  instead,  only  cut  off  one  more 
source  of  possible  legislative  authority,  and  I  am  at  my  wits' 
end  to  imagine  how  the  evil  you  so  graphically  describe  might 
be  remedied." 

"  Don't  you  see,"  said  Woldemar,  who  could  not  resist  the 
temptation  to  pour  what  he  deemed  a  broadside  into  the 
enemy's  unprotected  front,  although  it  went  sorely  against  his 
grain  that  in  doing  so  he  was  siding  with  the  Southern 
lawyer,  —  "  don't  you  see  what  the  gentleman  is  driving  at? 
He  has  distinctly  disavowed  all  authority.  Except  metaphy- 
sics. Ask  him,  and  if  he  confesses  his  real  view,  he  will  tell 
you,  that  not  only  the  State,  but  the  whole  Universe,  is  gov- 
erned by  speculative  philosophy,  whose  high  priest  is  Hegel, 
the  inventor  of  a  mystical  system  of  Trinity,  whose  corner- 
stone is  the  doctrine  that  Being  and  Naught  are  identical,  and 
that  the  identitj'  of  the  two  constitutes  the  World.     No  won- 


THE  PIIILOSOniY  OF   CARVING.  289 

der,  then,  thut  he  spurns  all  laws  emanating  from  a  source  that 
recognizes  common  sense.  For  he  who  enters  the  realm  of 
Hegelian  Speculative  Mysticism  must  leave  understanding 
behind." 

Rauhenfels  turned  to  the  new  speaker  with  a  sarcastic  smile. 
"  I  congratulate  you,"  he  said,  '•  on  the  good  use  you  seem  to 
have  made  of  your  time  while  in  Germany.  No  doubt,  you 
made  a  profound  study  of  Hegel  and  his  philosophy  ;  or,  if 
not  of  Hegel,  at  least  of  those  of  his  adversaries,  who  prove 
in  learned  disquisitions  how  much  of  a  mystery  Hegel  has 
remained  to  them.  You  quote  Diihring  almost  verbatim. 
Yes,  sir!  The  world  /x  governed, — not  by  speculative  phi- 
losophy, but  by  reason,  which  it  is  the  ottioe  of  speculative 
philosophy  —  speculative .^  mark,  not  in  the  sense  in  which  your 
highly  respectable  firm  deals  in  sugar  and  coffee,  or  a  land 
shark  in  acres  and  town-lots,  but  as  searching  after  Truth  — 
to  discover,  and  of  the  legislature,  or  other  law-announcing 
authority  to  announce.  Yes,  sir!  This  same  Hegel,  and 
every  thinker  who  has  searched  after  and  discovered  Truth, 
are  the  real  law-makers.  For  whatever  is,  is  by  virtue  of  the 
reason  for  its  being.  Discover  that,  and  you  have  its  law  ; 
and  he  who  announces  it,  is  the  legislator.  Who,  think  you, 
was  the  true  legislator,  — Galileo,  the  humble  Italian  astrono- 
mer, or  Urban  VIII,  backed  by  the  wisdom  and  power  of  the 
inquisition?  Surely,  the  Pope  was  in  authority,  wielding  the 
power  of  the  Christian  Church.  He  haughtily  commanded  the 
Sun  to  dance  attendance  upon  our  Earth,  the  Earth  to  stand 
as  the  lixed  center  of  the  Universe.  Y'et  do  we  not  all  agree, 
that  the  philosopher's  whispered  '■  E pur  se  muoce!'  was  the 
more  potent  decree  ?  ' ' 

"  But  this  is  a  mere  fable  I  "  Woldemar  announced,  oracu- 
larly. "It  is  now  admitted  l>y  those  best  informed  on  his- 
tory, that  Galileo  did  not  utter  these  famous  words  at  all,  nor 
ever  retracted  his  recantation." 

"  Well,  is  not  Fable  more  true  than  History?  "  demanded 
the  professor,  with  some  animation. 

I'J 


290  THE   BEBEU8  DAUGHTER. 

"  Of  course,"  put  in  Victor,  eagerly.  "  It  is  the  judgment 
of  the  world,  that  this  was  the  proper  thing  for  Galileo  to  say 
under  the  circumstances  ;  and  whether  he  spoke  the  words  or 
not,  they  are  perfectly  true."  With  some  hesitation  he  then 
added:  "But  it  seems  to  me,  that  Mr.  May's  question  has 
not  yet  been  answered.  If  the  acts  of  Congress,  or  the  State 
legislature,  are  not  the  law,  what  are  they?  " 

"  Exactly  so,"  said  Auf  dem  Busch  Senior.  "It  is  neces- 
sary that  we  have  law,  and  the  law  shall  be  reasonable,  as  the 
professor  has  well  spoken.  Now  I  like  some  upclearing,  who 
shall  say,  if  the  law  be  reasonable?  Shall  I  myself  say  so? 
Then  all  say  that  is  law,  what  they  like.  We  have  a  Sunday 
law ;  and  some  people  say  it  is  reasonable.  I  think  it  is 
tyranny.     Now  who  has  right?  " 

"  Ah,  that  is  a  very  different  thing,"  said  the  professor, 
with  great  deference.  "  Right  —  that  is,  the  law  of  God, — 
is  eternal  and  immutable,  as  God  himself  is.  But  since  it  ex- 
ists in  our  consciousness  only,  constituting  our  conscience., 
every  man  carries  in  his  own  breast  the  criterion  for  right  and 
wrong.  And  you,  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch,  have  forcibly  pointed 
out  the  necessity  of  some  external  criterion,  to  decide  authori- 
tatively between  individuals  who  differ,  whether  honestly  or 
wickedly,  in  their  assertions  of  right.  It  was  this  necessity, 
that  gave  us  the  decalogue  on  tables  of  stone.  It  was  this 
necessity,  too,  that  brought  us  Christ,  who  established  a 
religion  of  Mercy  instead  of  the  rigid  rule  of  jealous  Jehovah. 
It  is  this  necessity,  in  fine,  that  gives  us  parliaments  and 
congresses,  and  legislative  bodies  of  all  sorts.  Yes,  you  have 
pithily  put  it:  There  must  be  authoritative  statement  of  what 
is  right  and  wrong.  Whether  this  be  by  an  autocrat  or  a  par- 
liament, a  king  or  a  popular  assembly,  matters  really  very 
little.  The  essential  thing  is  that  it  be  recognized  as  authori- 
tative, and  that  it  be  obeyed  as  such.  As  the  Church  demands 
faith  in  its  dogmata,  on  pain  of  excommunication,  so  the  State 
coerces  obedience  to  its  commands,  though  it  cost  the  prop- 
erty, the  life,  or  even  the  liberty  of  its  defier —  " 


TEE  [PHILOSOPHY  OF   CARVING.  291 

"  How  far,  then,"  Leslie  inteiTupted,  "  does  your  definition 
of  liiw  differ  from  tliat  given  by  Mr.  Waldhorst,  or  Mr,  Auf 
deni  Buscli,  or  even  myself':'  " 

' '  As  the  true  does  from  the  false  !  ' '  the  professor  exclaimed 
promptly.  "The  dogma  of  the  Church  is  infallible,  because 
to  the  faith  of  the  believer  it  is  divine  revelation.  But  how 
about  the  unbeliever?  Can  it  be  law  to  him?  So  with  the 
citizen :  Possessing  in  his  own  breast  the  highest  criterion  for 
right  and  wrong,  he  necessarily  measures  the  law  by  that 
standard.  If  he  find  it  true  and  just,  he  will  abide  by  it,  and 
that  law  is  iDrobably  a  divine  revelation  to  him.  But  if  it  be 
of  the  Kilkenny  Cat  kind,  made  to-day,  to  be  repealed  to- 
morrow, or  changed,  modified,  or  amended  —  what  shall  be 
said  of  it?  Or  if  it  be  a  gigantic  steal  from  the  many  to 
enrich  a  favored  few?  Or  if  it  be  an  infamous  piece  of 
barbarism  —  ' ' 

"  For  instance?  "   Leslie  inquired. 

"  You  want  an  instance?  "  the  professor  exclaimed,  his  eyes 
rtashing,  his  mouth  curving  downward,  his  voice  trembling 
with  excitement.  "  Let  me  mention  only  the  statutes  of  half 
the  States  of  this  Union,  which  in  all  seriousness  proclaim 
l^roperty  in  man !  Think  of  the  monstrous  contradiction  — 
man,  whose  essential  quality  is  freedom,  to  be  declared  by  the 
laic  to  be  property!  And,  not  enough  that  the  slave  States 
enact  such  damnable  heresy  against  human  dignity,  but  the 
federal  government  itself, — representing  slave  and  free 
States  —  by  a  statute  to  which  it  proposes  to  exact  obedience, 
degrades  every  freeman  in  the  land  to  the  level  of  a  Jack- 
Ketch,  condemning  him,  at  the  beck  of  the  vilest  dealer  in 
human  flesh,  to  help  hunt  down,  like  a  bloodhound,  his  run- 
awaj'  '  chattel,'  and  deliver  back  into  slavery  a  manor  woman, 
to  be  scourged  by  an  enraged  mastei-  for  the  crime  of  having 
aspired  to  their  God-given  freedom  !  Is  this  instance  enough 
to  justify  a  freeman  in  protesting  that  such  cannot  be  law?  " 

The  words  of  the  professor,  spoken  with  impressive  pathos, 
produced  a  different  result  upon  his  several  hearers.     Wolde- 


292  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

mar  Auf  dem  Busch  had  iiiil)it)t'd,  during  his  absence  in 
Europe,  the  positive  views  prevalent  among  the  Germans  on 
the  sul)ject  of  slavery ;  and  it  was  natural  that  the  closing 
words  of  his  antagonist  should  command  his  assent.  But  it 
was  equally  natural  that  he  should  dislike  to  applaud  a  man  so 
utterly  unsympathetic  to  him  ;   so  he  remained  silent, 

Leslie  had  a  smile  for  the  professor's  earnestness.  He 
looked  at  the  young  lady  by  his  side  to  note  the  effect  pro- 
duced upon  her,  and  neither  he  nor  Woldemar  was  pleased  bj^ 
the  eager  assent  to  be  read  in  her  sparkling  eyes  and  from  her 
eager,  half -parted  lips. 

Victor  was  the  one  most  deeply  interested  in  the  views  ex- 
pressed by  the  professor.  There  was  a  dazed  look  upon  his 
features  that  betrayed  the  difficulty  he  found  in  weighing  the 
argument.  Absurd,  had  the  professor  said,  were  the  laws  of 
slavery?  Surely,  he  must  be  ignorant  of  the  true  condition  of 
things  in  the  slave  States.  And  yet,  —  he  was  so  positive  ! 
And  of  his  sincerity  there  could  be  no  doubt.  And  —  he  was 
certainly  no  fool !  For  however  paradoxical  had  been  liis  talk 
about  law,  he  could  not,  at  bottom,  deny  any  of  those  striking- 
statements. 

Victor  again  experienced  the  doubts  and  trouldes  that  Col- 
onel May  had  awakened  in  talking  on  this  subject ;  only  now 
the  shock  was  greater,  and  it  came  in  the  opposite  direction. 
It  pained  him  to  hear  the  institution  of  slavery  so  savagely 
assailed. 

Auf  dem  Busch  Senior,  alone  expressed  his  thorougii  ap- 
proval of  the  professor's  words.  "  It  has  been  as  I  thought," 
he  said,  with  an  air  of  unmistakable  relief,  "  that  we  have 
been  misunderstanding  the  professor.  He  has  well  spoken 
the  truth.  In  this  matter,  like  in  all  other  matters  when  he 
speaks  in  earnest.  He  denies  not  that  we  must  obey  the  law  ; 
but  he  is  in  wrath  about  foolisli  law,  like  Sunday  law,  and 
slave  law.  But  we  will  be  vexatious  no  more  to-day  with 
slavery.  It  is  not  yet  dark  ;  1  will  enjoy  a  smoke  in  the  open 
air.     So  I  ask  the  gentlemen  to  join  me,  if  it  shall  be  pleasing 


THE  nilLOSOPUY  OF   CARVING.  293 

to  them.  You  are  a  judge  of  a  line  cigar,  Mr.  May?  Our 
frieud  Raulienfels  is  also  a  judge,  and  when  he  has  not  his 
cob-pipe  and  country  tobacco,  he  is  not  afraid  of  my  brand. 
You  Avill  like  it,  I  make  no  doubt.  You  are  not  to  mind  the 
ladies.     We  have  seasoned  them.     What,  Pauline?  " 

"  Indeed,  you  may  say  so,"  the  maiden  responded  ;  "  and 
the  drawing-room  as  well.  You  can  have  no  idea,  Mr. 
May,"  she  continued,  turning  to  this  gentleman  as  she  arose 
with  the  others,  "  what  German  gentlemen  can  do  in  the 
smoking  line.  When  uncle  puts  his  Meerschaum  into  requi- 
sition, and  Cousin  Woldemar  joins  him  with  a  favorite  El  Sol 
Regalia,  and  Professor  Rauhenfels  puffs  away  at  his  cob,  the 
fragrance  is  sometimes  overpowering,  even  to  me,  who  am 
partial  to  the  aroma  of  tobacco  smoke  ;  and  the  atmosphere 
around  them  is  as  foggy  as  the  philosophy  they  discuss." 

"  There,"  said  the  uncle,  shaking  his  forefinger  at  the  girl, 
"  make  us  not  so  black  a  picture  before  Mr.  May." 

"  No  blacker  than  the  color  of  aunt's  curtains  in  the  morn- 
ing after  one  of  your  revels,"  the  girl  retorted.  "  But  don't 
let  us  spoil  your  enjoyment,  gentlemen.  I  am  sorry  not  to  be 
able  to  inhale  the  fragrance  of  your  cigars,  in  the  open  air, 
with  you,  but  some  domestic  duties  claim  my  attention  for  a 
while.  Presently  I  will  be  happy  to  join  you,  if  you  have  no 
objection  to  my  com.pany  ;  and  I  expect  to  find  you  all  in  ex- 
cellent spirits,  3'our  tempers  mellowed  by  the  soothing  influence 
of  a  fine  Havana." 

It  annoyed  Leslie  to  hear  of  the  girl's  detention  in  the 
house,  for  politeness  forbade  his  remaining.  All  the  greater 
was  his  gratitude  to  the  old  gentleman,  when  he  heard  him  de- 
cree that  the  domestic  duties  must  give  way,  for  once,  to  the 
more  immediate  duties  to  their  guests.  "  I  want,  that  you 
show^  Mr.  May  what  we  have  in  the  garden,"  he  said;  and 
then  to  Leslie:  "  You  will  admire  the  skill  that  she  has  as  a 
gardener. " 


XIX. 

THE    EVER   NEW  OLD    STORY. 

^USCH  BLUFF  was  a  pretty  villa,  Avhich  had  not  yet 
lost  the  charm  of  novelty,  in  the  eyes  of  its  owner  at 
least.  Perched  on  the  summit  of  a  graceful  knoll  on 
the  range  of  bluffs  from  which  it  took  its  name,  environed  of 
all  sides  except  that  toward  the  river  by  a  grove  of  thrifty 
forest  trees,  it  commanded  an  extensive  view  of  the  river,  as 
well  as  of  the  bottom  lands  and  bluffs  far  up  and  down  on  the 
other  side.  A  mile  or  two  to  the  southward  the  swift  current 
of  the  turbid  stream  slackened  its  speed,  seeming  to  linger 
fondly  near  the  town  of  Pennyville,  where  it  had  washed  out 
for  itself  a  deep,  broad  basin  in  the  angle  formed  by  veering  a 
point  or  two  to  the  left.  On  the  north  the  Arsenal  Island, — 
named  so  because  located  opposite  the  national  armory,  more 
popularly  known  as  the  Arsenal  —  divided  the  rushing  Avaters 
into  two  channels.  It  was  covered  with  a  dense  growth  of 
young  willows  and  sycamores  ;  uninhabited,  save  that  a  few 
rugged  fishermen  had  erected  there  a  rude  hut  or  two  to  shel- 
ter them  against  the  rain  or  storm  while  plying  their  vocation. 
Further  up,  on  the  other  side  of  the  river,  the  log  cabins  and 
board  shanties  of  PapstoAvn  dotted  the  shore,  Avhile  below  in 
a  southeasterly  direction,  the  distant  hamlet  of  Cahokia  nestled 
among  the  majestic  trees  produced  by  the  rich  alluvial  soil  of 
the  American  Bottom,  just  visible  from  the  most  elevated  point 
of  the  grounds  around  the  villa.  Its  owner,  w'ith  exultant 
sense  of  proprietorship,  not  unpardonable  under  the  circum- 
stances nor  always  successfully  concealed,  pointed  out  to  his 
new  friend,  the  young  lawj^er,  the  salient  traits  of  the  land- 
scape, adding  to  his  explanation  of  the  scenery,  such  items  of 
historical,  legendary  and  scientific  information  as  he  had  stored 
(294) 


THE   EVER  NEW  OLD   STORY.  295 

in  his  mind,  chiefly  gleaned  from  conversations  with  his  friend, 
the  professor.  For  the  latter  gentleman  prided  himself  upon 
his  artistic  tastes,  and  his  powers  of  accurate  observation,  and 
the  merchant  delighted  to  repeat  some  of  the  high  sounding 
phrases  in  which  the  professor  indulged,  now  and  then.  Thus, 
in  commenting  upon  the  peculiar  vegetation  of  Arsenal  Island, 
he  informed  his  politely  listening  young  companion,  that  the 
perennial  youth  of  the  trees  was  due  to  the  ambulatory  nature 
of  the  island. 

"  Yes,  sir,"  he  said,  "  ambulatory  is  how  the  professor  calls 
it.  You  see,  it  is  so :  The  water  dashes  with  great  might 
against  the  upper  point  and  all  the  time  carries  away  some 
earth.  This  makes  the  trees  to  fall  into  the  river,  and  they 
sometimes  make  snags,  so  dangerous,  you  know,  to  steam- 
boats. But  on  the  back  part  the  earth  sticks  fast,  and  when 
the  water  is  low,  and  the  sun  shines  on  the  new  earth,  it 
makes  willow  trees  to  grow,  and  maybe  sycamores,  or  some 
other  trees  which  like  to  grow  in  moist  earth.  And  so,  you 
see,  the  island  melts  in  front,  and  grows  behind,  and  travels 
down  stream  all  the  time  and  the  trees  are  always  young." 

They  had  now  reached  the  spot  from  which  the  aspiring 
church  steeple  of  Cahokia,  topped  with  the  Roman  cross,  came 
into  sight,  as  well  as  a  few  of  the  lowlier  habitations,  cluster- 
ing about  the  church,  with  their  moss  covered  roofs.  The  sun 
was  low  in  the  horizon  ;  the  western  shore  of  the  river  along 
the  bluffs  facing  the  east,  somber  with  the  descending  shad- 
ows of  approaching  twilight.  But  the  slanting  rays  of  the 
crimson  luminary  nearing  his  couch  in  the  Avest,  bathed  the 
bluffs  on  the  opposite  side  in  a  flood  of  mellow  light,  bringing 
them  into  bold  relief  against  the  intervening  miles  of  heavily 
timbered  bottom-lands,  checkered,  here  and  there,  with  patches 
of  luxurious  corn  fields  in  the  vicinity  of  Cahokia.  Here, 
again,  the  didactic  instinct  of  the  merchant  asserted  itself,  and 
he  proceeded  to  enlighten  his  young  friend  on  the  history  and 
peculiarities  of  this  venerable  town. 

"  More  ancient,"   he  explained,  '•  than  our  own  proud  city. 


^•'6  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

It  is  inhabited  chiefly  by  descendants  of  French-American  and 
Spanish- American  Creoles,  who  have  great  pride  and  squalor; 
also  great  poverty  and  independence.  Their  pride  and  inde- 
pendence makes  them  to  hate  civilization  ;  and  their  poverty 
makes  them  proud.  They  are  much  skilled  in  lish-catching. 
For  our  river  has  tine  Cat  and  Buffalo,  if  you  know  how  to 
catch  them.  They  cultivate  some  corn  in  the  fat  l)ottom-land, 
more  than  a  hundred  bushels  on  the  acre.  And  they  smoke 
tobacco  which  they  plant  themselves.  AVhen  a  young  Creole 
Avants  to  buy  a  ribbon  for  his  sweetheart,  or  maybe  coffee  or 
something  for  his  old  folks,  he  choj^s  down  a  pecan  tree,  or  an 
ash  or  hickory,  like  they  have  some  splendid  trees  all  over  the 
l)ottom-lands,  and  hauls  it  to  our  city  in  an  ox-cart,  and  sells 
it  for  six  bits  a  load,  and  is  for  a  while  rich." 

Leslie  seemed  to  listen  with  profound  interest ;  but  his  eyes 
rested  not  on  the  distant  view  of  the  svm-bathed  church  spire, 
nor  even  on  the  majestic  steamer  soaring  into  sight  on  the  river 
below,  moving  with  swan-like  grace  on  the  bosom  of  the  placid 
waters  opposite  rennyville.  And  it  is  to  be  feared  that  he  did 
not  reap  the  full  benefit  of  the  merchant's  sage  teachings  ;  for 
on  sighting  the  approaching  steamer,  the  latter  launched  out 
into  an  instructive  discourse  on  the  vastness  of  the  carrying 
trade  and  interstate  commerce  of  our  Western  metroi)olis.  A 
l)icture  closer  by  riveted  Leslie's  gaze,  —  one  more  beautiful 
than  which  no  painter  in  happiest  mood  ever  conceived.  For 
there,  a  little  in  advance  of  them,  stood  Pauline,  more  tall  and 
erect,  seemingly,  than  Leslie  had  deemed  her,  —  her  finely 
shaped  figure  in  bright  summer  robe  gracefully  outlined 
against  the  darker  foliage  of  the  shrubbery.  One  of  her  hands 
was  raised  on  high  in  the  act  of  drawing  down  toward  her  the 
branch  of  a  tall  oleander,  while  with  the  other  she  bent  its 
cluster  of  flowers  toward  her  companion,  as  if  to  invite  him  to 
inhale  its  fragrance.  It  was  Woldemar  that  stood  there  beside 
her,  erect  also,  and  much  taller  than  she,  so  that  her  shapely 
head  was  turned  upward  to  meet  his  eye.  An  eager  look  was 
in  her  own  eyes,  —  a  pleading,  expectant  look,  and  a  winning 


THE  EVER  NEW  OLD    STORY.  297 

smile  slightly  parted  her  rosy  lips.  Was  tlie  young  lawyer 
much  to  blame  tliat  he  forgot  Cahokia,  Arsenal  Island  and 
steamboat,  in  gazing  upon  those  expressive  brown  eyes  and 
distractingly  tempting  lips  ?  Or  that  he  was  deaf  to  the  in- 
structive discourse  of  the  sage  merchant,  straining  his  ears, 
instead,  to  catch,  if  possible,  the  import  of  the  conversation 
carried  on  by  those  two  ? 

What  he  heard,  when  he  did  hear,  was  commonplace  enough. 
It  was  Woldemar  that  spoke:  "Yes;  it  reminds  me  of  the 
fragrant  almond."  Not  much  surely;  and  when  he  had  said 
these  words,  Pauline  geiith'  released  the  slender  twig,  casting 
upon  the  shrul)  a  last  loving  glance  as  it  swung  into  position. 
When  she  turned  her  face  in  the  direction  where  Leslie  was 
standing,  she  saw  the  gaze  of  intense  admiration  with  which 
he  regarded  her.  She  blushed.  It  was  a  weakness  of  hers  to 
blush.  Her  words  to  Woldemar  could  not  have  been  of  much 
imi)ortance  to  elicit  the  reply  he  had  heard  ;  but  commonplace 
as  was  that  reply,  it  had  startled  him.  For  Woldemar  had 
accompanied  his  words  with  an  expression  of  tenderness  that 
Avas  an  entirely  new  feature  to  the  eyes  of  Leslie,  and  which, 
together  with  the  smile  that  brightened  his  countenance  as  he 
looked  at  his  fair  companion,  gave  it  a  dangerous  charm.  At 
least  Leslie  thought  so  ;  and  he  acted  promptly  on  the  spur  of 
this  thought., 

"  Pardon  me.  Miss  Waldhorst,"  he  said,  loud  enough  to 
compel  the  lady's  attention;  "is  this  shrub,  on  which  you 
lavish  such  tender  regard,  one  of  the  triumphs  of  your  genius 
for  gardening,  of  which  3'Our  uncle  is  so  proud?  "  And  quit- 
ting the  side  of  his  host  with  an  apologetic  bow,  he  joined  the 
young  lady. 

"This  shrub,  sir,"  she  said  in  playful  banter,  "is  the 
triumph  of  no  one's  genius,  unless  it  be  the  waterfng  pot.  It 
is  the  result  of  Uncle  Auf  dem  Busch's  liberality  in  allowing 
me  to  order  an  unlimited  suppl}^  of  these  useful  exotics,  with- 
out which  I  don't  know  what  we  should  have  done  the  first 
year  or  two  with  our  patch  of  a  garden.     This  rose-tree  is  a 


298  THE  BEBEL'S  DAUGIITEB. 

gem,  repaying  the  small  attention  it  requires  with  a  profusion 
of  beautiful  and  delightfully  fragrant  blossoms  ;  its  graceful, 
tree-like  shape,  with  its  showy  leaves,  at  the  same  time, 
furnishing  valuable  material  for  the  arrangement  of  ornamental 
bosquets." 

At  the  first  words  addressed  by  the  young  lady  to  Leslie, 
Woldemar  bowed  and  left  them,  joining  his  father;  and  the 
young  lawyer  had  the  satisfaction  of  witnessing,  once  more, 
the  scowl  on  Woldemar's  face,  which  Leslie  had  come  to 
regard  as  habitual  to  it. 

"  Rose-tree,  did  you  say?  "  the  rejoicing  young  man  in- 
quired with  a  deferential  show  of  curiosity.  "  I  thought  it 
was  an  oleander." 

"So  it  is,"  Miss  Waldhorst  responded.  "  But  I  like  pet 
names,  — suggestive  ones,  you  know.  And  having  heard  the 
professor  one  day  explain  that  oleander  is  a  name  corrupted 
from  two  words  of  some  dead  language,  meaning  rose  and 
tree — coming  to  think  of  it,  now,  he  said  bay  —  I  pre- 
ferred the  name  rose-tree,  as  being  prettier,  and  very 
appropriate.     Do  you  think  so?  " 

"Beautifully  aj^propriate,  indeed!"  Leslie  replied  with 
warmth.  Then,  turning  his  hungry  eyes  reluctantly  from  the 
bright  face  before  him  to  the  oleander,  and  thence  toward  the 
flower  beds  and  bosquets  surrounding  them,  he  added  :  "  The 
same  unerring  taste  inspired  this  pet  name  —  so  suggestive  of 
beauty  and  strength  —  that  created  this  delightful  little  para- 
dise. I  thoroughly  agree  with  Mr.  Auf  dera  Busch  in  his 
appreciation  of  your  talent  —  genius,  I  ought  to  say — for 
landscape  gardening.     This,  indeed,  is  Art  in  high  perfection." 

Miss  Waldhorst  flushed.  Not,  as  Leslie  for  a  moment  im- 
agined, with  pleasure.  The  smile  faded  from  her  lips  as  she 
answered:  "Please,  Mr.  May,  spare  me  the  humiliation  of 
such  remarks.  I  am  happy  to  think  that  uncle  takes  pleasure 
in  n\y  way  of  arranging  his  flower  beds  and  grouping  the 
shrubbery.     I  make  no  pretension  to  art,  or  landscaping." 

"  Forgive  me,  Miss  Waldhorst,"  spoke  Leslie,  in  deferential 


THE  EVE  It  NEW  OLD   STOBY.  299 

earnestness.  "  Not  for  what  I  said,  which  should  not  offend 
you,  but  for  having  —  unintentionally,  you  will  believe  me,  I 
hope,  —  seemed  to  flatter  you,  and  thus  to  wound  your  sen- 
sitiveness. I  plead  the  absolute  sincerity  of  my  words  in 
extenuation  of  my  fault." 

"  Surely,  sir,"  said  the  young  lady,  "  your  remark  becomes 
offensive  by  repetition,  in  pushing  me  to  disclaim  modesty." 

"Ah,  how  can  you  help  disclaiming  modesty!  "  Leslie  ex- 
claimed, in  a  tone  of  sincerity  and  earnestness  not  usual  to 
him.  "True  modesty  cannot  possibh^  be  conscious  of  itsdf. 
I  am  a  poor  hand  to  quote  poetry ;  but  I  remember  a  line, 
written  by  a  gentleman  whose  acquaintance  I  made  in  Venice, 
expressing  so  exactly  and  forcibly  what  I  mean,  that  you  will 
pardon  me  for  quoting  : 

"  Never  can  modesty,    e'en   in   a  dream,  proclaim    her   own 
nature ; 
With    but  the  word  she  is  lost,  fled  at  the  sound  of    her 
voice." 

Just  as  Leslie  was  reciting  the  lines,  Professor  Rauheufels 
approached  with  Victor,  and  both  stopped  to  listen.  Victor 
seemed  pleased  l)ut  the  professor  with  a  smile  of  conscious 
superiority,  remarked:  "It  seems  to  me  as  if  I  had  heard 
these  lines  before.     Where  did  you  get  them?  " 

Leslie  hardly  deigned  to  conceal  his  chagrin  at  the  interrup- 
tion, and  it  imparted  some  asj^erity  to  his  voice,  as  he  promptly 
responded,  placing  himself  squarely  in  front  of  the  professor 
in  doing  so:  "From  the  author  himself,  as  I  have  just 
informed  Miss  Waldhorst  I  ' ' 

"  I  know  the  author  well,"  the  other  continued,  serenely 
ignoring  Leslie's  impatience.  "He  is  a  pupil  of  mine  in  the 
philosophy  class,  and  a  man  of  considerable  ability.  He 
would  surely  make  his  mark  in  the  world,  if  he  could  rid  him- 
self of  his  unfortunate  hallucination  of  being  a  poet." 

"  Well,  I  think  I  should  share  this  hallucination,  if  it  be 
one,"  observed  Victor,  who  was  evidently  impressed  with  the 


300  THE  REBEL' fi  DAUGIITEB. 

beauty  of  tlie  epigram  recited  by  Leslie.  "To  me  the  senti- 
ment expressed  seems  wonderfully  true,  and  the  language  terse 
and  apt." 

"Perhaps  so,"  Rauhenfels  assented.  "But  that  does  not 
make  it  poetical.  Why,  he  himself  expresses  the  same  thought 
in  a  much  more  poetical  form.     Something  like  this: 

"  '  Modesty's   speech    is    always    a    silence    that   tells   she  is 
modest ; 
Never  declaring  her  own,  has  she  the  sweetest  of  praise.' 

But,  not  content  to  let  the  distich  remain  in  this  rather  neat 
shape,  he  must  needs  inform  us,  that 

"  '  Modesty,  sweetest  of  maidens,  is  not  aware  she  is  modest; 
When  she  kuoweth  herself,  then  she  is  never  herself.' 

Observe,  he  still  has  an  image  —  the  maiden  —  to  symbolize 
modesty.  But  then,  afraid,  apparently,  Ihat  even  in  this  form 
his  wisdom  may  not  sufficiently  impress  itself  upon  his  reader, 
he  proceeds  to  give  the  utterly  a]>stract  statement  to  which 
Miss  Waldhorst  has  just  been  treated." 

Had  Leslie's  desire  to  be  alone  with  Miss  Waldhorst  Iteen 
less  urgent,  the  announcement,  that  the  author  was  a  member 
of  the  professor's  class,  might  have  elicited  further  inquiries. 
But  just  now  the  one  thought  uppermost  in  his  mind  was 
Pauline  Waldhorst.  It  was  to  his  infinite  satisfaction,  there- 
fore, that  Victor,  evidently  bent  on  learning  more  of  the  poet, 
drew  the  professor  away  with  him  to  prosecute  his  ques- 
tioning. 

As  soon  as  the  others  were  fairly  beyond  ear-shot,  he  eagerly 
turned  to  the  young  lady,  saying  "  You  have  not  yet  given  me 
the  assurance  of  your  forgiveness,  Miss  Waldhorst." 

"  For  what?  "  she  asked. 

"  For  the  awkwardness,  with  which  I  seem  to  have  offended 
you . ' ' 

"  Are  you  quite  sure,  Mr,  May,  that  I  have  nothing  to  for- 
give but  awkwardness?  "     The  words  were  spoken  with  such 


THE  EVER  NEW  OLD   STOllY.  301 

demure  simijlicity,  that  Leslie  was  really  at  a  loss  to  under- 
standTier  drift. 

But,  "Indeed,  if  you  will  believe  me,  nothing  else!  "  he 
answered  without  hesitation.  "  And  surely  you  will  not 
punish  me  for  what  was  really  not  a  fault,  but  truly  my 
misfortune." 

"  Punish  you  ?  " 

"  Cruelly,  by  not  forgiving." 

"  Sir,"  she  said,  a  faint  smile  working  its  way  to  her  lips, 
'■  I  fear  that  what  you  call  your  misfortune  is  really  a  grave 
fault,  —  the  sad  disposition  to  tease.  But  I  must  not  shame 
your  poet-friend  by  assuming  a  modesty  which  would  prove 
me  immodest.  Let  me  assure  you,  that  I  have  nothing  to  for- 
give on  the  score  of  awkwardness.  And  it  will  l)e  my  turn  to 
sue  for  forgiveness,  if  —  " 

"  If?  " 

The  smile  on  the  young  lady's  face  brightened  and  took  on 
such  arch  roguishness  in  the  fresh  young  face,  as  to  set  the 
beholder  wild  with  delight.  "  If  you  can  establish  your  sin- 
cerity," she  continued.  "  Are  you  willing  to  submit  yourself 
to  an  unerring  test  ?  " 

"Nothing  M'ould  make  me  more  happy!  "  he  replied  with 
fervor. 

"Then  tell  me:  Have  you  ever  seen  the  plant  commonly 
called  Touch-me-not?  " 

"Only  in  the  shape  of  a  prudish  old  maid,"  he  replied 
readily. 

"  Or  a  Mimosa?  " 

"  The  name  I  have  heard  ;  but  I  cannot  associate  it  with  a 
plant." 

"  Itis  well.     Follow  me." 

She  led  the  way  to  a  secluded  part  of  the  garden,  anil 
stopped  in  front  of  some  potted  plants  resembling,  Leslie 
thought,  tiny  Acacia  or  Locust  trees,  carefully  protected 
against  rough  northerly  winds.  "  Now  sir,"  she  said,  speak- 
ing  in    a    solemn   whisper,   and   endeavoring  to  compose  her 


302  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

features  into  owl-like  gravity,  in  exquisite  contrast  with  her 
mirth-beaming  eyes,  "  you  are  in  the  presence  of  the  never- 
erring  oracle  Mimosa  Sensitiva.  Kneel  to  it,  as  if  you  meant 
to  worship.  You  may  spread  your  handkerchief  to  protect 
your  knees  against  the  dust.  Place  your  right  hand  over  your 
breast  where  you  are  supposed  to  have  a  heart.  Then,  look- 
ing me  full  in  the  face,  repeat  the  words  you  wish  me  to 
believe ;  and  in  token  of  your  sincerity,  bow  to  the  oracle  and 
press  its  topmost  twig  with  your  left  hand  to  your  lips.  If 
you  prevaricate,  it  will  droop  in  shame  and  sorrow  on  your 
I^olluting  touch." 

Leslie  did  as  he  was  bidden.  It  was  clear  enough  that  she 
was  playing  a  trick  on  him  that  would,  in  the  end,  result  in 
his  being  laughed  at ;  but  was  it  not  a  delightful  thing  to  kneel 
there,  almost  as  if  he  were  kneeling  to  herself,  and  to  obey 
literally  her  injunction  to  look  her  full  in  the  face?  This  lat- 
ter part  of  the  program  he  protracted  to  a  shameful  extent ; 
twice  had  he  spoken  the  words  ;  and  still  his  eyes  were  fixed 
in  eager  gaze  upon  the  lovely  priestess  of  the  oracle,  until, 
with  imperious  gesture,  neck  and  face  suffused  with  crimson 
visible  even  in  the  darkening  twilight,  she  exclaimed  with 
solemn  voice:  "The  oracle,  sir,  demands  your  homage! 
Remember  your  promise  !  ' ' 

Then,  conscious  of  the  rudeness  of  further  delay,  he  boldly 
grasped  the  topmost  branch  of  the  little  plant  and  pressed  it  to 
his  lips.  His  curiosity  was  on  tip- toe  to  see  what  would 
come.  The  effect  startled  him.  Although  expecting  some 
such  issue,  he  was  surprised  to  see  the  little  plant  close  up  its 
leaves  pair  by  pair,  with  deliberate  regularitj^  then  bend  down 
its  twigs  and  shrivel  up  and  die,  apparently,  within  a  few 
seconds. 

The  maiden  evidently  enjoyed  his  perplexity  and  indulged  in 
a  peal  of  triumphant,  though  musical  laughter.  "  How  now, 
Sir  Knight!  "  she  cried.  "  What  am  I  to  think  of  your 
protestations  of  sincerity?  " 

"  I  suppose  I  ought  to  shrivel  up  and  sink  into  the  ground, 


THE   EVER   NEW  OLD   STORY.  303 

as  that  idiotic  thing  is  trying  to  do,"  he  rephed,  leaping  to 
his  feet,  and  joining  in  the  laugh  as  loudly,  if  not  as  merrily, 
as  Pauline.  "But  tell  me,"  he  asked  her,  "  must  this  poor 
Mimosa  die  in  consequence  of  my  iniquities?  Is  the  stab 
which  its  oracular  sentence  has  inflicted  on  my  reputation,  like 
the  sting  of  a  vengeful  bee,  to  cost  its  life?  " 

"Oh,  no,  Mr.  May,"  said  the  lady,  in  soft,  reassuring 
tones,  delightfully  sympathetic  in  Leslie's  ears,  notwithstand- 
ing the  tinge  of  irony  audible  in  the  voice,  "it  is  to  be  hoped 
that  the  touch  of  your  lips  is  not  quite  so  venomous  as  that.  I 
venture  to  prophesy  that  in  a  few  minutes  it  will  unfold  its  pretty 
leaves,  straighten  out  its  drooping  limbs  and,  w^holly  resusci- 
tated, rejoice  with  me  that  you  have  so  bravely  passed  through 
the  ordeal." 

"Passed  through  the  ordeal!  "  the  astonished  young  man 
repeated.  "  It  has  disgraced  me.  It  has  tarnished  my  honor. 
Surely,  Miss  Waldhorst,  you  do  not  rejoice  over  the  foul  spot 
your  oracle  has  cast  over  my  fair  name  ?  ' ' 

"  Why,  Mr.  May!  "  the  young  girl  exclaimed,  astonished 
in  her  turn,  but  smiling  pleasantly.  "  Do  you  not  see  the 
point?  The  Mimosa  would  have  been  as  sensitive  to  my  touch 
as  to  yours.  Its  oracular  virtue  consists  in  testing  your  cour- 
age, so  long  as  you  are  unacquainted  with  its  peculiar  charac- 
teristic. If  you  had  not  been  honest,  you  would  not  have 
dared  to  touch  the  plant.  So  you  see  that  the  oracle  has  hon- 
orably acquitted  you,  and  it  now  becomes  me  to  ask  j^our 
pardon.     Are  you  generous  enough  to  grant  it?  " 

He  snatched  up  the  hand  and  carried  it  to  his  lips.  "I 
thank  you  for  the  delightful  lesson  you  have  given  me,  most 
wise  and  beautiful  priestess!  "  he  said,  and  would  have  re- 
tained the  dainty  fingers  that  sent  thrills  of  ecstacy  to  his 
heart,  but  that  the  heavy  footfalls  of  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch 
Senior  announced  his  approach. 

"It  is  already  late  to  be  in  the  open  air,"  he  said.  "  We 
will  go  in.  The  others  are  already  in  the  parlor.  We  will 
have  some  music,  if  Mr.  May  likes." 


304  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

Leslie  was  about  to  answer  in  the  stereotype  phrases  used 
on  such  occasions,  but  the  old  gentleman  continued : 

"  I  heard  laughing.  Has  Pauline  played  her  Touch-me-not 
trick?" 

The  question  elicited  no  audible  answer.  Pauline,  who  had, 
indeed,  often  amused  herself  by  showing  off  the  peculiar 
quality  of  the  Sensitive  plant,  was,  for  the  first  time  in  her 
experience,  anxiously  considering  what  effect  the  experiment 
might  have  produced  upon  her  visitor.  He  had  called  her  a 
?c/.sp,  as  well  as  a  beautiful,  priestess.     Was  he  mocking  her? 

Leslie,  on  his  part,  was  puzzled  to  decide,  whether  he  was 
pleased  or  otherwise  to  learn,  from  the  old  gentleman's  ques- 
tion, that  she  had  played  this  trick  before.  The  exultant 
consciousness  of  success,  which  she  took  no  pains  to  conceal, 
might  have  assisted  him  in  finding  an  answer  to  his  doubt. 

The  i)arlor  by  lamplight  (gas  had  not  yet  been  introduced 
to  this  part  of  tlie  suburbs)  presented  quite  a  cheerful  appear- 
ance. Its  furniture  had  evidently  been  selected  with  an  eye 
to  comfort  and  ease  rather  than  elegance.  The  chairs  and 
sofas  liad  a  look  almut  them  as  if  they  would  enjoy  being  sat 
upon.  The  table  in  the  center  was  large  and  solid  enougli  to 
hold  books,  writing  materials,  or  papers  for  the  temporary 
accommodation  of  those  inclined  to  so  use  it.  One  article  of 
ecpupment  alone  bore  evidence  of  a  disregard  of  cost  in  the 
lifting  up  of  the  room  :  An  elegant,  very  line  piano  (a  Chick- 
ering  Grand,  the  dealer  liad  called  it).  This  liad  been  })ur- 
chased  by  the  merchant  on  the  suggestion  of  Pauline's  nuisic 
teacher,  that  her  [)rogrcss  in  the  art  warranted  a  l)etter  instru- 
ment than  tlie  one  that  had  been  used  in  the  Auf  dem  liusch 
family  from  time  innnemorial. 

When  they  entered,  Pauline,  whispering  a  few  words  into  the 
ear  of  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch,  immediately  disappeared  into 
another  room,  to  tlie  visible  displeasure  of  Auf  dem  Busch, 
Senior.  Leslie,  with  a  newly  formed  determination  to  make 
his  peace  with  Auf  dem  Busch  Junior,  appropriated  the  vacant 
chair  at  his  side  and    opened  conversation.      "I  take    it  for 


THE   EVE  11  NEW  OLD   STOItY.  305 

granted,"  he  said,  "  that  you  have  seen,  during  your  sojourn 
in  Europe,  nuuiy  line  residences  and  beautiful  private  parks, 
so  that  naturally  your  judgment  is  more  critical  than  that  of 
us  simple  Americans.  But  is  not  this  villa  of  your  father's  a 
bright  gem  in  its  way  ?  Particularly  when  viewed  in  contrast 
with  the  showy,  but  sometimes  utterly  tasteless  houses  and 
yards  affected  by  our  men  of  —  money?  " 

"Professor  Rauhenfels  has  told  father  many  times,  that 
ours  is  a  very  line  place,"  Woldemar  made  answer,  with  cool 
politeness. 

"  Oh,  the  professor  I  "  exclaimed  Leslie,  the  slightest  touch 
of  a  sneer  in  his  voice.  "  I  don't  take  much  stock  in  his 
opinions.  Except,"  he  added  with  a  low  laugh,  "  on  cats' 
tails.  Ah,  what  a  center  shot  3^ou  gave  him  at  the  table  about 
his  Hegelian  philosophy." 

The  professor  and  Victor  were  engaged  in  an  animated  dis- 
cussion sufficiently  far  off  from  Woldemar  and  Leslie,  to  be 
out  of  ordinary  hearing  distance.  Woldemar,  casting  a  look 
in  their  direction,  replied:  "  He  deserved  it.  I  wish  I  could 
tell  him  what  1  think  of  him  openly  ;  but  father  has  taken  such 
a  liking  to  him  that  he  would  be  deeply  offended  if  I  did  not 
keep  on  good  terms  with  him.  And  see  there;  even  Victor, 
who  up  to  this  time  has  shared  my  antipathy  to  this  man,  is 
now  charmed  by  him,  like  a  helpless  bird  by  a  snake !  I  gave 
Victor  credit  for  better  taste  and  sterner  self-respect." 

"  n  you  knew  Victor  as  well  as  I  do,"  Leslie  replied  in  a 
confidential  whisper,  "you  would  not  be  surprised  to  see 
him  take  up  with  any  man  who  has  a  positive  opinion  on  any 
matter,  and  is  not  backward  in  asserting  himself.  And  our 
friend  Rauhenfels  is  not  overly  bashful,  — do  you  think?  " 

Leslie  had  touched  Woldemar  in  the  right  place,  if  he  was 
really  in  earnest  about  propitiating  his  young  host.  "  I  should 
think  not  I  "  he  replied,  whispering  also,  but  with  some  em- 
phasis. "  He  is  as  crammed  full  of  conceit  as  a  two  bushel 
sack  with  three  bushels  of  chaff  in  it." 

Having  said  these  words,  he  seemed  to  regret  them,  or  to 

20 


306  THE  BEBEU8  DAUGHTEB. 

resent,  perhaps,  the  familiarity  in  which  the  young  lawyer  had 
indulged  towards  him.  For  he  relapsed  at  once  into  uncon- 
genial silence.  But  Leslie  was  not  to  be  put  off  so  easily.  He 
continued  the  conversation  with  that  winning  candor  and  frank- 
ness that  had  so  enslaved  Victor,  and  against  which  not  even 
Woldemar  was  proof,  now  that  it  suited  Leslie's  purpose  to 
conciliate  his  rival.  (For  Leslie  had  never  for  a  moment 
(loul)ted  that  Woldemar  sustained  the  relation,  in  very  dicta- 
torial manner,  of  lover  to  Miss  Waldhorst.)  He  succeeded  in 
melting  away  the  icy  reserve  of  the  young  merchant,  and  was 
making  brave  headway  in  gaining  his  good  will,  when  the  old 
gentleman,  frowning  at  the  protracted  absence  of  Pauline, 
called  upon  his  son  to  entertain  the  company  with  music,  thus 
putting  an  end  to  the  conversation  with  Leslie. 

"  If  ladies  find  not  the  time  to  do  honor  to  honored  guests, 
we  will  teach  them  a  lesson  in  what  is  polite,"  said  the  old 
merchant.  "  Woldemar,  play  you  something  for  Mr.  May 
and  the  professor,  what  they  will  like." 

"What  irill  the  gentlemen  like?"  said  Woldemar,  with  a 
smile.  Without  waiting  for  an  answer,  however,  he  continued : 
"  Perhaps  Mr.  May  would  like  a  real  German  Folk-song?  " 

Of  course,  Leslie  would  be  very  much  pleased  with  a  Ger- 
man Folk-song,  and  the  professor  said  that  no  music  could  be 
better.  So  Woldemar  sat  down  to  the  piano,  and  sang,  in  a 
resonant,  pleasing  voice,  the  song  of  "  Heiden  Roslein," 
accompanying  himself  on  the  piano.  Before  he  had  concluded 
the  first  line,  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch  joined  her  son,  singing  the 
melody  in  a  clear  soprano  ;  then  the  husband  followed  with  his 
deep  bass,  and  Victor  completed  the  quartette.  When  the 
refrain  was  reached,  several  of  the  younger  members  of  the 
Auf  dem  Busch  family,  who  had  been  granted  the  privilege  of 
the  parlor  on  this  occasion,  joined  in  the  chorus,  and  all  the 
singers  united,  with  evident  enjoyment  and  heart}^  good  will, 
in  swelling  the  melodious  harmony  of  the  chorus  refrain 

"  Koslein,  Koslein,  Koslein  roth, 
Roslein  auf  der  Heiden  ! ' ' 


TUB  EVER   NEW  OLD   STORY.  307 

During-  the  singing  of  the  second  verse  Leslie's  enjoyment 
was  heightened  b}-  the  re-entrance  of  Miss  Waldhorst,  who 
joined  in  the  soprano  with  her  own  bell-like  voice,  thus 
enabling  Woldemar  to  reinforce  the  bass,  adding  percei^tibly 
to  the  musical  effect. 

"  Would  you  not  explain  to  me  the  burden  of  the  song?  " 
Leslie  asked  the  young  lady  when  the  singing  ceased.  "  Every 
one  seems  to  enjoy  so  thoroughly  the  meaning  of  the  words, 
that  I  am  sure  it  would  add  to  my  own  enjoyment  of  the 
glorious  music,  if  I  understood  the  import  of  the  words." 

"  It  is  all  about  a  little  wild  rose,"  Pauline  explained  blush- 
ing without  conscious  cause.  "  I  have  a  translation  of  the 
song  somewhere,  which  I  will  show  you  if  you  wish." 

,"  And  sing  it  to  me?  "  he  added  eagerly.  "  I  am  sure  it 
will  be  a  rare  treat  to  me  to  hear  you  sing  this  song  in 
English." 

"  Certainly,  if  it  will  please  you,"  she  assented,  selecting 
one  of  the  books  on  the  music  stand,  and  placing  it  open  on 
the  rack  of  the  piano.  "  Woldemar,  will  you  ha^e  the  kind- 
ness to  accompany  me  ?  ' ' 

For  answer  the  young  merchant  at  once  intonated  the  pre- 
lude, its  softness  contrasting,  though  not  unpleasantly,  with 
the  more  powerful  chords  of  his  previous  rendition.  Perfect 
silence  pervaded  the  room  as  she  sang.  She  had  a  sweet, 
clear  voice,  of  volume  sufficient  to  fill  the  parlor.  No  one 
joined  in  the  chorus  of  the  refrain.  Even  the  youngsters, 
eager  enough  to  take  part  in  musical  performance,  instinctively 
restrained  themselves,  and  thus  avoided  marring  the  effect  of 
Pauline's  pure  voice,  as  it  swelled  into  a  ringing  fortissimo 
just  before  the  conclusion. 

Leslie  was  deeplv  impressed.  "  How  touchingly  beauti- 
ful! "  he  exclaimed,  as  he  caught  his  breath,  after  the 
singing  had  ceased.  ''  What  exquisite  tenderness  in  the 
sentiment !  ' ' 

"Exquisite  fiddlesticks!"  the  professor  exclaimed,  ap- 
proaching the  piano,  and  taking  from  it  the  book  from  which 


308  THE  BEBEVS  DAUGHTEB. 

Pauline  had  sung.  "  Miss  Waldhorst  has  enchanted  us  all 
with  the  wonderful  sweetness  of  her  singing.  But  try  to  read 
the  words  without  the  insinuating  charm  of  her  voice,  and  you 
will  liud  love-sick  sentimentality  instead  of  sentiment  —  un- 
meaning, flat  twaddle,  instead  of  the  spirited,  sparkling  little 
gem  of  Gothe,  so  touching  in  its  sim[)licity,  so  genuine  in  its 
metaphor.  This  translation  sounds  like  the  lackadaisical 
gushing  of  a  sentimental  school-girl  over  a  valentine,  with  a 
vignette  of  two  hearts  transpierced  b}'  Cupid's  arrow." 

"  What  is  the  matter  with  this  i)oetry':'  "  inquired  Victor, 
who  had  been  rudely  shocked  by  the  professor's  discordant 
remarks.  "  You  cannot  demand  in  a  translation  the  force 
and  beauty  of  the  original.  And  I  look  upon  this  poem  as  a 
very  creditable  imitation  in  Englisli  of  the  poet's  idea.  A 
literal  rendering  of  the  w^ords  would  necessarily  have  destroyed 
the  rhythm  and  rhyme,  without  improving  the  mere  content." 

"  Decidedly  not!  "  sneered  the  professor. 

Leslie  was  incensed  at  wliat  he  deemed  a  wanton  piece  of 
effrontery  to  the  whole  company.  "  I  learn  with  astonish- 
ment," he  said,  speaking  in  a  tone  of  such  withering  contempt 
as  Victor  had  never  —  save  on  one  unforgotten  occasion  — 
heard  his  friend  use,  "  that  the  gentleman  is  as  much  at  home 
on  the  subject  of  poetry,  as  on  that  of  metaphysics,  or  carving 
grouse.  Perhaps  he  possesses  the  '  divine  afflatus  '  in  a  higher 
degree  than  my  unfortunate  Venetian  friend,  or  the  author  of 
the  P^nglish  version  of  the  '  Wild  Rose.'  In  which  case  it  would 
be  uncharitable  to  suppose  that  his  remarks  are  dictated  rather 
by  envy,  than  strict  regard  for  poetical  truth," 

The  professor's  eyes  flashed,  and  the  corners  of  his  mouth 
assumed  a  decided  downward  tendency.  But  the  torrent  of 
invective,  anticipated  by  those  who  knew  him  well,  was  stayed 
yet  a  while  by  the  remarks  of  Woldemar,  who,  deeming  him- 
self an  ardent  admirer  of  Gothe,  could  not  permit  this  oppor- 
tunity to  pass  by  without  breaking  a  lance  in  defense  of  his 
favorite  poet,  and  at  the  same  time  assist  in  the  discomfiture  of 
Professor  Rauhenfels. 


THE  EVER  NEW  OLD   STORY.  309 

"The  professor  is  right  in  one  respect,"  he  said;  "the 
lines  of  Gothe  are  certainly  more  spirited,  —  more  spicy,  if  I 
may  use  that  expression,  than  this  translation.  How  could  it 
be  otherwise  ?  I  agree  with  Cousin  Victor,  that  no  transla- 
tion can  ever  equal  an  original  poem,  unless,  as  I  believe  I 
heard  the  professor  say,  the  translator  surpass  the  author  in 
power." 

"  As  Shakespear  and  (4othe  himself  did  in  reproducing  the 
works  of  those  whom  they  glorilied !  "  the  professor  mter- 
jected. 

"  Then  Mr.  Rauheufels  has  it  in  his  power  to  vindicate 
Gothe's  Heidenroslein,"  young  Auf  dem  Busch  continued, 
"  and  to  prove  himself  the  peer  of  Shakespear,  by  reproducing 
"The  Heideu  Roslein  "  in  English,  in  a  version  not  so  flat 
and  wishy-washy  as  he   characterizes  the  one  we  have  heard." 

"  Gentlemen,"  the  professor  said,  pouring  out  his  words 
with  iierce  defiance,  "  do  you  mean  to  deny  a  freeman  the 
right  to  speak  his  conviction?  You  flare  up  at  my  remarks, 
as  if  they  were  in  disparagement  of  your  own  merits.  Apply 
them  so,  if  you  feel  the  smart  of  the  lash.  As  to  the  diflfl- 
culty  of  translating  a  poem  from  one  language  into  another, 
that  is  a  remark  that  has  been  made  before,  and  the  wisdom 
of  the  company  here  assembled  will  hardly  mark  an  epoch  in 
the  history  of  literature.  Nor  is  there  any  terror  for  me  in 
your  sneering  challenge.  No  one  is  more  sincere  in  his  admi- 
ration of  Gothe  than  myself ;  and  let  me  say,  with  deference  to 
the  present  company,  that  the  men  who  rise  to  an  adequate 
appreciation  of  his  greatness,  are  exceedingly  rare.  I  do  not 
claim  to  be  a  poet ;  but  if  I  could  not  do  better  in  the  transla- 
tion of  a  poem  than  this  author  has  done,  I  would  not  offer  to 
let  other  people  get  sight  of  my  productions." 

Auf  dem  Busch  listened  to  the  quarrel  with  amusement  at 
first;  but  when  the  professor's  vehement  speech  threatened 
unpleasant  consequences,  he  essayed  to  pour  oil  on  the  troubled 
waters.  Having  unbounded  confidence  in  the  ability  of  his 
friend  to  make  good  any  of  his  assertions,   he  interrupted  the 


310  THE  EEBEUS  D AUG II TEE. 

speaker  with  a  proposition.  "  1  have  heard  say,  that  Ameri- 
cans try  pudding  by  eating  it.  Suppose  now,  you  eat  the 
pudding,  and  tell  us  in  English,  what  Gothe  says  in  the  Heiden 
Rosleiu." 

Without  another  word,  the  professor  drew  forth  a  scrap  of 
paper  and  a  pencil,  and  sat  down,  staring  at  the  ceiling,  as  if 
the  poem  he  was  to  translate  was  written  there. 

Meanwhile  Leslie  turned  to  Miss  Waldhorst  and  asked  her 
opinion  on  the  professor's  judgment,  volunteering  the  infor- 
mation that  he,  for  his  part,  deemed  the  poem  he  had  heard 
her  sing  with  such  exquisite  pathos,  to  be  very  line. 

"I  —  I  must  say,"  the  maiden  answered  with  some  hesita- 
tion, "that  I  like  the  German  much  better.  The  tenor  is, 
that  a  wanton  boy  saw  a  rose,  —  a  little  rose,  you  know,  a 
diminutive  for  which  sounds  well  in  German,  but  it  would 
be  absurd  to  say  '  roselet '  in  a  poem  —  and,  boy-like,  he 
wanted  to  break  it  for  himself,  —  pluck  it  I  mean.  There  is  a 
line,  wiiich  I  am  sure  that  even  the  professor  cannot  put  into 
P^nglish  with  the  beautiful  effect  of  the  original  — 

'  War  so  jung,  so  morgenschon  !  ' 

—  you  cannot  say  that  in  ILnglish.  And  it  is  so  touching 
when  the  little  rose  defends  herself  with  her  thorns,  and  the 
wild  boy,  —  not  minding  them  at  all  —  plucks  her  from  her 
parent  stem,  and  the  rose  can  do  nothing  but  suffer  it.  And  I 
cannot  describe  to  you  the  pathos  and  tenderness  of  the 
refrain,  simple  as  the  words  are  — 

'  Eoslein,  Koslein,  Kosleiu  Roth, 
Rosleiu  auf  der  Heiden  !  ' 

But  see :  the  professor  seems  to  have  finished  his  task.  I  am 
eager  to  know  what  he  has  made  of  it." 

The  professor  read  over  wdiat  he  had  written,  and,  turning 
to  Miss  Waldhorst,  said,  loud  enough  to  be  heard  by  all  pres- 
ent: "•  Here  is,  in  such  crude  form  as  my  limited  time  enabled 
me   to    employ,   mij    version  of  the  Heidenrosleiu  in   English 


bfj 


be 
a 


THE  EVER  NEW  OLD   STORY.  311 

words.  Will  you  honor  iiie,  Miss  Walclhorst,  by  singing  it  to 
the  company  with  tliat  grace  and  pathos,  whicli  Avill  nialvc  it 
tolerable  to  them  ? ' ' 

"  Let  us  hear  the  words  tirst!  "  cried  Victor,  "  that  we  may 
have  them  clearly  before  us.  The  professor  himself  said  that 
music  bribes  the  ear." 

"  You  shall  be  fair,"  proclaimed  the  host.  "  If  the  pro- 
fessor likes  first  to  have  the  singing,  Pauline  shall  first 
sing." 

This  decree  was  not  demurred  to,  and  the  young  lady  took 
the  paper  handed  to  her.  But  the  professor's  chirography 
was  not  as  legible  as  print,  and  she  had  to  call  the  writer  to 
her  assistance  to  decipher  it.  A  flush  of  pleasurable  excite- 
ment was  visible  in  her  face,  as,  Leslie  closely  watching  her, 
she  placed  the  paper  on  the  rack,  and  sat  down  to  sing,  play- 
ing the  accompaniment  this  time  herself.  Everyone,  of 
course,  listened  with  silent  attention. 

"■  Youth  espied  a  rosebud  rare, 

Kosebud  on  the  heather  ; 
Dew-gemmed  in  the  morning  air,  — 
And  he  yearned  the  rose  so  fair 

From  its  stalk  to  gather. 
Rosebud,  rosebud,  rosebud  red. 

Rosebud  on  the  heather. 

He  would  pluck  the  rosebud  rare. 

Rosebud  on  the  heather  ! 
Rosebud  cried  :   My  thorns  bewai'e  I 
I  will  prick  thee,  if  thou  dare 

From  my  stalk  me  gather. 
Rosebud,  rosebud,  rosebud  red. 

Rosebud  on  the  heather. 

Wantonly  he  seized  his  prize, 
Rosebud  on  the  heather ! 
Vain  was  struggling,  vain  were  sighs,  — 


312  THE   BEBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

Boldly  plucked  lie,  spite  all  cries, 

Rose  and  thorns  together. 
Rosebud,  rosebud,  rosebud  red, 

Rosebud  on  the  heather !  " 

' '  Bravo !  ' '  exclaimed  the  old  gentleman ,  when  the  song  was 
iiuished.  "  And  I  will  say  '  brava  I  '  too,  because  I  know  not 
if  the  writing  is  liner  or  the  singing  of  Pauline.  Ah,  the  pro- 
fessor was  wise,  when  he  wished  Pauline  to  first  sing  his  song. 
But  now.  Professor,  you  will  read  it?  Victor  and  Mr.  May 
shall  now  judge,  if  it  be  good  poetry." 

"I  know  one  thing  already,"  said  Victor;  "and  that  is, 
that  the  music  sounds  better  with  these  words  than  with  the 
others.  That  may  be,  because  the  professor  gives  us  the 
same  image  which  we  get  from  the  original." 

The  professor  seemed  much  pleased  with  Victor's  remark. 
But  a  recognition  that  he  might  have  prized  more  highly  came 
from  the  young  lady,  Avho  extended  to  him  her  hand  and  said, 
her  face  beaming  with  delight,  "  I  thank  you,  Professor 
Rauhenfels,  for  having  made  Gothe  speak  to  me  in  English. 
This  is  the  '  Heidenroslein  '  as  he  pictured  her, — to  me,  at 
least.  Will  you  believe  me,  when  I  tell  you,  that  your  rendi- 
tion has  put  the  pathos  into  the  refrain,  which  makes  it  so 
touching  in  the  original,  and  which  I  entirely  missed  in  the 
other  translation,  although  the  words  are  very  much  alike?  It 
suggests  admiration,  tender  solicitude,  and  finally  sympathetic 
regret  for  the  fate  of  the  poor  rose." 

"  And  yet,"  was  the  professor's  answer,  "it  is  the  fate  of 
roses  to  be  plucked." 

"  Therein  seems  to  lie  the  touching  power  of  this  poem," 
said  Pauline.  "  We  feel,  that  the  rare  rose  is  destined  to  be 
appropriated  by  the  hand  that  is  not  afraid  of  her  thorns. 
And  there  is  no  escape  from  destiny- !  ' ' 

"  Yours  is  a  genuinely  poetic  instinct,  Miss  Waldhorst," 
the  professor  exclaimed,  in  undisguised  admiration.  "You 
have  caught  the  poet  at  his  trick.     How  is  it  that  Gothe  him- 


THE   EVER  NEW  OLD   STORY.  313 

self  pats  it  ?  —  He  '  calls  the  particular  to  its  universal  con- 
secration !  '  And  Heine,  less  philosophically,  but  more 
popularly,  perhaps,  suggests,  that 

"'  It  is  an  old,  old  story. 
And  yet  forever  new  ; 
And  he,  to  whom'  it  happens. 
His  heart  doth  break  in  two.'  " 

There  was  more  music  after  this,  and  animated  conversation, 
to  which  they  all  contributed  their  due  share.  Miss  Waldhorst's 
vivacity  was  a  surprise  to  both  Woldemar  and  Leslie,  with 
very  different  effect  on  each.  When  the  guests  had  taken  their 
departure,  at  a  late  hour  in  the  night,  the  one  was  overjoyed, 
the  other  dismayed,  by  the  cordial  and  pressing  invitation 
extended  by  the  host  to  the  young  lawyer  to  repeat  his  visit 
at  an  early  day,  with  the  evidently  sincere  assurance,  that  he 
would  be  always  welcome. 

Perhaps  the  dismay  would  have  been  deeper,  if  Woldemar 
had  caught  the  look  of  eager  expectation  with  which  Pauline 
regarded  the  guest  until  his  answer  came,  or  the  vivid  flush 
that  suffused  her  face  wlien  she  shook  hands  with  him  on 
saying  good-night. 


XX. 

SHADOWS  OF  COMING  EVENTS  IN  A  SANCTUM. 

.OLDEMAR  AUF  DEM  BUSCH'S  statement  that 
Victor  was,  like  a  helpless  bird,  under  the  charm  of 
Professor  Rauhenfels,  was  not  without  an  element  of 
truth,  though  in  a  manner  and  for  a  reason  better  compre- 
hended by  Leslie.  Not  attracted  toward  the  stranger  himself, 
he  naturally  ascribed  the  influence  he  had  gained  over  his 
uncle  to  successful  wiles  of  sycophantic  blandiloquence.  The 
antipathy  thus  experienced  grew  into  positive  dislike  by 
reason  of  the  stranger's  offensive  habit  of  announcing  his 
opinions,  often  unasked,  on  any  and  all  subjects  that  hap- 
pened to  be  under  discussion  in  his  presence,  —  announced, 
too,  with  an  exasperating  air  of  infallibility,  and  many  times 
in  direct  contradiction  of  Victor's  sincerely  cherished  convic- 
tions. 

The  consequence  w^as  that  Victor  shunned  him  whenever  he 
could  do  so  without  offending  his  uncle.  But  Victor  was  a 
sincere  searcher  after  truth,  and  battled  against  error  when- 
ever he  recognized  it  as  such,  though  at  the  cost  of  the  merci- 
less demolition  of  fondly  hugged  illusions.  Permitting  himself, 
one  day,  to  be  betrayed  into  a  fierce  wrangle  with  the  profes- 
sor on  a  topic  upon  which  he  entertained  very  positive  views 
in  direct  opposition  to  those  of  the  professor,  the  latter 
scattered  Victor's  arguments  like  empty  chaff  before  the 
wind.  Victor  felt  deeply  humiliated  ;  but  however  hotly  he 
resented  his  discomfiture,  he  could  not  but  admit  the  force  of 
his  adversary's  logic,  and  bow,  with  what  grace  he  might,  to 
the  power  of  a  superior  intellect.  After  this,  again  and  again, 
he  engaged  in  fierce  debate  with  the  professor,  on  such  topics 
(314) 


SHADOWS  OF  COMING  EVENTS  IN  A  SANCTUM.      315 

of  science,  religion,  and  particularly  politics,  on  which  he  had 
formed  decided  opinions,  suffering  defeat  after  defeat.  Al- 
though many  of  his  jDet  theories  were  cruelly  shaken  to  pieces 
in  the  hot  contentions,  his  impressible  nature,  ever  ready  to 
accept  what  he  recognized  to  be  true,  just  or  real,  was  gradu- 
ally drawn  towards  his  opponent,  his  distrust  melted  away, 
and  his  antipathy  changed  to  wonderment  and  awe  before  the 
towering  intellect  of  this  marvelous  man. 

Such  was  the  magic  spell  that  fascinated  Victor's  mind.  Its 
influence  became  so  great,  that  Victor  ceased  to  feel  humilia- 
tion when  the  professor  made  light  of  convictions  that  had 
been  sacred  to  the  young  man,  as  the  embodiment  of  truth  to 
him.  He  instinctively  felt  that  the  mind  of  Professor  Rauhen- 
fels  condescended  from  its  own  loftier  level  to  cope  with  a 
weaker  intellect,  and  took  comfort  in  the  belief,  that  he  was 
himself  thereby  elevated  to  a  higher  plane.  His  opponent, 
in  some  way  impressed  him  with  the  thought,  that  aspiration 
after  truth  was  the  truly  divine  afflatus,  —  that  quality  of 
human  nature,  implanted  by  the  Creator,  through  Avhich  re- 
demption from  error  and  sin  is  accomplished  —  the  possession 
of  which  he  felt  to  be  a  common  trait  between  the  professor 
and  himself. 

His  editorial  duties  left  him  little  leisure  to  devote  to  the 
study  of  poets,  or  the  laborious  task  of  wrestling  with  the 
abstruse  reasoning  of  Hegel.  He  was  nominally  the  assistant, 
in  fact  however  the  principal,  editor  of  the  Beobachter  im 
Thai,  a  daily  newspaper  published  in  the  German  language. 
It  were,  perhaps,  nearer  the  truth  to  say  that  he  was  its  only 
editor.  For  Mr.  Becker,  whose  name  figured  at  the  head  of 
the  paper  as  "  Proprietor  and  Editor  in  Chief,"  was  a  gentle- 
man of  Pennsj'lvanian  ancestry,  whose  acquaintance  with  the 
German  language  and  literature  extended  no  further  than  to 
the  ixitois  known  as  "  Pennsylvanisch  Deutseh,"  which  he 
spoke  with  the  liberal  admixture  of  Americanisms  idiomatic 
to  the  "  Pfjilzer  "  settlers  in  Pennsylvania.  Victor  might  well, 
therefore,   be  held   responsible   for  the  political   and  literary 


316  THE  BE  BE  US  DAUGHTER. 

coloring  of  the  paijer  edited  by  bini,  though  only  as  "  assist- 
ant." 

To  infer,  from  this  condition  of  things,  that  Motor  was 
sovereign  ruler  in  the  sanctum,  would  be  pardonable,  but 
ncA^ertheless  gross  error.  P'or  Mr.  Becker,  whatever  was  his 
proficiency  in  the  other  two  "R's,"  had  certainly  mastered 
the  elements  of  his  "  'rithmetic."  He  knew  how  to  put  two 
and  two  together  for  a  purpose.  Now  his  purpose,  besides 
enjoying  his  glass  of  beer  (or  several  glasses  of  beer)  and 
game  of  Solo  in  the  company  of  boon  companions,  was  the 
accumulation  of  dollars.  He  reasoned  that  his  hoard  of  dol- 
lars would  increase  with  the  pojnilarity  of  his  i^aper.  And  to 
secure  popularity,  the  paper  must  advocate  the  views  held  by 
the  public,  so  he  argued.  Now  the  views  of  the  public  came 
to  him  through  the  medium  of  his  friends  of  the  saloons  ;  and 
these  were  not  always  in  accord  with  the  views  entertained  by 
Victor.  There  was,  in  consequence,  many  a  dispute  between 
the  d(illar  loving  proprietor,  and  his,  in  this  respect,  at  least, 
impractical  editor.  On  the  question  of  the  enforcement  of  the 
Sunday  law,  for  instance,  there  were  heated  discussions  in  the 
sanctum.  And  so  with  regard  to  the  kindred  subjects  of 
Temperance,  or  Total  Abstinence  Societies,  on  which  their 
views  differed  rather  widely.  Finally,  a  peace  was  patched 
uji  l)etween  them  which,  although  its  terms  satisfied  neither 
party,  yet  enal)led  them  to  get  along  without  hostility.  But 
then  came  another  topic  that  began  to  agitate  public  opinion, 
especially  in  the  circles  in  which  the  Beobarhter  had  its 
readers  and  subscribers,  and  which  threatened  to  become  more 
troublesome  than  any  of  their  previous  differences,  because 
Victor  stood  firm  and  was  intractable  on  all  questions  involv- 
ing his  conviction. 

Leslie  Ma^^  was  a  frequent  and  always  welcome  visitor  at 
the  sanctum  about  this  time.  Welcome  not  only  to  Victor. 
For  Mr.  Becker  legarded  the  young  lawyer  as  a  man  of  rising 
importance,  to  be  reckoned  among  whose  friends  was  an  honor, 
and  might  prove  of  advantage  to  the  Beohar/iter.     Mr.  Becker's 


SHADOWS  OF  COMING  EVENTS  IN  A  SANCTUM.     317 

friends  looked  ii[)oii  the  youug  man  as  tlie  champion  of  per- 
sonal liberty  and  of  the  freedom  of  conscience,  —  that  Inightest 
oem  in  the  escutcheon  of  the  laud  of  their  adoption  —  who 
had  vindicated  the  law  by  turning  it  against  itself.  This  arose 
out  of  the  fact,  that  Leslie  had  succeeded  in  breaking  down 
the  prosecution  of  the  Sunday  cases  to  the  surprise  and  envy  of 
his  brother  lawyers  ;  to  the  admiration  and  gratitude  of  most 
citizens  of  Teutonic  origin,  who  hailed  his  success  as  the 
Triumph  of  Truth  and  Freedom  ;  and  to  the  no  small  chagrin 
of  politicians  of  the  Know-Nothing  stripe.  To  Victor,  the 
result  had  been  no  surprise ;  but  his  joy  was  none  the  less  ex- 
ultant when  Leslie,  in  the  first  flush  of  his  triumph,  himself 
informed  him  of  his  success.  A  romantic  incident  connected 
Vv'ith  the  trial  not  only  added  greatly  to  the  young  lawyer's 
personal  interest  therein,  but  led  Victor,  when,  on  a  subse- 
quent occasion  he  learned  the  particulars,  to  see  in  it  the  hand 
of  Providence,  dealing  out  retribution  and  poetic  justice. 

For  the  prosecuting  witness,  on  whose  testimony  the  prose- 
(tuting  attorney  relied  to  prove  the  facts  of  the  case,  was  none 
other  than  Victor's  old  enemy,  the  whilom  overseer  Jeffreys, 
to  demolish  whose  credibility  as  a  witness  had  been  an  easy 
and  most  delightful  task  to  the  young  lawyer.  Of  course, 
neither  Mr.  Becker  nor  his  friends  knew  of  this  circumstance, 
and  all  the  more  admired  the  astute  man  of  law,  in  tearing  off 
the  mask  of  sanctimonious  hypocrisy  from  the  informer. 
Victor  had  not  become  acquainted  with  this  feature  of  the 
trial  until  afterward  ;  but  the  success  of  his  friend  was  in  itself 
so  joyful  an  event,  that  in  the  exuberance  of  his  spirits  he 
was  not  content  to  talk  the  matter  over  in  his  sanctum,  but 
3'earued  to  impart  the  great  news  to  sympathizing  friends,  and 
in  this  mood  proposed  a  visit  to  the  villa.  The  readiness  of 
his  friend  in  accepting  the  invitation  pleased  him  much,  and  he 
found  it  quite  natural  that  Leslie  should,  on  this  occasion,  be 
the  lion  of  the  evening,  and  monopolize  the  lion's  share  of  con- 
versation at  Busch  Bluff.  The  cordial  words  of  praise  that 
fell  from  his  uncle's  lips,  the  profuse  and  somewhat  exagger- 


318  THE  BEBEVS  DAUGHTEB. 

ated  compliments  paid  liim  by  Cousin  Woldemar  and  even  the 
elegant  homage  that  lay  in  his  sister's  eager  attention  and 
sparkling  eyes  were  so  entirely  in  accordance  with  his  own 
feelings,  that  he  saw  nothing  in  them  but  the  well  merited 
tribute  due  to  superior  ability. 

The  renewed  intimacy  between  the  two  young  men,  however 
welcome  to  both,  was  not  wholly  conducive  to  harmony  in  the 
sanctum.  Unconsciously  to  the  editor,  not  unnoticed  by 
others,  the  Beohachter  grew  more  em[)hatic  in  its  advocacy  of 
the  particular  shade  of  Democratic  doctrine  that  had  been 
instilled  in  liis  mind  by  the  teachings  of  Colonel  May.  These 
doctrines  were  advocated  by  Leslie  with  a  fervor  which  aston- 
ished Victor,  Avho  had  never  noticed  enthusiasm  as  a  trait  in 
his  friend's  character;  just  now,  however,  he  was  certainly 
enthusiastic  on  the  subject  of  State  Sovereignty,  going  to  an 
extreme  in  this  direction  to  which  Victor  could  not  follow. 
But  his  own  views  became  more  jDOsitive,  his  editorials  more 
decided,  in  suj)port  of  the  constitution.  He  saw  in  the  strict 
construction  of  its  provisions,  by  which  the  sovereignty  of  the 
nation  was  divided  between  the  several  States  on  the  one  hand 
and  the  Federal  government  on  the  other,  the  safeguard  to  ward 
off  the  danger  that,  in  the  minds  of  many,  threatened  to  shake 
the  government  to  pieces.  Loyalty  to  the  constitution  for- 
bade warfare  against  slavery  by  the  general  government,  be- 
cause it  vested  all  power  over  slavery  in  the  States.  But  the 
majority  of  the  readers  of  the  Beohachter  were  not  disposed  to 
draw  this  distinction,  and  Mr.  Becker  insisted  on  more  vigor- 
ous articles  against  slavery.  Victor  responded  by  a  zealous 
advocacy  of  the  Emancipation  Societies  then  springing  up  in 
various  of  the  slave  States.  This  course  satisfied  some  of  the 
city  subscribers ;  but  as  the  Beohachter  circulated  quite 
extensively  in  the  surrounding  fi'ee  States,  at  least  in  its  weekly 
edition,  and  as  the  P'ugitive  Slave  law  was  beginning,  under  the 
interpretation  it  had  received  by  the  Federal  courts,  to  arouse 
serious  opposition  in  these  States,  Mr.  Becker  was  not  satisfied, 
but  demanded  outspoken  radical  anti-slavery  editorials. 


SHADOWS  OF  COMING  EVENTS  IN  A  SANCTUM.     319 

The  proi)rietor  of  the  paper  was  not  equal  to  the  editor  in 
carrying  on  a  dispute  on  the  basis  of  legitimate  argument,  to 
be  decided  by  common  sense  or  reason.  Victor  had  not 
hitherto  found  it  difficult  to  avoid  a  direct  surrender  of  his 
own  convictions  in  conducting  the  paper.  Even  the  compro- 
mise on  the  subject  of  Sunday  laws  and  temperance  agitation 
could  not  be  claimed  as  a  victory  by  the  proprietor.  And  as 
Mr.  Becker's  political  views  accommodated  themselves  rather 
easily  to  the  demands  of  temporary  expediency,  Victor  might 
have  come  off  triumphantly  in  the  hot  disi^utes  that  followed 
on  the  slavery  question,  but  for  the  impenetrable  shield  with 
which  his  opponent's  utter  inaccessibility  to  argument  armed 
him,  when  it  was  his  pohcy  not  to  be  convinced.  The  fear  of 
losing  subscribers  was  to  him  an  argument  more  potent  than 
any  that  Victor  could  bring  to  bear.  It  was  during  one  of 
the  violent  contentions  between  them,  in  which  the  proprie- 
tor's ultimatum  followed  by  a  peremptory  refusal  on  the  part 
of  the  editor,  was  about  to  produce  an  immediate  rupture  be- 
tween the  belligerents,  that  the  entrance  of  Leslie  May  into 
the  sanctum  caused,  for  the  moment  at  least,  a  suspension  of 
hostilities.  The  excitement  of  both  the  disputants  was  too 
great  to  be  concealed  from  the  visitor,  and  Mr.  Becker  him- 
self, to  Victor's  relief,  stated  the  cause  of  their  quarrel,  ap- 
pealing to  the  young  lawyer  for  aid  in  bringing  the  editor  to 
his  senses. 

Leslie  had  at  that  time  attained  to  a  popularity,  in  conse- 
quence of  his  success  in  defeating  the  Sunday-law-cases,  —  a 
popularity  greatest  among  the  very  people  with  whom  Mr. 
Becker  associated  —  which  commanded  the  respect  of  the  pro- 
prietor of  the  BeobacJiter.  He  also  possessed,  as  Victor  so 
well  knew,  the  gift  of  seductive  persuasion  which  made  him 
almost  irresistible  in  carrying  his  point,  when  he  was  in  ear- 
nest. And  just  now  he  seemed,  for  a  reason  not  quite  appar- 
ent to  Victor,  to  have  set  his  heart  on  keeping  the  present 
editor  of  the  Beobachter  at  his  post.  But  it  was  no  easy  task 
even   for  the  diplomatic  skill  of  Leslie  May,  to  pour  oil  on  the 


320  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

troubled  waters  :  for  Victor  was  inflexible  iu  what  lie  deemed 
a  matter  of  duty,  and  Mr.  Becker  stultborn  in  his  zeal  to 
please  his  subscribers.  All  the  efforts  of  tlie  mediator  seemed 
in  vain,  until,  in  the  very  nick  of  time,  he  advanced  a  propo- 
sition that  set  ]K)th  the  disputants  to  tliinking.  He  suggested 
the  candidacy  of  the  young  editor  for  the  legislature,  —  a 
proposition  that  dazed  Victor.  He  saw  a  hitherto  secretly 
clierished  am)>ition  thrust  forth  from  the  innermost  recesses  of 
his  heart  into  the  glaring  light  of  day,  and  rudely  pushing 
him  to  action  liefore  the  time  had  come  tor  which  he  was  wait- 
ing. Yes :  It  was  a  dream  in  which  he  had  fondly  indulged. 
He  had  thirsted  for  the  'opportunity  of  distinguishing  himself 
as  a  pu))lic  man.  Having  served  as  a  mem))er  of  the  General 
Asseml)ly  might  put  him  in  the  way  of  an  election  to  Congress 
and  —  to  meet  Nellie  May  on  lier  own  level.  Nellie  May! 
The  proud  lieauty,  the  worshii)ed  idol  of  his  heart,  whose 
image  liad  been  newly  enthroned  therein  by  the  reading  of  that 
letter  intrusted  to  him  by  Leslie,  and  wliich  he  had  not  re- 
turned, but  —  how  he  blushed,  even  now,  to  think  of  it!  — 
appropriated  as  a  priceless  treasure!  Once  again,  it  seemed, 
fate  was  hurrying  hi)n  on  to  the  realization  of  a  plan  that  lie 
had  relegated  to  the  far-off  future.  Leslie's  suggestion  must 
be  considered,  —  must,  indeed,  be  answered. 

Was  it  feasible  ? 

The  same  (question  was  in  the  mind  of  Mr.  Becker.  The 
prospect  of  the  editor  of  his  paper  being  a  member  of  the 
legislature  was  an  alluring  one  to  him.  It  would  be  a  great 
card  for  the  Beobachter.  And  what  was  even  of  greater  im- 
j)ortance,  it  would  put  his  paper  in  the  way  of  patronage. 
Advertisements,  at  good,  round  prices,  payable  out  of  the 
government  funds,  would  pour  in,  at  the  mere  nod  of  the  edi- 
tor, if  he  possessed  any  influence  at  all,  —  and  he  knew  Mr. 
^N'aldhorst  well  enough  to  be  easy  on  that  score.  He  would,  he 
was  sure,  make  his  mark.  Posted,  as  he  was,  on  the  political 
questions  of  the  time,  it  was  not  at  all  improbable  that  he 
would  rise  to  a  position  of  a  leader  in  the  House,  or  at  least 


SlfADOWS  OF  COMING  EVENTS  IN  A  SANCTUM.      321 

of  his  pMily  ill  tho  House.  Not  quite  so  sure  was  lie,  whethei-, 
supposing  him  to  have  attained  inUuence,  he  would  Avield  it  in 
dispensing  patronage  to  the  paper.  But  then  he  was  perfectly 
sure  that  he  could  rely  on  his  editor's  loyalty,  and  trusted  to 
his  own  diplomatic  skill  in  manipulating  the  legislature,  if 
need  be,  under  cover  of  Victor's  popularity.  By  all  means, 
then,  let  Mr.  AValdhorst  be  elected  to  the  legislature  as  a 
representative  German,  from  the  editorial  staff  of  the  Beo- 
hdi-Iitt^r  I  in  TJxiI .'  And  ^Ir.  Becker,  too,  pondered  the  question, 
Was  it  feasil)le  ? 

So  conlldeut  did  ^Nlr.  May  profess  to  l)e  on  this  j)oint 
that  all  doul)t  vanished  from  the  mind  of  the  proprietor, 
and  even  Victor  found  it  easier  to  stifle  the  misgivings  of  his 
natural  dilfidencc.  ^' You  see,"  he  explained  to  the  hopeful 
proprietor,  '•  I  am  mvself  more  deeply  interested  in  the  matter 
than  even  you  or  my  friend,  Mr.  Waldhorst ;  for  my  father  is 
a  candidate  for  the  United  States  Senate.  It  is  very  impor- 
tant for  us  to  have  so  staunch  a  supporter  of  his  party  as  well 
as  so  firm  a  personal  friend  as  1  know  Mr.  Waldhorst  to  be, 
as  a  member  of  the  General  Assembly  when  the  election  comes 
on." 

Of  course  I 

Nellie's  words  in  connection  with  this  scheme  were  graven 
on  Victor's  memory,  and  the  vivid  recollection  of  her  enthusi- 
astic gratitude  for  the  assistance  volunteered  by  Ralph  Payton 
fired  him  with  zeal,  before  which  his  party  loyalty,  even  his 
profound  sense  of  duty  to  the  country,  paled  into  insignifi- 
cance. His  mind,  if  he  had  known  it,  had  been  made  up  on 
the  first  instant,  to  accept  Leslie's  suggestion.  The  prospect 
of  being  able  to  contribute  by  his  vote  as  well  as  the  whole  of 
any  influence  he  could  bring  to  bear  —  whatever  that  might 
amount  to  —  to  the  elevation  of  his  friend  and  benefactor  to 
the  United  States  Senate,  appealing  to  his  profound  sense  of 
obligation  and  gratitude,  constituted  an  overpowering  motive, 
sufficient  in  itself  to  put  to  shame  all  possible  doubts  and  ob- 
jections.    And    above    all    these    considerations,    and    at    the 

21 


322 


THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 


bottom  of  all  his  thoughts  in  connection  therewith,  there  was 
the  distant  vision  of  a  radiantly  beautiful  face,  irresistibly 
luring  him  on  with  its  entrancing  smile. 

And  so  Leslie's  plan  met  with  cordial  approval  by  the 
powers  of  the  sanctum,  and,  for  the  present  at  least,  peace  and 
harmony  reigned  supreme  there  once  more.  It  was  settled 
that  neither  Mr.  Becker  nor  Victor  should  put  themselves,  just 
yet,  to  any  trouble  at  all,  but  leave  the  matter  to  the  manage- 
ment of  the  young  lawyer,  Avho  promised  to  secure  Victor's 
nomination  by  the  county  convention,  if  he  would  only 
consent. 


XXI. 
HOW  THE   MACHINE  IS   WORKED. 

^VENTS   soon  proved   that  Leslie  had  not  j^romised  more 

,j,     than  he  was  a])le  to  perform. 

It  was  a  trying  time  to  Democracy.  Victor  exerted 
his  utmost  abiUty  to  vindicate  its  doctrines  in  their  pristine 
purity.  But  while  he  combated  political  heresies  in  the  columns 
of  his  paper,  Leslie,  in  a  more  quiet  and  unostentatious  way,  did 
far  more  effective  practical  work.  It  was  his  creed  that  politi- 
cal principles  are  best  vindicated  by  the  success  of  the  party 
advocating  them :  hence  he  looked  upon  victory  in  the  elec- 
tions as  of  greater  importance  than  the  discussion  of  abstract 
principles.  To  him  it  was  of  far  less  moment  that  the  demo- 
crats should  be  convinced  of  the  truth  and  justice  of  their 
cause,  than  that  democrats  should  win.  He  wanted  his  father 
elected  to  the  United  States  Senate  ;  and  that  could  be  accom- 
plished only  by  having  a  Democratic  majority  in  the  General 
Assembly.  He  therefore  bent  his  energies  to  swell  the  num- 
bers of  Democratic  voters.  Nor  could  his  father  be  elected 
unless  he  was  the  choice  of  a  majority  of  the  democrats  in  the 
legislature ;  hence  he  labored  to  procure  the  election  of  as 
many  adherents  to  the  cause  re^jresented  by  his  father  as  jjos- 
sible.  That  Victor  should  be  one  of  these,  he  had,  as  we  have 
seen,  early  determined ;  and  as  he  was  perfectly  sure  of  Vic- 
tor's loyalty  to  whatever  cause  he  espoused,  he  took  more  than 
ordinary  pains  to  commit  him  to  the  policy  advocated  by  his 
father.  It  may  be  inferred  from  the  stand  taken  by  Victor 
against  his  principal,  to  what  extent  he  had  been  successful  in 
this  resi^ect.  Yet  he  deemed  it  of  great  importance  to  guard, 
as  far  as  possible,  against  the  danger  of  adverse  influence,  the 
gi'eatest  of  which  he  reckoned  Victor's  extreme  conscien- 
tiousness. 

(323) 


324  THE  BE  BE  US  DAUGHTEB. 

The  Democratic  County  Coiiveutiou  liad  been  called  for  an 
unusually  late  day.  The  leaders  of  the  party,  burdened  with 
self-imposed  resi^onsibility  for  the  welfare  of  the  State,  had 
held  back  with  the  promulgation  of  the  policy  according  to 
which  the  country  was  to  l^e  saved  from  the  misrule  and  cor- 
ruption under  which  it  had  suffered  at  the  hands  of  Know- 
Nothingism  without  subjecting  it  to  the  mercy  of  the  republi- 
cans, who  were  to  be  even  more  feared  on  account  of  their 
avowed  purpose  of  subverting  the  constitution.  It  had  be- 
come obvious  that  there  would  l:)e  at  least  three  parties  opposed 
to  one  another  in  the  impending  contest ;  and  the  Democratic 
leaders  had  determined  to  wait  until  the  last  possible  moment 
before  giving  out  th-e  watchword  under  which  Democracy  was 
to  do  battle.  The  know-nothings  made  a  gallant  stand,  in- 
scribing upon  their  banner  the  magic  words  that  led  them  to 
victory  before.  "  The  Constitution  "  and  "  America  for 
Americans  "  was  their  war  cry.  The  republicans  followed, 
calling  upon  Freemen  to  vindicate  Freedom.  Both  of  these 
parties  had  nominated  tickets  for  the  State  and  county  officers, 
and  the  construction  of  a  Democratic  platform  and  nomination 
of  Democratic  candidates  could  be  put  off  no  longer. 

So,  finally,  the  convention  was  called,  and  primary  meetings 
appointed  for  the  wards  of  the  city  and  the  townships  of  the 
county,  to  select  delegates.  Then  came  a  busy  time  for  central 
committeemen,  members  of  the  Democratic  clubs,  and  wire- 
pullers and  ward  politicians  generally.  The  Democratic  news- 
papers were  full  of  stirring  appeals  to  the  Democratic  voters  to 
be  on  hand  in  the  primary  meetings  for  the  purpose  of  electing 
representatives  to  the  party  convention. 

Victor,  who  had  always  conscientiously  performed  a  voter's 
duty  in  this  respect,  was  sincere  and  earnest  in  his  editorial 
exhortations.  He  emphasized  strongly  the  great  importance 
of  primary  meetings,  as  constituting  the  foundation  upon  which 
the  party  organization  was  built  up,  the  fountain  so  to  speak 
from  which  all  its  authority  flowed,  and  in  whose  hands  lay 
the  determination  of    the  principles  for  which  the  party  con- 


now   THE  MACHINE   IS    WORKED.  325 

tended.  He  demonstrated  that  in  a  government  l)used  upon 
the  will  of  the  majority  of  the  people,  the  omission  to  express 
this  will  in  the  only  authentic  and  efficient  manner  in  which  it 
can  be  done,  is  a  treasonable  dereliction  of  duty. 

But  Victor,  on  this  occasion,  did  not  confine  his  activity  to 
the  writing  of  editorials  in  his  newspaper.  His  patriotism 
and  loyalty  to  the  Democratic  party  had  been  perceptibly 
quickened  by  the  prospect  of  being  a  candidate  himself.  He 
called  on  as  many  of  his  personal  friends  as  his  time  would 
allow,  reminding  them  of  their  duty  to  the  country.  At  Busch 
Bluff,  the  way  to  Avhich  had  not  been  so  long  as  to  deter  him 
from  making  a  visit  there,  he  was  received  with  significant 
smiles  by  his  uncle  and  cousin,  and  the  voluntary  promise  of 
the  former  that  he  would  not  forget  to  vote  for  him.  It  was 
evident  that  Leslie  had  forestalled  him  there,  and  that  the  old 
gentleman  had  received  his  cue  from  the  young  lawyer. 
Pauline,  also,  mentioned  to  him,  as  she  attended  him  to  the  gate 
on  his  departure,  that  Mr.  May  had  told  her  the  grand  news 
of  her  brother's  going  to  the  legislature.  "  And  he  says," 
she  added  with  an  eager,  triumphant  look  into  his  eyes,  "  that 
you  are  going  to  make  a  United  States  senator  of  his  father." 

On  the  evening  appointed  for  the  meeting  in  his  ward  Victor 
was  on  hand  at  the  precise  hour  of  the  call.  He  was  sur- 
prised and  much  pleased  to  find  the  hall  respectably  filled  at 
this  early  hour.  But  his  surprise  was  still  greater  on  hearing 
a  well-known  member  of  the  central  committee,  almost  as  soon 
as  he  had  entered  the  hall,  call  the  meeting  to  order,  and  propose 
Mr.  Victor  Waldhorst  for  chairman.  Victor  protested  ;  but  his 
feeble  stammering  was  drowned  by  the  voice  of  the  committee- 
man, who  demanded  that  all  democrats  favoring  his  motion 
should  say  aye !  and  then,  that  all  opposing  should  say  no ! 
whereupon  lie  proclaimed  that  the  motion  had  been  carried,  and 
called  on  Victor  to  take  his  seat  on  the  platform. 

Victor  was  really  and  truly  unprepared  for  the  honor  thus 
thrust  upon  him.  But  as  there  was  no  time  for  deliberation, 
and  principally  because  he  lacked  the  presence  of  mind  to  so 


326  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

word  a  refusal  as  not  to  give  offense  to  the  uieetiug,  he  bash- 
fully permitted  himself  to  be  conducted  to  the  chair. 

The  smiling  face  of  Mr.  Becker  was  the  first  he  encountered 
on  looking  around,  and  his  love  for  this  gentleman  was  by  no 
means  stimulated  by  the  thought  that  flashed  upon  him,  that 
he  owed  his  present  uneasy  position  to  the  ambitious  scheming 
of  the  newspaper  proprietor.  He  was  confirmed  in  this 
suspicion  by  the  next  move  of  the  committeeman,  who  thus 
addressed  him : 

"  I  now  move  you,  Mr.  Chairman,  that  that  active  and 
prominent  democrat  Nehemia  Becker,  Esq.,  be  elected  secre- 
tary of  this  meeting." 

The  motion  having  been  duly  seconded,  was  mechanically 
put  to  a  vote  by  the  chairman. 

A  voice  from  another  part  of  the  hall  then  moved  the  ap- 
pointment by  the  chair  of  a  committee  of  five,  to  select  and 
present  to  the  meeting  the  names  of  five  reliable  democrats,  to 
lie  voted  for  as  delegates  to  the  county  convention  to  be  held 
at  Hamilton  Hall  on  Monday  next. 

The  motion  had  hardly  been  put  and  carried,  when  a  paper 
was  slipped  into  his  hand,  containing  the  names  of  five  per- 
sons, of  whom  Victor  was  personally  acquainted  with  but  one, 
and  that  was  his  employer,  Mr.  Becker.  The  chairman's  em- 
barrassment was  great.  It  was  not  in  accordance  with  his 
views  that  matters  should  be  precipitated  at  this  rate.  The 
selection  of  delegates  to  the  county  convention  was  a  duty  of 
such  momentous  importance  as  to  demand  careful  delibera- 
tion. Nor  was  he  at  all  satisfied  that  Mr.  Becker  was  a  proper 
person  to  be  intrusted  with  any  discretion  in  connection  there- 
with. But  what  was  he  to  do  ?  The  meeting  was  waiting  for 
his  action.  He  personally  knew  but  few  of  the  persons  pres- 
ent. So  he  reluctantly  announced  the  gentlemen  named  on  the 
paper  before  him,  which  he  had  fortunately  recognized  as  being 
in  the  handwriting  of  Leslie  May,  to  constitute  the  committee 
of  five.  The  persons  designated  rose,  and  left  the  hall  for 
consultation. 


TfOW   THE   MACHINE  IS    WORKED.  327 

It  was  then,  before  the  door  had  been  closed  upon  the  retir- 
ing committee,  that  a  new  surprise  awaited  the  astonished 
chairman.  A  voice  from  a  distant  part  of  the  room  cried  out: 
"  Mr.  Chairman  !  "  Victor  was  not  acquainted  with  the  voice, 
nor  with  the  gentleman  standing  up  and  evidently  claiming  the 
floor.  At  this  crisis,  to  his  great  relief,  some  one  close  by 
whispered  into  his  ear:  "Dr.  Moorman!  "  So  he  recog- 
nized Dr.  Moorman  as  being  entitled  to  the  floor.  Dr.  Moor- 
man wished  to  offer  a  Preamble  and  Resolutions,  for  the 
consideration  of  the  democrats  present  at  the  meeting,  and 
sent  them  up  to  the  secretary's  desk  to  have  them  read.  As 
Mr.  Becker,  the  secretary,  had  left  the  room  on  committee 
duty,  the  task  to  read  fell  on  the  chairman.  The  paper  was  as 
follows :  — 

"  Whereas,  we  claim  it  to  be  the  right,  as  it  is  the  sacred 
duty,  of  democrats  in  primary  meeting  assembled,  to  make 
known  their  views,  and  speak  out  their  sentiments,  touching 
the  affairs  of  the  nation  ;  and 

Whereas,  we  deem  it  of  essential  importance,  that  our 
representatives  in  the  General  Assembly  be  informed  of  our 
views  and  convictions  touching  the  election  of  the  representa- 
tive of  our  glorious  State  in  the  Senate  of  the  United  States  ; 
and 

Whereas,  we  have  witnessed  with  profound  satisfaction  the 
congressional  career  of  that  staunch  and  reliable  democrat, 
the  Honorable  Leonard  May,  who  has  so  ably  and  successfully 
represented  the  interests  of  our  State  in  the  Congress  of  the 
United  States  for  three  consecutive  congressional  terms  ;  there- 
fore be  it 

Resolved,  by  the  democrats  of  the  Fourth  Ward  in  primary 
meeting  assembled,  that  the  delegates  to  the  couuty  conven- 
tion to  be  elected  by  this  meeting  be,  and  they  hereby  are, 
instructed  to  A'ote  for  such  candidates  for  election  to  the  Gen- 
eral Assembly,  as  may  be  known  to  be  favorable  to  the  election 
of  our  distinguished  fellow  citizen,  the  Honorable  Leonard 
May,  to  the  Senate  of  the  United  States. 


328  THE   BEBEL'S  DAUGIITEB. 

Eesolced,  moreover,  that  we  request  the  count}'  oonventiou 
to  instruct  the  candidates  to  be  nominated  by  said  convention, 
and  who  may  be  elected  to  the  General  Assembly,  to  cast  their 
votes  in  favor  of  the  said  Leonahd  May  at  the  election  of  a 
United  States  senator." 

The  reading  of  the  paper  was  followed  by  the  clapping  of 
hands,  the  stamping  of  feet,  the  clatter  of  canes  and  shrill 
shouts  of  hurrah  !  usual  on  such  occasions.  The  resolutions 
seemed  to  express  the  unanimous  opinion  of  the  people,  for 
not  a  dissentient  voice  was  raised.  Victor,  who  was  inclined, 
but  for  the  verbosity  employed,  to  hold  his  friend  Leslie  re- 
sponsible for  the  authorship  of  the  paper,  was  so  thoroughly 
in  accord  with  its  purpose,  tliat  he  spoke  for  the  first  time 
during  the  evening,  in  a  loud,  ringing  voice  as  he  put  the 
(juestion,  and  when  he  announced  the  unanimous  adojition  of 
the  preamble  and  resolutions. 

But  not  even  yet  had  the  end  of  surprises  for  the  chairman 
of  the  meeting  been  reached.  At  the  precise  moment  when  lie 
had  announced  the  vote  as  having  been  carried,  the  Committee 
on  Nominations  re-entered  the  hall,  and  Mr.  Becker,  as  its 
chairman,  submitted  a  list  of  names,  including  his  own,  as 
well  as  that  of  Victor,  together  with  three  well-known  friends 
of  Mr.  Becker,  whom  Mctor  had  never  susj^ected  of  higher 
pretensions  of  statesmanship  than  noisy  declamation  in  bar- 
rooms, emphasized  by  calling  all  present  to  join  him  in  a 
drink.  He  felt  ill  at  gase.  But  the  report  must  be  put  to 
a  vote  ;  and  when  it  had  been  unanimously  adopted,  nothing- 
remained  for  him  to  do  but  to  announce  the  gentlemen  therein 
named  as  the  choice  of  the  Democracy  of  the  Fourth  Ward  as 
delegates  to  the  county  convention.  As  soon  as  this  had 
been  done,  some  one  moved  that  the  meeting  do  now  adjourn, 
and  in  less  than  fifteen  minutes  after  it  had  been  called  to 
order  by  the  committeeman  all  was  over,  and  the  democrats 
of  the  Fourth  Ward  had  spoken,  so  far  as  the  election  of  the 
members  for  the  county  coijvention  for  that  year  was  coq- 
cerned , 


//Oir   THE   MACHINE  IS    WORKED.  329 

Victor  was  not  at  all  pleased  with  the  result  of  the  evening's 
work  ;  least  of  all  with  his  own  share  in  it.  He  felt,  as  if  the 
participants  in  the  meeting  had  been  used  as  puppets,  bobbing 
up  and  down  at  the  pleasure  of  some  one  behind  the  scenes 
pulling  the  wires.  He  was  perfectly  sure  of  this,  so  far  as 
himself  was  concerned.  Was  this  the  way  in  which  freemen 
exercised  their  sacred  right  of  determining  the  pohcy  of  a 
[)arty,  as  he  had  so  glowingly  set  forth  in  his  editorials?  As 
it  was  still  early  in  the  evening,  Victor  proposed  to  Mr.  Becker 
that  each  of  them  should  visit  some  other  ward  meeting,  with 
the  view  of  obtaining  fuller  particulars  for  the  Beobachter 
than  would  likely  be  furnished  by  the  professional  reporters. 
He  for  his  own  part  immediately  set  out  for  the  First  Ward. 

The  meeting  for  this  ward  was  held  in  a  market  house,  which 
Victor  I'eached  in  a  few  minutes.  His  suspicion  that  Leslie 
had  obtained  great  influence  with  the  Democratic  Central  Com- 
mittee, and  was  manipulating  the  ward  meetings  in  the  interest 
of  Colonel  May,  was  strongly  confirmed  by  the  unexpected 
fact,  that  he  found  his  own  uncle,  Auf  dem  Busch,  Senior, 
occupying  the  chair.  The  further  fact,  that  a  set  of  resolu- 
tions similar  to  those  that  had  been  adopted  in  the  Fourth 
Ward  were  offered  here,  did  not  so  much  surprise  him,  after 
the  experiences  of  the  evening.  But  there  was  here  no  such 
unanimity  as  had  characterized  the  Fourth  Ward  meeting. 
After  the  reading  of  the  resolutions  there  was  applause,  but 
thei'e  was  also  dissent.  A  loud  voice  demanded  to  know : 
"  Who  is  this  Mr.  May?  "  Whereupon  the  mover  of  the 
resolutions  answered  sharply,  that  such  a  question  could  only 
proceed  from  ignorance  or  from  gross  prejudice  ;  for  that  Mr. 
May  had  been  for  many  years  an  illustrious  leader  of  the 
Democratic  party  of  the  State,  and  its  veteran  champion  in  the 
National  House  of  Representatives.  "  Then  let  him  stay  in 
the  House  of  Reijresentatives,"  the  first  speaker  replied 
vehemently,  "and  let  us  keep  our  long  tried  senator  at  his 
post  in  the  Senate.  I  move  you,  Mr,  Chairman,  to  lay  these 
resolutions  ou  the  table," 


330  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

Victor  saw  that  one  of  the  men  on  the  platform  approached 
the  chairman  and  whispered  into  his  ear,  whereupon  the  latter 
brought  down  his  hammer  with  great  energy,  and  succeeded 
presently  in  quieting  the  storm  of  applause  and  hisses  that 
followed  the  words  6f  the  last  speaker.  "  It  is  a  motion,"  he 
said  with  quiet  dignity,  "  and  it  is  a  second,  that  we  shall  put 
the  resolutions,  which  we  have  heard,  on  the  table.  And  I 
have  heard  that  if  it  is  a  motion  to  put  on  the  table,  it  shall 
not  be  debatable.  Also,  I  decide,  that  it  shall  not  be 
debatable." 

Victor  blushed  at  the  thought  that  his  uncle  might,  from 
ignorance  or  in  his  bewilderment,  omit  to  put  the  question  ; 
but  a  renewed  storm  of  applause  from  the  one,  and  of  hisses 
and  groans  from  the  other  side  of  the  disputants,  rendering 
the  further  use  of  the  gavel  necessary  by  the  chairman, 
relieved  him  for  the  moment  of  his  anxiety.  Loud  exclama- 
tions of  "  Shame!  "  "  No  gagging  here!  "  and  of  "Ques- 
tion! "  "  Take  the  vote  on  tabling!  "  resounded  through  the 
hall.  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch  was  in  no  wise  disconcerted.  He 
soon  restored  order  and  continued,  after  again  lending  ear  to 
the  busy  whisperer,  "I  put  now  the  question,  if  we  put 
the  resolutions  on  the  table.  If  you  wish  it,  say  aye!  "  The 
ayes  were  loud  and  numerous.  Then  the  chairman  demanded : 
"  If  you  not  wish  it,  say  no!  "  And  the  noes,  to  Victor's 
anxious  ears,  were  not  so  boisterous,  but  rather  more 
numerous. 

Before  the  chairman  had  time  to  give  his  opinion  as  to  the 
result  of  the  vote,  there  were  many  clamorous  demands  for  a 
division.  This  time  the  chairman  spontaneously  bent  his  head 
toward  the  man  who  did  the  whispering,  and  then  proclaimed, 
"  I  do  appoint  tellers  to  count  the  hands.  I  appoint  my  son, 
Woldemar  Auf  dem  Busch,  and  my  nephew,  Victor  Waldhorst, 
to  be  tellers.  If  you  wish  to  lay  on  the  table,  raise  up  your 
hands !  ' ' 

It  is  probable  that  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch  could  not  have 
selected  two  more  conscientious  tellers  in  the  audience  ;    but 


now    THE  JI A  CHINE  IS    WOBKED.  331 

the  sovereigus  present  were  not  going  to  put  up  with  such 
barefaced  and  shameful  nepotism  on  the  part  of  the  chairman  ; 
and  they  were  not  slow  in  letting  him  know  this.  Besides,  it 
soon  leaked  out  that  Victor  was  not  a  resident  of  the  First 
Ward  at  all,  and  had  no  right,  therefore,  to  participate  in  the 
meeting.  So  the  chairman  was  compelled  to  select  other  tel- 
lers. He  did  so  with  as  much  coolness  and  dignity  as  if  the 
faux  pas  made  in  the  first  selection  were  due  to  some  one  else's 
blunderiug.  As  soon  as,  by  dint  of  vigorous  hammering  with 
the  gavel,  he  had  quieted  the  laughter  and  yells  of  the  crowd, 
he  directed  the  tellers  to  count  the  uplifted  hands  ("  only 
the  right  hands!  "  he  enjoined  on  them),  and  announced  after 
the  count,  that  the  motion  to  table  was  lost.  The  resolutions 
were  finally  passed  by  a  small  majority. 

Victor  had  every  reason  to  be  proud  of  the  success  of  the 
cause  he  advocated.  In  the  Fifth  Ward  also,  delegates  had 
been  chosen  who  favored  the  election  of  Colonel  May,  and  of 
the  May  candidates  to  the  legislature.  Yet  he  left  the  hall  in 
anything  but  a  triumphant  mood.  But  what  most  deeply 
pained  him. was  the  wound  that  his  self-respect  received  by  the 
conviction,  which  he  could  no  longer  ignore,  that  some  one 
had  prepared  the  program  which  had  been  so  accurately  car- 
ried out  in  both  the  wards  at  which  he  had  attended  ;  and  that 
the  same  thing  had  been  done,  or  at  least  attempted,  in  the 
other  wards  was  too  plain  to  admit  of  doubt.  That  this  per- 
son was  Leslie  May,  was  equally  apparent.  It  was  humiliat- 
ing to  think  that  not  only  himself,  but  also  his  uncle  and  cousin 
had  been  used  as  involuntary,  even  unconscious  tools  in 
accomplishing  another's  purpose.  That  this  purpose  was,  so 
far  as  he  could  see,  proper  and  meritorious,  — that  his  friend 
Leslie  had  accomplished,  far  more  efficiently  and  successfully 
than  he  Wmself  could  have  di'eamed  of  doing,  his  own  purpose 
and  aim,  —  did  not  blind  his  eyes  to  the  danger  that  threat- 
ened, bv  practices  of  this  kind,  to  undermine  the  liberties  of 
the  people.  Leslie  May  was  a  wise,  generous,  well-meaning 
man  —  second  in  generosity  and  whole-souled  patriotism  to  no 


332  THE  BEBEUS  DAUOHTEB. 

man,  save,  perhaps,  Colonel  May  himself;  —  but  what  of  that? 
What  if  a  designing  demagogue  pursued  a  similar  course  in 
furtherance  of  wicked,  selfish  ends?  What  if  a  motive  ulterior 
to  the  welfare  of  the  State  inspired  the  hand  that  fixed  the 
wires  and  moved  the  puppets  ? 

And  he  had,  but  that  day,  lauded  in  glowiug  words,  the 
primaries  as  the  palladium  that  shielded  the  liberties  of  American 
P'reemeu ! 

He  reached  the  otlice  in  a  dubious  mood.  Dubious,  because 
it  was  agreeable,  after  all,  to  know  that  a  man  of  adroitness 
and  skill  was  managing  his  election.  He  could  not  help 
rejoicing  over  the  prospect  of  success,  so  greatly  enhanced  by 
Leslie's  interest  therein.  His  prospect  of  success!  And 
what  it  meant  to  him,  if  he  had  the  mettle  to  improve  it  — 
to  compel  the  respect,  if  not  more,  of  Eleouora  May!  For  he 
had  not  forgotten  the  cruel  emphasis  with  which  she  had  insisted 
on  her  full  title,  the  last  time  she  had  spoken  to  him,  now  so 
many  years  ago. 

Yes,  Miss  Eleonora  j\Iay,  yon  shall  yet  learn  to  respect  your 
"  outlandish  beau  I  " 

He  had  hardly  conunenced  to  reduce  the  reports  of  the 
evening's  work  at  the  primaries  into  shape  for  a  leading  article 
in  the  morning's  paj^er,  when  Mr.  Becker  entered,  his  face 
Hushed  with  excitement  and  exultation.  "  Mr.  W^aldhorst!  " 
he  exclaimed,  "  congratulate  yourself!  The  day  is  ours!  If 
I  were  only  as  sure  of  being  elected  State  Printer  as  you  are 
of  going  to  the  legislature,  I  would  consider  my  fortune  made. 
But  that  lawyer  friend  of  yours  is  a  trump,  and  no  mistake ! 
Why,  he  had  the  whole  thing  fixed  beforehand,  everything  cut 
and  dried.  If  his  father  is  half  the  man  that  his  son  is,  he 
will  go  to  the  Senate  in  spite  of  anything  the  democrats,  re- 
publicans and  know-nothings  can  do,  or  all  of  them  put 
together !  ' " 

The  exuberance  of  Mr.  Becker  infected  Victor  to  some  ex- 
tent. "  Yes,"  he  said,  "  I  know  that  Mr.  May  is  a  keen, 
shrewd  and  wise  politician,     And  the  most  wonderful  thing 


now   THE  MACHINE  IS    WOUKED.  333 

about  him  is,  that  lie  makes  peojile  do  what  he  wants  wliether 
they  consent  or  not.  e)r  even  whether  they  know  it  or  not!  " 
he  added,  his  cheeks  Hushing  with  shame  at  the  recollection  of 
the  parts  that  he  and  his  uncle  had  been  made  to  play  that 
evening  in  Leslie's  program  of  the  primary  meetings.  "  And 
he  is  a  warm  and  faithful  friend!  " 

'•  Particularly  in  getting  you  into  the  legislature  to  vote  for 
his  father,"  the  proprietor  added,  somewhat  more  soberly. 
"  But  he  plays  his  cards  well.  I  shall  try  to  be  on  good  terms 
with  him." 

Just  then  Leslie  himself  entered  the  office,  bringing  Pro- 
fessor Rauhenfels  with  him.  Of  course,  Victor  was  eager  to 
learn  the  result  of  the  meetings  in  the  other  wards,  and  plied 
both  Leslie  and  the  professor  with  questions.  Leslie  was  in 
an  extremely  pleasant  mood  ;  but  his  quiet  subdued  behavior 
contrasted  strongly  Avith  the  excitement  of  the  professor, 
whose  nervous  boisterousness  and  exuberant  hilarity  greatly 
astonished  Victor,  who  had  never  seen  him  under  such  excite- 
ment. 

"  Sir!  "  he  exclaimed,  in  answer  to  one  of  Victor's  ques- 
tions, "  we  are  going  to  astonish  the  Old  Fogies  that  have 
been  running  this  town.  We  will  capture  the  enemy,  horse, 
foot  and  dragoons  !  We'll  show  the  know-nothings,  that  they 
were  never  so  wise  as  in  choosing  their  name.  We'll  teach 
the  abolitionists  that  they  can't  abolish  the  constitution,  just 
yet.  My  friend,  —  Mr.  May  —  and  I,  we  will  for  once  put 
the  electioneering  machine  on  its  proper  basis,  and  show  the 
world,  what  a  little  brains  and  tact  can  do!  " 

''Call  it  audacity,  Professor!  "  said  Leslie,  with  a  quiet 
smile,  "  or  cheek.  For  our  success,  so  far,  is  due  to  nothing 
so  much  as  to  the  boldness  and  audacity  with  which  we  specu- 
lated on  the  good  nature  of  our  friends,  the  metropolitan  poli- 
ticians, and  of  those  of  our  friends  that  ought  to  be  politicians. 
Our  friend  Victor,  for  instance,"  he  added,  turning  his  smiling 
face  toward  the  editor,  "  must  have  been  astonished  this  even- 
ing, when  called  on  to  preside  over  a  ward  meeting.     Tell  me : 


334  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

How  did  you  get  along?  It  was  so  much  easier  tliau  you 
thought,  was  it  not?  Of  the  result  of  the  voting  I  have  been 
informed,  as  also  of  the  result  in  the  First  Ward,  where  your 
excellent  uncle  did  good  execution  with  the  gavel,  I  am  told. 
There  must  be  an  unruly  set  down  there," 

"  But  uncle  got  along  with  them  sj)leudidly !  "  said  Victor, 
rather  jjroudly,      ''  I  could  not  have  done  half  so  well  I  " 

"  Oh,  yes,  you  could!  "  was  Leslie's  reply.  "  The  fact  is 
that  you  don't  know  what  you  can  do  until  you  try.  But  I 
wish  you  had  some  of  your  uncle's  pugnacity,  I  suspect  that 
he  rather  enjoys  a  spirited  encounter  now  and  then,  aud  I 
would  not  like  to  be  his  opponent  when  he  knows  that  he  is  in 
the  right," 

"  But  why  did  you  not  let  me  know  what  you  were  going  to 
do?  "  asked  Victor,  with  an  undertone  of  reproach  in  his  voice, 
"  I  was  terribly  embarrassed  when  the  chairmanship  was 
sprung  on  me  without  a  moment's  warning.  And  don't  you 
believe  that  it  was  taking  an  unfair  advantage  of  the  voters  to 
pack  the  meeting  the  way  j'ou  did  ?  —  why,  you  must  have  had 
twenty-five  or  fifty  men  in  each  of  the  meetings  —  and  to  have 
everything  prepared  beforehand,  cut  and  dried,  so  as  to  leave 
nothing  for  the  real  voters  to  do,  but  to  say  aye !  This  is 
Democracy  with  a  vengeance,  I  should  think!  " 

"  Ho  ho!  "  the  jorofessor  spoke  up  in  the  place  of  Leslie, 
"  So  you  wanted  your  friend  to  let  you  know  beforehand  what 
was  going  to  be  done  at  the  meeting?  You  wanted  to  be  in 
the  ring,  did  you?  It  would  have  been  Simon  Pure  Democ- 
racy, if  you  had  had  a  hand  in  doing  the  cutting  and  drying !  " 
Then  he  turned  to  Leslie  and  continued:  "It  is  well  that  we 
know  this,  Mr,  May,  Hereafter  we  shall  have  to  take  our 
young  friend  into  the  conspiracy,  to  hoodwink  aud  betray  the 
real  voters  into  saying  aye  to  our  treasonable  plots," 

Victor  was  dumfounded.  He  had  a  vague  notion  that  he 
had  said  something  foolish,  without  clearly  knowiug  what. 
While  he  pondered  over  the  professor's  words,  Leslie  said, 
quietly:   "That  is  just  what  the  professor   proj^osed    to   do. 


now   THE   MACHINE  IS    WOBKED.  335 

He  suggested  that  we  should  talk  the  matter  over  with  you,  so 
that  you  might  be  prepared  to  act  when  the  time  came.  But  I 
told  him  that  I  knew  you  better,"  he  added,  looking  signifi- 
cantly at  Victor.  "  I  told  him  that  I  was  pretty  sure  that  you 
would  have  nothing  to  do  with  the  whole  matter,  if  you  got  it 
into  your  head  that  it  was  putting  up  a  job.  And  you  seem  to 
take  that  view  of  it ;  don't  you?  " 

"  Of  course  we  were  putting  up  a  job,"  the  professor  broke 
in  ;  "  and  a  good  sized  one  at  that.  Nothing  less  than  regen- 
erating sleepy  old  Democracy :  waking  her  up  to  the  work  that 
is  on  hand  for  her  ;  securing  a  convention  that  may  be  able  to 
cope  with  the  know-nothings,  and  trip  up  the  fanatical  republi- 
cans in  their  treasonable  attempt  to  undermine  the  constitution ! 
I  reckon  that  you  are  proud  that  you  had  nothing  to  do  with 
putting  up  a  job  like  that !  " 

"But,"  said  Victor,  hesitating,  and  much  abashed  by  the 
professor's  sarcasms,  "the  best  end  cannot  justify  improper 
means.  Packing  a  meeting  seems  to  me  a  great  wrong  com- 
mitted against  the  majesty  of  the  people.  I  do  not  see  the 
difference  between  it  and  cheating,  or  lying,  or  committing 
forgery.  For  it  is  intended  to  be,  and  has  the  effect  of,  a 
falsification  of  the  real  sentiment  entertained  by  them,  — 
making  them  responsible  for  what  they  themselves  have  neither 
done,  said,  or  intended." 

"  I  think  you  are  putting  it  in  rather  strong  terms,  Victor," 
said  Leslie,  more  seriously  than  usual.  "  In  the  first  place,  I 
wish  to  disabuse  your  mind  of  the  idea,  that  we  sent  either 
twenty-five  or  fifty  men  to  any  meeting.  In  the  Fourth  Ward, 
for  instance,  there  were  only  three  men  with  whom  either  the 
professor  or  I  spoke  a  word  before  the  meeting  took  place. 
One  of  these  was  the  committeeman  whose  business  it  was  to 
see  to  the  organization  of  the  meeting ;  a  second  one  was  the 
mover  of  the  resolution  you  passed,  and  the  third  was  our 
friend  here,  Mr.  Becker,  whom  I  requested  to  furnish  us  with 
the  names  of  some  friends  upon  whom  we  could  rely  as  being 
in  harmony  with  our  views,  to  serve  on  the  committee  to  make 


336  THE  ItEBEL\S  DAUGHTER. 

iioniiuatious.  Of  t'uur.se,  the  central  eoiniiiittee  always  has 
some  man  at  every  meeting  to  prompt  the  chairman,  in  case 
he  should  need  assistance.  80  in  the  First  Ward :  I  believe 
that  I  saw  no  one  that  attended  that  meeting  but  your  uncle 
and  your  cousin — " 

"  Yes,"  Victor  indignantly  interrupted,  "  and  my  cousin 
did  not  vote  for  your  resolutions,  either  I  " 

"  Well,  it  seems  that  they  were  passed  without  his  vote,"  said 
Leslie  with  a  smile.  "  Don't  be  too  hard  on  him.  The  mover 
of  the  resolution  in  that  ward  professes  to  be  a  Avarm  friend  of 
father,  and  of  course  I  asked  him  to  be  on  hand.  So  in  all 
the  other  wards;  you  Avill  believe  me  when  I  tell  you  that  be- 
sides seeing  that  some  one  should  offer,  and  if  need  ])e  defend, 
the  resolutions,  and  that  trustworthy  persons  should  l)e  selected 
to  nominate  friendly  delegates  to  the  convention,  I  did  abso- 
lutely nothing  to  intluence  the  result.  And  in  this  matter  I 
received  valualile  assistance  from  the  professor.  ♦  This  is  about 
the  size  of  the  '  packing  '  that  either  or  both  of  us  did." 

"  I  should  not  wonder  if  our  young  friend  did  a  great  deal 
more  in  the  packing  line,"  said  the  professor.  "  I  should 
wonder,  though,  if  he  did  not  do  his  level  best  in  the  columns 
of  his  paper  during  the  last  few  days,  to  get  his  friends  to  at- 
tend the  meeting.  He  may  have  gone  to  the  length  of  asking 
some  of  them  jx^rsonalh/  to  come  ;  but  of  course,  if  he  did,  he 
begged  them  to  use  all  their  influence  against  his  nomination, 
and  against  any  measure  tViat  he  might  favor."  The  peal  of 
laughter  with  which  the  professor  pointed  his  irony  was  ex- 
ceedingly distasteful  to  Victor. 

"In  the  next  place,"  Leslie  continued,  "  I  would  like  to 
know  of  you,  w'hether  anything  Avas  done  at  the  meetings  of 
which  you  have  any  information,  that  was  not  perfectly  square, 
open  and  aboAe  lioard  r  Do  you  not  fully  and  freely  concur 
in  all  that  was  done,  including  the  resolutions  instructing  for 
the  Colonel?  " 

"Most  certainly  I  do!"  was  Victor's  hearty  response. 
"  And    the  resolutions  in   particular  speak  my  inmost  convic- 


now   THE   MACIIlNh:   LS    WOUKPW.  337 

tion.  1  do  not  object  to  irjnit  was  cloiic,  l)iit  only  to  the  ineaiis 
employed  in  doing  it." 

"  I  will  tell  you  wiiat  it  is  that  trouVjles  our  young  friend," 
the  professor  reniarlved  sententiously.  "  He  suspects  that  we 
have,  in  preparing  the  resolutions,  in  looking  out  for  proper 
men  to  i)ropose  as  chairmen,  and,  in  general,  to  keep  the 
meetings  to  their  proi)er  work,  meddled  with — usurped,  if 
you  please, — the  legitimate  functions  of  sovereign  demo- 
crats —  " 

"  And  is  it  not  so?  "  Victor  interrupted. 

"Oh,  to  be  sure,  we  are  not  sovereign  democrats,  you 
know  1  "  continued  the  professor,  addressing  his  words,  with 
smiling  irony,  to  Leslie  and  Mr.  Becker.  "  He  confounds  a 
primary  meeting  with  a  jury  box ;  the  voter  must  have  no 
more  knowledge  of  the  man  he  is  called  on  to  vote  for,  or  of 
his  political  principles,  than  the  juror  should  know  of  the  man 
or  of  the  case  he  is  called  on  to  try,  —  so  that  he  may  cast  his 
vote  with  the  utmost  ignorance  obtainable  under  the  circum- 
stances. He  is  afraid  to  vote  for  a  personal  friend,  lest  it  be 
selfish  partiality  on  his  part ;  or  to  advocate  a  policy  which 
might  1)y  possibility  result  in  benefiting  himself,  or  a  personal 
friend,  because  these  are  the  practices  resorted  to  by  dema- 
gogues — ." 

Leslie  slyly  winked  at  Mr.  Becker,  who  nodded  eagerly. 
But  the  professor  continued  to  speak  in  the  high  key  ha1)itual 
to  him  when  in  sarcastic  mood,  and  concluded  with  the  remark  : 
"  You  see,  Mr.  Waldhorst  will  have  no  bias,  no  preconceived 
opinion  of  what  may  be  best  for  the  true  interest  of  the 
country — in  short,  he  would  have  no  partisanship  in  his 
party." 

"You  willfully  misrepresent  and  wrong  me  I  "  cried  Victor, 
in  great  indignation.  "  I  have  said  or  done  nothing  to  justify 
you  in  accusing  me  of  such  gross  absurdities.  What  I  said, 
or  intended  to  say,  is,  that  for  a  set  of  men  to  combine  to- 
gether to  carry  this  or  that  man  for  this  or  that  committee  at  a 
proposed  meeting,  to  determine  in  advance  on  a  set  of  resolu- 


338  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

tions  to  be  passed,  and  agreeing  on  the  delegates  to  be  sent  to 
the  convention,"  is  to  rehearse  a  farce,  to  the  performance 
of  which  you  graciously  invite  the  public  as  spectators.  Or, 
to  put  it  in  your  own  words,  to  do  yourselves  the  work  which 
the  voters  ought  to  do.  It  is  worse  —  it  is  tampering  with  the 
highest  safeguards  of  lil^erty.  Granting  that  your  work  has 
accomplished  what  is  right ;  aye,  that  you  have  done  much 
better  than  the  voters,  uninfluenced  by  your  plotting,  could 
have  done :  —  what  is  to  hinder  unscrupulous  men  to  follow 
your  example  with  less  pure  motives  ?  The  toleration  of  such 
practices  would  make  of  the  government  by  the  jjeople  a  de- 
lusion and  a  snare.  Nothing  could  prevent  unprincipled 
demagogues  from  controlling  the  elections,  the  legislature,  the 
whole  government !  It  would  bring  us  tyranny  in  the  most 
oppressive  shape  that  you  yourself  have  so  eloquently  de- 
nounced—  the  misrule  by  secret  and  irresponsible  con- 
spirators !  ' ' 

Victor's  blood  was  up,  and  he  had  not  weighed  niceh'  the 
words  he  employed.  The  professor  smiled,  as  he  replied  :  "  I 
am  glad  that  you  see  the  absurdity  of  some  of  your  statements. 
For  note  :  It  is  not  /  that  accuse  :  I  have  but  drawn  the  logical 
result  of  your  own  words.  And  I  dare  say,  that  you  will  be 
equally  astonished  when  you  come  to  see,  as  you  will  on  a 
Httle  reflection  —  the  contradiction  involved  in  your  explana- 
tion. Does  it  not  strike  you,  for  instance,  that  the  audience 
you  mention  in  connection  with  the  farce  did  as  much,  if  not 
more,  of  the  acting  than  those  whom  you  call  the  conspirators? 
Admitting  that  they  were,  what  by  their  being  at  the  meeting 
they  held  themselves  out  to  be  —  democrats  —  was  not  their 
authority  in  every  particular  precisely  equal  to  that  of  the  so- 
called  actors  ?  The  vote  of  each  counted  one :  the  majority 
spoke  for  aV .  The  binding  authority  of  a  primary  meeting 
depends,  and  can  depend,  only  on  the  theory,  that,  as  every 
member  of  the  party  is  invited  to  be  present  and  participate  in 
the  proceedings,  so  the  whole  party  is  —  must  be  —  deemed  to 
have  been  present  and  to  have  spoken  its  will.     This  theory 


JIOW    THE    MACHINE   IS    WOE K ED.  339 

applies  more  forcibl}-  still,  of  course,  to  all  who  were  present 
at  the  meeting.  Presumably  they  did  what  they  came  there 
to  do,  —  voted  their  conviction.  If  so,  they  are  bound  by  the 
majority.  But  if  they  aV)stained  from  voting,  what  better 
right  have  they  to  complain  than  if  they  stayed  at  home  ?  Or 
is  it  censurable  that  .some  —  those  whom  you  called  the  actors  — 
came  [jrepared  to  do  their  work,  having  thought  over  and  con- 
sulted about  the  questions  to  be  decided  :ind  the  men  to  be 
elected  ?  You  are  pleased  to  designate  this  the  rehearsal  of  a 
farce  :  don't  you  think  it  would  have  been  much  moi'c  of  a  farce, 
if  nobody  had  come  prei)ared  to  work?  " 

Victor  made  no  answer.  The  professor's  M^ords  sounded 
very  much  like  some  of  the  arguments  he  had  himself  urged 
upon  the  voters  in  drumming  them  up  to  attend  the  primaries. 
Again  he  |)ondered.  But  Mr.  Becker  seemed  highly  pleased 
and  was  not  at  all  backward  in  letting  the  professor  know  that 
he  approved  of  his  sentiments.  "  You  have  spoken  like  a 
book,"  he  said,  as  he  approached  the  professor  to  shake  hands 
with  him.  "  I  hope  that  Mr.  Waldhorst  will  profit  by  your  wis- 
dom. The  young  man,  in  my  opinion,  carries  his  squeamish- 
ness  entirely  too  far.  I  have  often  told  him  so.  If,  for 
instance,  it  came  in  his  way,  as  a  member  of  the  legislature, 
to  benefit  his  own  paper,  and  advance  his  own  interest,  by 
shoving  a  printing  job  at  his  friend,  for  which  the  State  pays 
a  fair  price,  would  there  be  anything  wrong  in  his  doing  so? 
And  ought  he  not  strain  a  point  to  enable  him  to  serve  his 
party,  himself  and  an  old  friend  at  the  same  time?  " 

"■  There  is  practical  sense  for  you  I  "  exclaimed  Leslie,  with 
a  loud  laugh  and  a  sly  wink  at  the  professor. 

But  the  latter  cast  a  searching  glance  at  the  printer,  and 
said:  "  Well,  Mr.  Becker,  that  is  a  matter  about  which  we 
may  talk  hereafter.  Let  us  not  dispose  of  our  chickens  before 
thev  are  hatched." 


XXII. 

DEMOCRACY    IN    CONVENTION. 

Sundays  were  red-letter  days  in  Victor's  caleiulav.  He 
^^\)  looked  forward  to  them  with  j^leasant  ex])ec'tation.  He 
reckoned  events  with  reference  to  their  proximity  to 
Sunday.  Of  all  the  Aveek-days  he  liked  Saturday  l»est,  be- 
cause it  would  l)e  followed  by  Sunday.  He  loved  to  hear  the 
(thimes  ring  Ave  Maria  on  Saturday  evening,  because  their 
stirring  concord  (distinguished  from  the  single  bell  of  other 
days),  gave  joyful  promise  of  the  golden  morrow.  Sweet  to 
him  was  the  peal  of  the  bells  on  Sunday  morning,  attuning  his 
mind  to  loftier  aspirations  ;  sweet  the  rolling  music  of  organ 
and  choir,  so  suggestive  of  high  and  ennobling  thoughts.  He 
felt  as  if  Clod  were  nearer  to  him  on  this  day  :  that  the  Sab- 
bath day  is  truly  a  divine  institution.  And  he  blessed  in  his 
heart  the  Hel)rew  law-giver  tor  the  rigor  with  which  he  exacted 
its  observance  l)y  the  Chosen  People. 

One  of  the  features  distinguishing  the  German  from  the 
Anglo-American  newspapers  of  the  ])eriod  was,  that  the  latter 
omitted  Sunday  from  their  regular  publication  days,  l>ut 
included  Mondays  ;  requiring,  in  order  to  furnish  the  latest 
news,  editors,  reporters,  compositors  and  printers  to  devote  at 
least  a  part  of  their  Sundays  to  their  regular  vocation.  Victor 
thought  the  plan  adopted  by  the  German  papers,  of  issuing  a 
Sunday  and  omitting  the  issue  of  a  Monday  paper,  much  more 
rational.  The  custom  of  publishing  Sunday  papers  was  in 
course  of  time  adopted  by  the  Anglo-American  press,  without, 
however,  omitting  the  Monday  paper,  so  that  for  their  em- 
ployees there  is  now  no  Sunday  at  all.  Under  the  combined 
influence  of  lieree  competition,  each  paper  striving  to  excel  all 
others  in  the  variety  and  amount  of  reading  matter  furnished 
(340) 


DEMOCRACY  IN   CONVENTION.  341 

to  their  readers  ou  Sunday,  and  the  liberal  patronage  of  adver- 
tisers, who  soon  discovered  the  peculiar  value  of  Sunday 
papers  for  their  purposes,  they  were  increased  in  size  to  such 
enormous  proportions,  as  to  put  it  out  of  the  question  for 
ordinary  mortals  to  wade  through  them,  and  to  embitter  the 
life  of  editors  whose  duty  compelled  them  to  make  a  mental 
inventory,  at  least,  of  the  contents  of  the  several  contem- 
poraries . 

Things  had  not  reached  this  pass,  however,  in  ante-bellum 
days.  It  was  still  a  pleasure  to  Victor  to  scan  the  Sunday 
papers  while  sipping  his  coffee  and  lingering  over  his  Sunday 
breakfast.  First,  of  course,  his  own  Beobachter.  For  he  had 
not  yet  lost  the  zest  of  taking  in  the  full  effect  of  his  articles 
in  their  liuished,  printed  form,  and  took  considerable  pride  — 
none  the  less  gratifying  because  coyly  concealed  —  in  the  tact 
and  judgment  evidenced  by  a  more  than  usually  successful  or 
interesting  number,  satisfying  his  own  critical  standard.  Then 
he  would  skim  over  the  other  German  papers,  making  note  of 
any  item  of  news  or  article  of  interest  that  might  be  utilized 
for  his  paper.  But  on  the  morning  after  the  primary  meetings 
he  took  up  the  opposition  paper  before  his  own,  not,  perhaps, 
because  his  own  candidacy  had  stimulated  his  interest  in 
political  polemics,  but  in  sympathy  with  the  general  excitement 
prevalent  on  the  subject.  At  any  rate  he  was  eager  to  learn 
the  attitude  assumed  by  his  competitor  toward  the  convention 
to  be  held  next  day,  and  what,  if  anything,  he  had  to  say 
touching  the  resolutions  instructing  for  a  United  States  Senator 
in  the  person  of  Colonel  May.  His  curiosity  was  satisfied  to 
the  fullest  extent.  He  had  credited  his  rival,  with  whom  he 
was  carrying  on  a  bitter  warfare  on  political  grounds,  all  the 
more  intense  because  both  papers  belonged  to  the  same  polit- 
ical party,  with  such  sovereign  contempt  for  truth  and  decency, 
that  he  honestly  believed  that  no  statement  of  his  would  ever 
sur])rise  him.  But  on  this  Sunday  morning  he  discovered  that 
he  had  been  mistaken  in  this  belief.  He  was  not  only  sur- 
l)rised,   but  absolutely   stunned   by   the    unparalleled  feats  of 


342  THE  EEBEU8  DAUGHTER. 

perversion  aud  distortion  accomplished  by  the  rival  editor. 
His  eye  was  first  caught  by  one  of  the  brief  paragraphs  in  the 
editorial  column,  which  may  be  given  in  English  about  as 
follows : 

'•'  Kick  Them  Oit  I  We  are  cnedibly  informed,  that  at  the 
meetings  last  night  a  disreputable  set  of  rowdies  succeeded  in 
terrorizing  the  legitimate  voters,  and  foisted  in  their  bogus 
material  as  delegates  to  the  convention.  Let  this  body  strictly 
investigate,  and  purify  itself  of  the  impostors!  " 

Victor  at  once  surmised  that  this  was  a  blow  aimed,  if  not 
personally  against  himself,  then  at  least  against  the  paper  he 
edited.  On  i-eading  further,  he  found  his  surmise  but  too 
fully  corroborated.  His  cheeks  blanched,  though  he  was  all 
alone  in  the  room,  as  he  read : 

*'  A  I)is(UiA('EFUL  Row  last  night  brought  shame  on  the 
First  Ward.  A  lot  of  hirelings,  evidently  in  the  pay  of  some 
corrupt  political  aspirant,  or  of  a  striker  obeying  higher  orders, 
poured  in  on  the  ])rimni'y  meeting  there,  and  overpowered  the 
peaceful  citizens.  They  seated  a  pliant  tool  as  chairman,  who 
ruled  all  points  of  order  in  their  favor,  and  he  had  the  insolence 
to  ajjpoint  his  own  son  and  his  own  nephew  as  tellers  to  count 
the  votes.  In  this  way  they  succeeded  in  falsifying  the  views 
of  the  people  of  the  First  Ward,  aud  declaring  a  set  of 
dplegates  elected  who  are  said  to  favor  an  obscure  individual 
from  the  backwoods  to  replace  our  long  tried  Nestor  in  the 
United  States  Senate.  Let  the  convention  redeem  the  fair 
name  of  our  city,  and  save  the  First  Ward  from  humiliation 
and  shame  !  ' ' 

A  little  further  on,  this  paragraph  stared  him  in  the  face: 

''  CoM.^iEXT  UxxECESSAKT.  It  givcs  US  siucere  pain  to  learn 
that  our  highly  esteemed  colleague  of  the  Beobachter,  Mr. 
Victor  Waldhorst,  has  seriously  stultified  himself  by  taking 
part  in  the  shameful  proceedings  in  the  First  Ward  last  night ; 
and  that,  too,  after  he  had  participated  in  a  high-hnnded  piece  of 
defraudation  in  the  P'ourth  Ward.  By  a  trick  unworthy  of  his 
hitherto  unsullied  reputation   he,  with    a  few  of  the  personal 


DEMOCRACY  IN  CONVENTION.  343 

friends  of  the  backwoods  aspirant  for  the  United  States  sena- 
torship,  organized  a  meetini>-  in  tlie  Fourth  Ward  before  the 
time  for  which  it  had  been  called,  and  with  resolutions  cut  and 
dried  in  his  pocket,  and  a  list  of  delegates  agreed  on  before- 
hand, went  through  the  motions  of  voting,  and  adjourned  the 
meeting  within  live  minutes  after  the  regular  time  for  which  the 
voters  had  been  notilied  to  be  there." 

Victor's  first  impulse  on  reading  the  insulting  charges  was, 
to  hunt  up  the  rival  editor  and  compel  him  to  retract,  or  in- 
flict upon  him  such  personal  chastisement  as  might  warn  the 
miscreant  to  have  some  slight  regard  for  truth  and  common 
decency.  He  leaped  up  from  his  chair  and  paced  the  room  in 
rapid  strides,  lashing  his  anger  into  furious  wrath,  until  it 
reached  a  pitch  at  which  it  must  boil  over,  or  find  vent  in  some 
deed  of  violence.  Yes;  he  must  horsewhip  the  audacious, 
lying  scoundrel,  —  would  do  it  to-day,  —  now  I  What  though 
it  ivas  Sunday  !  Not  a  day,  not  an  hour  must  be  lost  in  delay- 
ing the  vindication  of  his  personal  honor. 

The  resolution  so  formed  seemed  to  relieve  the  violence  of 
his  passion.  He  sat  down  again  to  his  nntasted  coffee  and  read 
over  the  scurrilous  paragraphs  with  closer  attention.  The 
second  reading  did  not  mend  matters  much.  There  were  the 
infamous  chai*ges,  the  stinging  insults  that  could  not  be  tamely 
submitted  to.  There  was  the  dastardly  lie  against  his  uncle, 
so  entirely  cut  out  of  whole  cloth  ;  for  a  more  sincere,  well- 
meaning  man  than  his  uncle  never  lived.  There  was  the 
assassin's  blow,  at  his  revered  friend,  Colonel  May.  No!  such 
cowardly  calumny  must  be  signally  refuted.  The  only  proper 
answer,  in  case  he  refused  complete  and  unconditional 
retraction,  was  to  administer  a  horse-whipping  to  the  lying 
scouudi'el. 

But  soup  is  rarely  eaten  so  hot  as  it  is  served.  Victor  re- 
flected that  there  should  be  a  witness  to  the  execution  of  the 
summary  punishment.  Not,  indeed,  for  his  own  assistance, — 
for  he  never  once  contemplated  the  possibility  of  taking,  in- 
stead of  giving  a   whipping,  —  but  only  to  witness  the  fact. 


344  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

Of  course,  this  witness  must  be  Leslie.  Indeed,  coming  to 
think  of  it,  Leslie  was  almost  as  deeply  interested  in  this  mat- 
ter as  himself,  and  would  certainly  take  an  active  part  in  de- 
feuding  his  father.  But  he  should  only  stand  by  ;  Victor  owed 
it  to  himself,  to  his  uncle,  and  certainly  to  the  Colonel,  to  keep 
the  control  of  the  matter  in  his  own  hands. 

A  rap  at  the  door  disturbed  his  busy  tlioughts,  and  simul- 
taneously with  his  aln'upt  "come!  "  Professor  Rauhenfels 
entered,  accosting  him  with  a  cheerful  "Good  Morning  I  " 
He  waited  for  no  salutation  from  Victor,  but  plunged  headlong 
into  conversation,  speaking  cheerfully  and  in  a  tone  of  assur- 
ance and  confidence  that  failed  not  of  its  effect  on  the  editor. 
"The  gods  are  propitious!"  he  said.  "Apollo  himself 
could  not  have  favored  us  w'ith  finer  weather  for  the  work  we 
have  in  liand.  This  raw,  chilling,  blustering  atmosphere  is 
just  the  thing  to  drive  to  cover  the  game  we  are  pursuing. 
We  shall  find  the  new-fledged  delegates  squatting  snugly  in  the 
back  door  bar-room  attachment  to  some  family  grocery  store, 
ready  to  dicker  with  the  highest  bidder  for  their  votes,  guzzling 
beer  or  tippling  whiskey.  Let  us  put  in  a  good  day's  work 
before  the  l)attle  opens,  and  we  will  have  smooth  sailing  in  the 
convention  to-morrow. ' ' 

Victor's  face  had  brightened  on  seeing  the  professor.  Pos- 
sessing unbounded  confidence  in  the  wisdom  and  keen  intelli- 
gence of  his  friend,  he  was  eager  to  hear  his  opinion  on  the 
subject  uppermost  in  his  mind.  The  professor's  remarks 
puzzled  him,  and  he  was  not  sure  of  apprehending  their  full 
import ;  but  the  matter  in  hand  was  too  pressing  to  talk  about 
anything  else.  "  There!  "  he  said,  holding  out  the  paper  to 
his  visitor,  pointing  with  his  thumb  to  the  offensive  items. 
"  What  do  you  say  to  that?  " 

The  profess'or  took  the  paper  and  leisurely  read  the  para- 
graphs pointed  out.  Victor  keenly  watched  the  play  of  his 
features.  There  was  at  first  a  slight  contraction  of  the  eye- 
brows ;  but  after  a  while  a  broad  grin  spread  over  his  face, 
giving    it    a  sardonic  exi>ression  of  triumph.      "(rJood!"  he 


he  s;u(1.    lioldiiiy  out  the  \n\\)ev  to  his  visitor, 
' '  AN'hat  do  j-oii  say  to  tlitit  r  ' ' 


DEMOCBACY  IN  CONVENTION.  345 

exclaimed,  dashiuij;  the  paper  away.  ''  So  they  are  sf|uealing 
already,  are  tliey  ?  They'll  squeal  Avorse  than  that  before  we 
are  throiio-h  with  them.  Kick  them  out,  indeed  I  If  any 
kicking  is  to  be  done,  we  intend  to  have  a  hand  in  it,  — or  a 
foot,  rather  —  hey,  Victor?"  He  concluded  his  remark  with 
a  ringing  laugh,  puzzling  Victor  whether  to  ascribe  it  to  the 
intended  pun,  or  to  the  imaginary  discomtiture  of  the  ad- 
versaries. 

"Do  you  think,  as  I  do,  that  I  ought  to  cowhide  this 
villainous  liar?     Does  he   not  deserve  a  thrashing?  ■" 

'•  For  his  good  will,  yes,"  the  professor  replied  sol)erly. 
"If  a  person  low  enough  to  administer  it  could  be  found. 
But  it  is  out  of  the  question  for  you  to  dirty  your  hands  with 
such  a  job.  And  why  should  you  or  I,  or  any  one  on  our 
side  of  the  question,  think  of  punishing  even  an  enemy  for 
working  into  our  hands  in  such  glorious  style?  " 

"  Working  into  our  hands?"  Victor  repeated  in  unfeigned 
astonishment.      "  What  can  you  mean?  " 

''Just  what  I  say.  This  editor  friend  of  yours,  —  quite 
innocent  of  any  intention  to  do  so,  I  am  sure  —  has  done  more 
f(^r  y(ju  and  for  the  cause  you  advocate  in  your  paper,  than 
you  could  possibly  have  done  without  his  gratuitous  assist- 
ance. It  is  to  be  hoped  that  this  scurvy  sheet  has  been  ex- 
tensivel}^  circulated  this  morning ;  for  it  will  serve  better  to 
introduce  you  to  the  members  of  the  convention  than  a  score 
of  articles  in  your  paper,  or  a  column  of  extravagant  eulogy 
and  softsoap  in  that  of  your  opponent.  Just  come  out  and 
see  how  eager  they  will  all  be  to  speak  to  you,  and  if  you 
don't  turn  the  talk  to  your  own  advantage,  it  will  be  your  own 
fault.  Besides,  your  adversary  has  laid  himself  so  terrifically 
open  to  attack  from  you,  that  you  must  be  a  poor  scribe 
indeed  if  you  don't  make  him  sick  of  his  dirty  tricks." 

"  But  the  convention  will  sit  to-morrow,  and  no  paper  will 
appear  until  the  day  after,"  Victor,  rather  taken  aback  by  the 
professor's  way  of  looking  at  things,  suggested. 

'•'■  We  have  all  day  before  us  to  work  for  the  nomination," 


346  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

was  the  answer,  "  and  a  good  two  Aveeks  after  that  for  the 
election.  With  the  start  you  have  got,  thanks  to  your  invol- 
untary helper,  you  may  consider  the  question  of  your  nomina- 
tion as  settled  ;  and  if  you  can  only  goad  him  into  a  few  more 
specimens  of  such  patriotic  effusions  as  these,  made,  if  pos- 
sible, a  little  more  personal  to  yourself,  you  may  likewise 
count  on  your  election,  whatever  may  be  the  fate  of  the  ticket 
on  which  you  run. — But  come!  It  is  time  to  begin  our 
day's  work.  If  you  must  put  yourself  on  a  level  with  this 
blackguard,  or  prove  that  he  is  wrong  by  administering  to  him 
a  well-deserved  thrashing  —  or  taking  one,  whether  deserved 
or  not  —  put  off  the  cowhiding  to  some  other  day.  TJiis  is 
the  Lord's  Day  ;  let  us  serve  the  Lord  by  serving  our  coun- 
try." 

Loth  as  Victor  was  to  sacrifice  his  precious  Sunday  leisure 
to  any  ordinary  business  matters,  the  stirring  interests  involved 
in  the  election  left  no  room  for  hesitation  or  doubt  as  to  wliat 
he  must  do.  Nor  was  he  unwilling  to  postpone  the  chastisement 
of  the  editor  to  some  future  time.  "  But  where  is  Mr.  May?  " 
he  queried,  as  he  was  getting  ready  to  accompany  the  profes- 
sor.    "  I  thought  we  would  go  together." 

"  He  has  gone  down  to  Busch  Bluff,"  the  professor  answered 
casting  a  meaning  smile  at  Victor.  "  He  told  me  that  he 
wished  to  consult  the  old  gentleman  on  some  electioneering- 
business.     We  are  to  meet  him  at  the  Vaux  Hall  Saloon." 

Victor  pocketed  the  paper  containing  the  offensive  articles, 
as  well  as  that  morning's  Beohacliter,  the  latter  containing  a 
list  of  the  delegates  elected  the  night  before,  which  might  serve 
them  as  a  guide  to  the  places  to  be  visited  during  the  day. 
As  they  were  about  leaving  the  professor  remarked  : 

'"I  supjDOse  you  have  not  forgotten  lago's  advice  to 
Roderigo?  " 

"  What  was  that?  "  Victor  innocently  inquired. 

"  Put  money  in  thy  purse!  " 

Victor  returned  to  his  lodging  that  night,  or  it  may  be  nearer 
the  truth  to  say  next  morning,  with  a  stock  of  newly  gathered 


DEMOCEACY  /iV   CONVENTION.  347 

experience  and  heaclache,  purchased,  —  perhaps  not  too 
dearly  —  at  the  cost  of  the  ready  cash  with  which  he  had  set 
out.  Besides  that,  lie  had  become  indebted  to  his  friend  for 
a  small  loan,  and  a  perceptible  cooling  off  of  his  desire  to 
cowhide  his  rascally  colleague. 

*  *  * 

Monday  was  ushered  in  by  a  bright,  crisp  October  morning, 
all  too  early  to  give  Victor  an  opportunity  to  witness  its  glori- 
ous sunrise.  Hamilton  Hall  had  the  advantage  of  him  in  this 
respect.  Its  hospitable  doors,  as  well  as  its  windows,  had 
been  flung  wide  open  long  before  Aurora  was  ready  to  gild  its 
walls,  or  to  illumine  the  clouds  of  dust  sent  forth  by  busy  bar- 
keepers and  porters  with  brush  and  broom.  For  Hamilton 
Hall  constituted  the  second  story  of  a  building  known  as  Ham- 
ilton Retreat,  a  well-known  popular  resort,  much  frequented, 
even  on  Sundays,  the  know-nothing  crusade  against  Sunday 
saloons  and  beerhouses  notwithstanding,  b}^  politicians  of 
ward  renown  and  petty  statesmen  generally.  Yesterday  had 
been  a  day  of  bustle  and  activity  at  Hamilton  Hall.  Many 
barrels  had  been  emptied  of  their  contents,  much  dirt  and  litter 
scattered  on  the  floors  and  a  general  cleaning  up  on  Monday 
morning  w^as  excusable,  in  view  of  the  rush  that  was  to  be 
expected  on  the  assembling  of  the  democratic  convention. 
Thus,  while  yet  the  silence  of  the  streets  was  scarcely  inter- 
rupted by  the  rumbling,  now  and  then,  of  a  solitary  milk  or 
baker's  wagon  or  the  footsteps  of  an  early  wanderer  echoed 
from  across  the  way,  there  was  within  the  Hall  the  din  and 
bustling  of  dusting  and  sweeping,  of  scrubbing  and  scouring, 
of  polishing  decanters  and  replenishing  them  with  the  contents 
of  round-bellied  jugs,  —  of  tables,  chaii's  and  benches  moved 
from  place  to  place,  and  of  kegs  and  barrels  rolled  into  place 
for  use.  When  the  sun  had  risen,  and  sent  its  first  slanting 
rays  through  the  freshly  cleaned  windows,  the  stir  within  sub- 
sided, and  the  city  without  began  to  rub  its  eyes  and  to  put  on 
its  working-day  garb.  The  streets  grew  livelier  as  mechanics 
and  laborers    trouped   their   way  toward  the    treadmills,   and 


348  THE  BEBEUS   DAUGHTER. 

drays  and  carts  rattled  noisily  over  the. rough  macadam.  The 
sky  was  beautifully  blue  ;  the  atmosphere  clear  and  bracing ; 
the  bright  October  morning  altogether  lovely  ;  yet  few  of  the 
passers-by  lingered  to  enjoy  its  glorious  charm.  Even  the 
rosy -nosed  bummer,  who  would  rival  Croesus  in  wealth  if 
time  were  money,  as  is  sometimes  asserted,  wended  his  way 
to  the  bar-room  in  search  of  a  tonic  more  potent  than  the 
freshness  of  the  morning  afforded.  Shrill- voiced  newsboys 
lustily  shouted  the  names  of  their  papers  :  "  'ere's  yer  Herald  ! 
'ere's  yer  'Publican!  "  adding  by  way  of  whetting  the  ap- 
petite of  sensation-loving  readers,  "  All  'bout  the  'lopement  in 
high  life!  "or:  "  All  'bout  the  murder  in  Happy  Hollow  I  " 
or  all  about  whatever  tidbit  of  scandal  or  horror  they  had  to 
offer. 

As  the  inorning  drew  on  apace,  more  customers  found  their 
way  into  the  bar-room  of  the  Hamilton  Retreat,  —  the  politicians 
of  the  small-fry  sort,  mostly,  Avho  had  gone  through  a  lively 
time  yesterday,  and  were  again  on  hand  for  to-day  to  feast, 
like  a  swarm  of  hungry  mosquitoes,  on  the  blood  of  tender- 
skinned  candidates.  Some  of  these  worthies,  fortunate  in  the 
possession  of  a  stray  picayune,  anticipated  the  arrival  of  their 
victims  by  investing  in  a  drink  of  whiskey,  invariably  demand- 
ing a  Meelee  cigar  (retailed  at  the  price  of  ten  for  a  picayune) 
free  into  the  bargain.  But  this  extravagant  outlay  of  money 
ceased  as  soon  as  the  candidates,  with  now  and  then  a  stray 
delegate  or  two.  began  to  drop  in.  The  latter  were  promptly 
pounced  on  and  buttonholed  by  those  of  the  candidates  that 
l)elieved,  or  made  believe,  that  their  claims  for  past  services 
demanded  recognition  by  the  party  :  others,  less  experienced  in 
the  practice  of  office-seeking,  and  therefore  more  diffident, 
gladly  availed  themselves  of  the  offers  of  the  patriotic  bum- 
mers to  introduce  them  to  their  friends  —  all  of  them  men  of 
great  influence,  these  friends  of  the  bummers  —  who  would 
determine  by  their  vote  in  convention  the  vote  of  the  whole 
delegation  from  their  respective  ward.  Corroboration  of  the 
great  influenee  of  the   deleaate  thus  introduced  would  follow 


DEMOCRACY  IN  CONVENTION.  349 

on  the  part  of  soiue  brother  liuiaiiier  wlio  hai)i)eiie(l,  l)y  tlie 
merest  chauee,  to  be  standing  near ;  and  if  (juite  sure  to  what 
office  the  eandidate  aspired,  he,  or  some  comrade,  would 
inform  the  delegate,  in  a  stage  whisper,  that  there  was  not  a 
more  popular  man  mentioned  in  connection  with  such  office, 
than  the  gentleman  just  introduced.  The  invitation  to  the 
drinks  naturally  followed,  as  the  most  convenient  inducement 
to  conversation  with  the  delegate. 

Quite  a  difference  now  developed  in  the  tastes  of  the  gentle- 
men invited:  the  whiskey  straight,  ordered  before  ou  pecuniary 
grounds,  was  now  abandoned  for  brandy  smashes,  mint  juleps, 
sherry  cobblers,  or  such  cocktails  and  toddies  as  a  veteran 
toper  might  indulge  in  regardless  of  expense.  In  the  matter  of 
cigars,  too,  the  plebeian  Meelee  was  flung  aAvay  with  contempt, 
and  even  the  Half-Spanish,  and  the  Principe,  ordinarily  re- 
garded as  a  luxury  too  costly,  were  now,  when  a  candidate 
stood  treat,  slighted  for  the  royal  Regalia  or  Plantation  Havana, 
furnished  at  the  liar  at  a  picayune  apiece. 

Toward  the  hour  of  ten  in  the  forenoon  the  bar-room  was 
crowded  to  an  uncomfortable  degree.  The  bartender,  rein- 
forced now  by  an  assistant  and  the  boss  himself,  was  kept  busy 
enough  ;  yet  many,  indeed  most  of  the  men,  Avere  there  tor 
pu]-pos(,'s  other  than  drinking.  Much  talk  was  going  on, — 
here  in  whispers,  there  in  loud  declamation  ;  among  groups  of 
two  or  three  or  more  ;  in  front  of  the  bar,  where  argument  was 
emphasized,  sometimes,  by  bringing  list  or  tumbler  violently 
in  contact  with  the  counter ;  or  in  the  comparative  privacy  of 
some  nook  or  corner ;  soliciting  votes  or  influence,  denouncing 
rival  candidates,  promises  to  and  by  delegates,  and  to  and  by 
candidates  and  their  friends  —  dickering,  bargaining,  plotting. 
Little  knots  of  men  gathering  in  the  hallway  and  under  the 
stairs  leading  to  the  hall  above,  obviously  intent  upon  keeping 
secret  whatever  negotiations  they  were  carrying  on.  When  the 
hands  of  the  bar-room  clock  indicated  the  hour  of  ten,  a  grad- 
ual exodus  to  the  hall  above  began  to  thin  out  the  crowd  below, 
leaving  the  saloon  in  the  possession  of  idlers,  and  of  such  of 


350  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTEB. 

the  active  politicians  —  committeemen  and  agents  of  rings  and 
bosses  —  as  were  still  busily  engaged  in  planning  and  plotting 
for  the  nominations  to  be  made  upstairs. 

The  hall  in  which  the  convention  was  to  sit  began  to  fill  up. 
A  number  of  benches,  sulliciently  long  to  seat,  each,  a  full 
delegation,  were  arranged  on  the  floor,  not  unlike  the  pews  hi 
a  church ;  a  little  banner  suspended  at  the  head  of  each  in- 
dicated the  number  of  the  ward  or  the  name  of  the  township  to 
which  the  bench  was  assigned.  At  one  end  of  the  room  a 
platform  was  raised  a  foot  or  two  above  the  level  of  the  floor, 
just  large  enough  to  accommodate  the  officers  of  the  conven- 
tion. Besides  the  chairs  and  tables  on  the  platform,  and  the 
row  of  benches  lining  the  walls,  intended  for  the  accoinmoda- 
tion  of  that  most  indispensable  adjunct  to  representative  bodies 
in  the  United  States  —  the  lobby  —  there  was  no  furniture  in 
the  hall. 

Victor  was  the  first  member  of  the  Fourth  Ward  delegation 
that  took  his  seat  in  the  bench  assigned  to  them,  long  before 
the  secretary  of  the  central  committee  called  the  convention  to 
order.  He  looked  about  him,  noticing  with  considerable  inter- 
est the  buzz  and  commotion  of  the  men  swarming  into  the  hall, 
gathering,  mostly,  in  little  knots  and  groups,  whispering  ex- 
citedly, or  making  wise  faces  at  each  other.  Professor  Rau- 
henfels  was  there,  walking  about  with  the  air  of  a  very  busy 
man,  now  among  the  delegates,  shaking  hands  and  grinning 
pleasantly,  as  if  much  delighted  in  doing  so,  anon  accosting 
someone  in  the  lobby  gesticulating  wildly,  as  if  in  demonstra- 
tion of  some  hotly  contested  proposition.  There  was  Uncle 
Auf  dem  Busch,  also,  sitting  among  the  delegates  from  the 
First  Ward,  serenely  contemplating  his  surroundings,  evidently 
ready  to  act  with  becoming  dignity  in  whatever  character  his 
services  might  be  demanded.  Leslie  May,  cool  and  jjerfectly 
at  ease  as  ever,  leisurely  paced  the  jjlatfonn,  exchanging  nods 
and  whispered  remarks  with  the  gentleinen  there ;  and  Mr. 
Becker,  delegate  from  the  same  ward  with  Victor,  was  on  hand, 
but  as  yet  too  busy  to  take  his  seat.     Indeed  every  one,  —  so 


DEMOCRACY  IN  CONVENTION.  351 

it  seemed  to  Victor  —  was  actively  engaged  in  furthering  some 
definite  scheme,  in  which  he  was  particularly,  if  not  personally 
interested.  It  occurred  to  Victor  that  many  of  the  delegates 
had.  in  political  slang,  "  an  axe  to  grind  "  in  the  convention, 
and  that  he  was  not  alone  in  the  awkward  predicament  of  being 
a  candidate  before  the  same  body  of  which  he  was  a  member. 

When  the  convention  was  called  to  order,  considerably  after 
the  time  for  which  its  opening  had  been  announced,  its  organi- 
zation was  speedily  effected  by  the  election  of  a  temporary 
chairman,  a  sergeant-at-arms  and  two  secretaries.  Victor  took 
alarm  as  he  noticed  that  not  a  single  dissentient  voice  was 
raised  against  the  chairman  nominated  by  the  central  commit- 
teeman, whom  he  knew  to  be  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  com- 
petitor of  Colonel  May  for  the  United  States  Senate.  Every- 
thing moved  smoothly,  until  the  motion  was  put  for  the 
appointment,  by  the  chair,  of  a  committee  on  credentials, 
when  a  motion  to  amend  by  substituting  a  committee  of  one 
from  each  ward  and  township  gave  rise  to  a  heated  discussion, 
turning  chiefly  upon  the  impropriety  involved  in  the  amendment 
of  putting  men  on  the  committee  of  credentials  whose  seats  were 
contested.  Victor  felt  greatly  embarrassed  how  to  vote  on  this 
question,  as  he  feared  that  the  right  of  the  whole  Fourth  Ward 
delegation  to  their  seats  might  be  challenged.  During  the  de- 
bate Mr.  Becker  appeared  in  his  seat  and  added  to  his  anxiety 
by  the  whisi^ered  remark,  that  Mr.  May  considered  the  fate  of 
his  father's  candidacy  to  depend  on  the  issue  of  the  vote  on 
this  amendment.  Yet  he  deemed  it  wi'ong  that  one,  whose 
right  is  in  question,  should  be  made  the  judge  of  such  right. 
Must  he  oppose  the  amendment,  as  decency  and  justice  seemed 
to  him  to  require,  and  thus  jeopard,  as  far  as  his  vote  would 
go,  the  cause  of  his  friend  and  benefactor,  and  with  it  the 
cause  of  Democracy  and  truth,  as  he  understood  them? 

Before  he  came  to  a  conclusion  satisfying  his  judgment,  the 
roll  of  the  delegates  was  called  on  the  amendment,  and  Mr. 
Becker  promptly  responded  for  the  Fourth  Ward:  "Five  in 
the  affirmative  I  ' ' 


352  THE  liEBEUS  DAUGHTEIi. 

Now  A'iftor  looked  upon  this  act  of  his  chief  as  an  unwar- 
rantable usurpation,  for  neither  had  Mr.  Becker  been  appointed 
spokesman  for  the  delegation,  nor  had  A'ictor  been  consulted 
as  to  his  vote.  But  the  Fifth  Ward  had  ))een  called  on  to  vote 
before  he  made  up  his  mind  whether  it  was  his  duty  to  disturb 
the  proceedings  by  a  protest ;  and  after  that  it  would  have 
been  exceedingly  awkward  and  ungracious  to  do  so.  Thus  it 
ha])pened  that  Victor's  vote  counted  in  exact  accordance  with 
his  personal  wish,  though  not  at  all  with  his  sense  of  justice. 
The  amendment  was  adopted  ;  and  after  the  appointment  of  a 
further  connnittee  on  the  permanent  organization  and  the  order 
of  business,  the  convention  took  a  recess  until  tlie  hour  of  two, 
to  give  the  committee  time  to  rei)ort. 

The  signal  advantage  gained  over  their  opponents  ))y  the 
friends  of  Colonel  May,  developed  after  the  reassembling  of  the 
convention  in  the  afternoon.  The  lirst  business  in  order  being 
the  I'cport  of  tlie  connnittee  on  credentials,  its  chairman 
announced  that  in  the  oi)inion  of  the  conmiittee,  all  sitting- 
members  were  entitled  to  their  seats ;  concluding  with  the 
recommendation  that  the  petitions  of  the  contestants  be  laid  on 
the  table.  A  minority  report  read  by  a  warm  adherent  of 
Colonel  May's  opponent,  declared  it  to  be  the  opinion  of  said 
minority  that  the  election  of  the  delegates  from  several  of  the 
wards  including  the  First  and  Fourth,  had  been  clearly  inegu- 
lar,  and  that  the  contestants  ought  of  right  to  be  recognized  as 
the  legitimate  representatives  of  the  Democratic  voters  of  these 
wards.  The  motion  to  ado])t  the  minority  report  was  ruled  to 
be  out  of  order,  as  violative  of  parliamentary  usage,  and  the 
question  stated  to  be  on  the  adoption  of  the  majority  report. 
Victor  was  surprised  at  this  ruling,  especially  in  view  of  the 
temporary  chairman's  opi)Osition  to  Colonel  May's  interests, 
nnd  wondered  ndiether  to  ascribe  it  to  his  idea  of  parliament- 
ary usage,  or  perhaps  to  a  shrewd  move  to  conceal  his  real 
position  from  the  Colonel's  followers,  or  even  to  some  of 
Leslie's  maneuvering  during  the  recess.  At  all  events,  Vic- 
tor, conceiving  that   the  convention   ought  to  be  permitted  to 


DEMOCRACY  IN   CONVENTION.  353 

express  its  preference  between  the  two  reports,  before  coniniit- 
ting  themselves  to  either,  rose,  Avith  the  obvious  intention  of 
appealing-  from  the  ruling  of  the  chair ;  l)ut  in  doing  so  caught 
the  eye  of  Leslie  May,  who  indicated  by  a  slight  but  nnmis- 
takable  motion  of  the  head,  decided  disapproval  of  Victor's 
purpose.  At  the  same  time  Mr.  Becker  tugged  at  his  coat 
tail,  whispering  energetically  "Don't."  And  again  Victor 
was  too  slow  to  seize  the  proper  moment  for  his  purpose,  and 
again  a  vote  was  recorded  that  outraged  his  sense  of  pro- 
priety, but  accomplished  precisely  what  Victor  most  wished. 
The  majority  report  was  adopted,  and  thns  all  question  of  a 
contest  avoided. 

The  convention  now  settled  down  to  its  business  in  good 
earnest.  In  the  struggle  for  the  permanent  presidency  the 
temporary  chairman,  notwithstanding  his  ruling  just  made, 
and  supported  by  the  opponents  of  Colonel  May,  was  de- 
feated. The  president  elect,  in  returning  thanks  to  the  con- 
vention for  the  honor  conferred  upon  him,  called  attention 
to  the  perilous  condition  of  the  country,  which,  he  said, 
was  about  to  be  shaken  in  its  very  foundation  by  a  partv 
of  zealots  who  in  their  reckless  fanaticism  menaced  the 
sacred  constitution  itself.  "So  shape  your  action,"  he  con- 
cluded, "as  to  bring  about  the  triumi^h  of  those  principles 
of  our  party,  rather  than  the  victory  of  this  or  that  man,  or 
of  this  or  that  section.  Never  for  a  moment  forget  that 
although  you  are  democrats,  you  are  first  of  all  Americans, — 
that  you  are  democrats  bfx'aise  you  are  true  Americans !  ' ' 

Victor  was  much  pleased  with  the  president's  remarks.  He 
was  in  full  sympathy  with  their  import  and  registered  an 
inward  vow  that  he  would,  to  the  best  of  his  ability,  vindicate 
the  grand  cause  of  Democracy.  As  if  in  response  to  this 
patriotic  resolve,  came  from  the  president  the  announcement 
assigning  him  to  a  place  on  the  committee  of  fifteen  to  drauo-ht 
the  platform  of  the  party  for  the  impending  campaign.  It 
was  with  a  profound  sense  of  responsibility  that  he  followed 
the   chairman   of   his  committee  into  the  side-room  assigned 

23 


354  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

them  for  their  deliberations.  He  found  himself  closeted  with 
the  most  prominent  men  of  the  party  in  the  city,  feeling  at 
once  depressed  with  a  sense  of  littleness  in  their  presence,  and 
elevated  by  a  consciousness  of  the  magnitude  of  the  trust 
imposed  upon  him. 

In  the  committee  room  the  high  pitch  to  which  his  expec- 
tation had  been  raised  was  toned  down.  The  chairman 
submitted  a  paper,  directly  after  the  reading  of  which  he 
called  for  a  vote.  It  pledged  the  Democracy  to  the  support 
of  the  platform  of  principles  announced  by  the  national  con- 
vention that  had  adjourned  from  Charleston  to  Baltimore. 
Discussion  grew  passionate,  and  when  at  last  a  vote  was 
reached,  it  was  by  a  majority  of  one  that  the  committee  de- 
clared its  preference  for  the  national  democratic  platform. 

No  sooner  had  the  committee  risen,  than  a  call  was  heard 
demanding  the  minority  to  remain  and  vote  upon  the  question 
of  submitting  a  report  to  the  convention  recommending  for  its 
adoption  the  platform  of  the  free  Democracy,  which  had  just 
been  rejected  by  the  majority.  Every  member  of  the  minority 
favored  the  proposition,  and  so  it  came  about  that  the  com- 
mittee on  the  platform  submitted  two  reports  to  the  conven- 
tion, —  one  signed  by  eight,  the  other  by  seven  of  its  members. 

If  the  contention  had  been  hot  in  the  committee,  the  wrangle 
that  follow^ed  in  the  body  of  the  convention  itself  on  the  read- 
ing of  the  two  reports  was  fierce  to  begin  with,  and  increased 
in  passionate  intensity  with  each  speaker  that  succeeded  in 
obtaining  the  floor. 

Victor  could  not  understand  how  any  true  democrat  should 
entertain  the  slightest  doubt  on  the  subject.  He  was  eager  to 
join  in  the  debate,  fully  convinced  that  if  gentlemen  would 
only  listen  to  the  reasons  he  had  to  urge  as  to  the  imperative 
necessity  of  preserving  inviolate  the  constitution,  they  could 
not  help  seeing  where  the  path  of  duty  la^-.  But  as  yet  he  was 
too  inexperienced  in  the  ways  of  politicians  to  secure  recogni- 
tion by  the  chairman,  and  entirely  too  diffident  of  his  own  im- 
portance to   force  himself   on  the  notice   of  the  convention. 


DEMOCRACY  IN  CONVENTION.  355 

And  so  the  convention  lost  the  benelit  of  his  wisdom,  and  had 
to  content  itself  with  the  aid  given  Ijy  his  unexplained  vote. 

As  soon  as  the  president  succeeded  in  making  himself  heard 
long  enough  to  state  the  question  and  call  for  the  roll,  the  up- 
roar subsided  and  breathless  silence  immediately  settled  on  the 
convention.  All  eyes  were  turned  toward  the  secretary  as  he 
called  the  names  of  the  delegates  ;  all  ears  were  strained  to 
catch  the  responses,  and  but  few  of  the  members  omitted  to 
keep  close  tally  of  the  yeas  and  nays.  An  exultant  shout  of 
triumph  on  the  part  of  the  national  democrats  proclaimed  their 
victory  long  before  the  secretary  or  president  could  be  heard 
to  announce  the  adoption  of  the  majority  report.  But  pres- 
ently the  deafening  yells  ceased.  The  sullen  faces  of  the 
defeated  side  served  to  sober  down  the  exuberance  of  the 
victors.  Thoughful  men  saw  trouble  ahead.  Victor  trembled 
for  the  success  of  the  party  under  the  circumstances.  How 
could  men,  whose  earnest  convictions  were  so  emphatically 
ignored  by  the  platform  just  adopted,  be  enthusiastic  in  the 
support  of  the  party  ? 

Just  then  the  smiling  face  of  Leslie  May  appeared  to  Victor 
like  a  harbinger  of  good  tidings.  "  We  have  done  well,  so 
far,"  he  whispered  into  Victor's  ear.  "  Things  are  o-oing 
exactly  as  I  hoped.  A  little  prudence  now  in  the  selection  of 
the  ticket,  and  there  can  be  no  doubt  of  our  success." 

"  But  will  the  free  democrats  submit,  and  heartily  support 
a  party  with  whose  fundamental  tenets  they  are  not  in  accord  ?  " 
queried  Victor,  who  was,  nevertheless,  much  soothed  and  com- 
forted by  the  assuring  smiles  of  his  friend,  and  eager  in  the 
hope  that  he  would  be  able  to  dispel  his  own  doubts  and 
misgivings. 

"  What  can  they  do?  "  suggested  Leslie.  "  They  want 
offices  for  themselves  or  their  friends.  They  can  get  them  only 
by  the  nomination  of  this  convention.  It  would  be  suicidal 
for  them  to  withdraw  in  wrath,  or  to  give  aid  and  comfort  to 
the  enemy,  by  either  active  or  passive  opposition.  But  we 
must  make  it  to  their  interest  to  support  the  ticket  by  givino- 


356  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

them  a  liberal  share  of  the  offices.  You  needn't  be  afraid  for 
yourself,"  he  added,  with  a  smile  that,  however  friendly  it 
was  meant  to  be,  was  deeply  offensive  to  Victor  ;  "  your  name 
is  sure  to  be  on  the  ticket,  and  you  are  sure  to  be  elected.  So 
much  1  will  undertake  to  guarantee  to  you." 

"  So  Professor  Rauhenfels  has  told  me,"  said  Victor 
dreamily  ;  "  though  how  either  he  or  you  should  know,  I  don't 
understand." 

As  Leslie  turned  away  the  president  was  addressing  the 
convention.  His  words  sounded  like  an  echo  to  what  Leslie 
had  just  told  Victor.  He  counselled  harmony,  reminding  the 
victorious  majority  that  had  shaped  the  platform  to  their  own 
views,  that  it  was  now  their  duty  to  conciliate,  on  the  less 
important  matter  of  nominating  candidates  for  office,  their  less 
successful  brethi-en.  "  Let  me  again  beseech  you,"  he  said, 
"  to  have  an  eye  single  to  the  success  of  the  party  as  such. 
It  matters  not  so  much  what  democrat  you  nominate,  as  that 
your  nominee  shall  be  elected.  Remember  that  '  United  we 
stand;  divided  we  fall.'  Let  the  Democracy,  of  the  county 
present  an  unbroken  front  to  the  enemy,  and  victory  will  perch 
on  our  banner.  —  Nominations  for  the  office  of  sheriff  are  now 
in  order." 

The  address  of  the  president  seemed  to  have  a  good  effect  on 
the  ruffled  temper  of  the  minority,  as  well  as  on  the  minds  of 
the  majority.  The  nominations  ])rogressed  without  disturb- 
ance. If  there  had  been  danger  of  a  bolt,  it  was  allayed  by 
the  liberal  concessions  made  to  the  minority.  They  received 
the  lion's  share  of  the  lucrative  offices,  the  candidates  for 
Congress  and  the  legislature  were  alone  given  to  the  national 
democrats.  It  was  resolved,  also,  though  by  as  clos«  a  vote  as 
that  by  which  the  platform  had  been  carried,  that  the  candidates 
for  the  General  Assembly  be  instructed  to  use  their  influence, 
if  elected,  to  secure  the  election  of  the  Honorable  Leonard  May 
to  the  United  States  Senate. 


XXIII. 

TOO   LATE. 

W  ND  so  it  was  that  Victor  becarne  a  candidate ;  for  tlie 
present,  a  patliway  not  strewn  with  roses ;  involving 
duties  not  only  onerous,  but  most  distasteful  to  him. 
It  was  not  his  nature  to  shirk  duty,  recognized  as  such. 
Hence  he  willingly  attended  the  gatherings  of  the  Democracy 
at  mass  meetings  and  ward  meetings.  He  even  executed,  to 
the  best  of  his  poor  ability,  stump  speeches,  whenever  thereto 
appointed  by  the  central  committee.  But  when  his  col- 
leagues on  the  ticket  demanded  other  things,  —  such  as  visit- 
ing bar-rooms,  treating  crowds  promiscuously,  shaking  hands 
with  the  unwashed  sovereigns,  and  professing  friendship  and 
brotherhood  with  bummers,  beats  and  frauds,  he  demurred. 
To  Leslie  and  Professor  Rauhenfels,  with  both  of  whom  he 
silent  much  of  his  time  in  those  days,  he  confided  that  he 
thought  such  methods  of  soliciting  votes  to  be  degrading  and 
vile.  Leslie  laughed  at  him  in  his  pleasant  way,  twitting  him 
on  his  aristocratic  pride  ;  and  when  he  gave  indications  of  dis- 
tress, endeavored  to  reassure  him  and  put  him  at  his  ease  by 
reminding  him  that  there  was  really  no  need  for  exertion  on 
his  part  at  all.  But  the  professor  took  him  reluctantly  to  task 
for  his  silly  prudishness,  —  so  he  called  it  —  and  lack  of  logic. 
"  A  rational  man,"  he  harangued,  "  who  proposes  to  accom- 
plish an  object,  must  not  shrink  from  using  the  necessary 
means.     None  but  a  fool  hopes  for  success  otherwise." 

When  Victor,  abashed  by  the  professor's  dogmatic  assertions, 
which  yet  seemed  to  have  a  basis  in  sound  reason,  timidly  in- 
quired whether  he  meant  to  assert  that  the  end  ever  justified 
tlie  means,  the  answer  came  quick  as  thought:  "  Always!  else 
how  could  any  end  be  accomplished?  " 

(357) 


358  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTEB. 

"  But  does  this  mean,  that  I  may  do  wrong  that  good  may 
come  thereof  ?"  Victor  persisted. 

"  Wrong  is  never  justifiable !  "  the  professor  proclaimed,  his 
eyes  sparkling,  "  But  what  is  wrong?  I  dare  say  that  you  hold 
it  wrong  to  lie.  And  so,  indeed,  it  is,  if  you  lie  to  gain  an 
unfair  advantage  over  your  neighbor.  But  how,  if  you  lie  to 
2)leafie  your  neighbor,  as  you  do  every  time  you  smile  upon  a 
bore  who  keeps  you  from  your  work,  instead  of  kicking  him  out 
of  the  office  as  you  would  like  to  do  ?  In  a  similar  way  you  lie 
twenty  times  a  day,  and  I  doubt  that  you  consider  it  wrong.  — 
It  is  surely  wrong  to  kill ;  but  only  if  the  killing  is  without 
adequate  motive.  You  would  not  blame  the  executioner  for 
carrying  out  the  sentence  of  the  law  on  a  condemned  criminal  ? 
So  the  most  rigid  code  of  law  deems  killing  in  self-defense  a 
justifiable  act.  Aye,  —  the  law  itself  commands  killing,  and 
that  by  wholesale,  when  deemed  a  means  to  accomplish  a  higher 
end  ;  and  none  but  Quakers  object.  Let  me  use  a  loftier  illus- 
tration :  Rebellion  is  the  gravest  offense  against  either  human  or 
divine  law  ;  yet  the  apostasy  of  Luther  is  glorified  by  all  Prot- 
estants ;  and  the  rebellion  of  the  colonies  is  looked  upon,  by 
Americans  at  least,  as  the  grandest  achievement  in  our  history. ' ' 

"Lucifer  rebelled,  also,"  said  Victor,  musingly,  "  and  the 
world  assigns  to  him  the  lowest  pit  in  hell." 

"And  justly  so!  "  the  professor  replied  with  animation. 
"  Lucifer,  according  to  Dante's  Divine  Comedy,  abides  in  hell, 
because  he  would  rather  be  First  there,  than  Second  in  Heaven. 
Rebellion  against  tyranny  is  loyalty  to  the  divine  Right ;  but 
Lucifer  rebelled  against  the  divine  order,  —  doing  wrong  for 
the  sake  of  wrong  —  and  has  hell  for  his  reward." 

' '  But  how  does  all  this  affect  my  electioneering  ?  ' '  Victor 
inquired. 

"Don't  you  see?  Then  let  me  tell  you.  I  assume,  that 
when  you  accepted  the  Democratic  nomination  for  the  General 
Assembly,  you  honestly  meant  to  be  elected.  You  honestly 
mean  to  be,  now  ;  if  you  did  not,  you  would  be  a  fraud  and  a 
hy]xicrite.     To  accomplish  this  end,  you  must  have  votes, — 


TOO  LATE.  359 

more  of  thi'in  than  your  competitors  on  the  other  tickets.  You 
want  as  many  as  you  can  get,  for  you  do  not  know  how  many 
either  you  or  your  opponents  are  going  to  get.  The  rational 
thing,  then,  is,  to  get  them !  Get  them  by  all  lawful  means  at 
your  command.  Get  them  with  clean  fingers,  if  you  can, — 
but  get  them !  Nor  let  the  fear  of  dirtying  your  hands  deter 
you  from  doing  your  work.  You  can  wash  your  hands  when 
the  work  is  done,  and  the  ballots  do  not  smell  after  they  are 
counted." 

Poor  Victor,  who  had  a  powerful  motive  to  be  elected, 
beyond  what  even  the  professor  suspected,  was  carried  along 
by  the  eloquence  of  his  philosophical  friend,  and  knew  not 
how,  if  even  he  had  wished  it,  to  meet  the  arguments  advanced. 
And  as  his  duty  was  thus  plausibly  shown  to  be  identical  Avith 
his  strong  desire,  namely,  to  secure  his  election  to  the 
legislature,  he  bravely  set  about  doing  the  things  that  were 
popularly  supposed  to  be  necessary  to  catch  votes,  —  such 
things  as  he  supposed  the  professor  meant  when  he  spoke  of 
dirtying  his  fingers.  He  professed  to  enjoy  the  rough  jokes 
current  in  bar-rooms.  He  pretended  to  believe  in  the  disin- 
terested friendship  of  professional  patriots,  who  proffered  their 
services  in  behalf  of  the  good  cause,  stijjulating  for  a  dollar  or 
two  to  set  up  the  drinks  for  the  boys,  so  as  to  get  a  chance  to 
talk  to  them.  He  bought  tickets  for  raflfles  which  he  sus- 
pected would  never  come  off,  and  for  concerts  which  he  did 
not  mean  to  attend.  He  invested  heavily  in  charity  fairs,  and 
subscribed  liberally  to  funds  for  the  relief  of  supposititious 
widows  and  orphans.  He  shook  hands  with  everybody  he 
knew  or  supposed  that  he  ought  to  know,  heroically  dispensing 
bland  smiles  and  sugary  compliments  promiscuously.  And 
he  did  all  of  these  things  with  a  show  of  such  hearty  good  will 
as  to  challenge  the  admiration  of  his  friend  Leslie,  and  even  to 
command  the  approval  of  Professor  Kauhenfels,  notwithstand- 
ing his  secret  conviction,  that  all  this  cajolery,  flattery,  — this 
sycophantic  fawning  and  toadying  to  the  voters  in  reality 
never  changed  any  one's  mind,  and  that  he  was  a  despicable 


360  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

coward,  truckling  to  a  base  and  really  unfounded  popular 
prejudice. 

Down  at  Busch  Bluff  bis  course  did  not  meet  with  unani- 
mous favor.  The  old  gentleman,  to  be  sure,  thought  his  can- 
didacy quite  the  proper  thing  for  an  editor  and  a  lawyer, 
and  was  not  disposed,  therefore,  to  find  fault  with  Victor's 
efforts  to  court  popularity.  His  sister  Pauline,  too,  looked 
upon  his  prospective  election  to  the  legislature  with  not  a  little 
pride,  never  once  questioning  its  absolute  certainty,  and  took 
pleasure  in  hearing  the  subject  discussed,  particularly  when  it 
was  discussed  by  the  young  lawyer,  who  was  such  a  firm  friend 
of  her  brother,  and  who  could  talk  so  fascinatingly  about  her 
brother's  jjrospects  —  or  about  anything  else  that  formed  the 
subject  of  talk  between  them.  But  Woldemar's  aristocratic 
notions,  accumulated  during  his  European  experience,  rebelled 
against  what  he  termed  cowardly  cringing  before  the  rabble. 
It  was  bad  enough  that  a  member  of  the  family  should  be 
identified  with  politicians,  and  he  could  hardly  forgive  Victor 
for  standing  as  a  candidate.  But  that  he  should  degrade  him- 
self to  the  level  of  the  scum  of  the  city,  fawning  like  a  servile 
dog  before  the  rag-tag  populace  supposed  to  have  votes,  — 
this  was  more  than  the  stomach  of  Woldemar  Auf  dem  Busch 
could  stand  without  violent  protest.  And  so  he  protested. 
Protested  in  sharply  sarcastic  rebukes  administered  without 
stint.  All  the  more  bitter  when  the  young  lawyer  was  by, 
whom  he  never  failed  to  include  in  his  sneers,  and  whom  he 
openly  blamed  as  the  seducer  of  his  cousin,  misleading  him 
and  corrupting  his  morals. 

Toward  Pauline  Woldemar's  manner  had  undergone  a  re- 
markable change  of  late.  The  lofty  condescension,  that  had 
formerly  characterized  his  intercourse,  was  no  longer  observ- 
able. His  patronizing  airs  were  now  supplanted  by  a  show  of 
deferential  devotion  that  puzzled,  while  it  pleased,  Pauline. 
Assiduous  court  he  paid  when  alone  with  her,  or  at  least  when 
the  young  Southerner  was  not  bj',  so  that  Pauliue  often  avou- 
dered   whether  Cousin  Woldemar  was  profiting  by  Mr.  May's 


TOO  LATE.  361 

example  of  politeness.  But  the  frigid  reserve  displayed  when- 
ever the  latter  was  present,  as  well  as  the  severity  of  his  com- 
ments on  the  disgraceful  doings  of  Victor  under  the  influence 
of  Mr.  May,  too  plainly  indicated  his  aversion. 

One  other  member  of  the  family,  —  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch 
herself,  —  took  sides  with  her  son  in  these  dissensions,  so  far 
at  least  as  to  show  herself  less  gracious  than  formerly  in  her 
intercourse  with  both  the  young  politicians.  Victor,  on  his 
part,  ascribed  the  loss  of  favor  to  the  fact  that  he  was  a  can- 
didate, and  it  did  not  trouble  him  much.  Nor  did  her  haughty 
deuieanor  toward  Mr.  May  lessen  the  frequency  of  this  gentle- 
man's visits  to  the  villa.  What  with  friendly  calln  on  the 
ladies,  such  as  might  be  demanded  by,  or  at  least  find  excuse 
in,  social  etiquette,  calls  on  the  old  gentleman  for  advice  (which 
he  professed  to  value  most  highly),  on  imi^ortant  business 
matters,  calls  in  the  comjDauy  of  the  professor,  appointments 
with  Victor  to  start  out  on  some  pre-arranged  electioneering 
jaunt,  which  invariably  landed  him  at  Busch  Bluff — there  was 
never  lack  of  occasion  to  visit  the  place  where  Pauline  Wald- 
horst  dwelt. 

Perhaps  Victor  was  mistaken  as  to  the  cause  of  Mrs.  Auf 
dem  Busch 's  coolness  toward  him.  It  may  have  been  less  the 
sympathy  with  her  son's  aversion  to  politicians  that  produced 
it,  than  the  conviction,  reached  by  a  mother's  reasoning,  that 
Victor  was  to  blame  for  Woldemar's  uncomfortable  state  of 
mind,  because  he  had  originally  brought  the  smooth-tongued 
Southerner  into  contact  with  the  family.  Victor  was  blissfully 
ignorant  of  the  offense  he  had  thus  given,  as  also  of  the  dis- 
comfort experienced  by  Woldemar  in  consequence  of  the 
intimacy  springing  up  between  the  Southerner  and  his  sister 
Pauline,  — an  intimacy  patent  to  every  one  but  him.  The  old 
gentleman  noticed  it  with  profound  regret,  for  it  sadly  threat- 
ened his  pet  plan  of  obtaining  Pauline  for  a  daughter-in-law. 
Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch  saw  it,  of  course,  for  it  gave  uneasiness 
to  her  son.  It  was  not  in  her  nature  to  hate  cordially ;  but 
Leslie  May  came  as  near  to  arouse  this  feeling  in  her  breast  as 


362  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGIITEB. 

anyone  had  ever  done.  She  did  not  love  her  foster-daughter 
with  any  degree  of  cordiality ;  but  she  had  accustomed  herself 
to  look  upon  her  as  Woldemar's  future  wife,  and  the  evident 
favor  with  which  the  young  girl  received  the  attentions  of  the 
stranger,  she  thought  unbecoming  in  one  aspiring  to  the  honor 
of  becoming  her  daughter-in-law.  The  thought  of  serious  in- 
tentions on  the  part  of  the  young  lawyer  did  not  trouble  her ; 
she  was,  on  the  contrary,  firmly  convinced  that  he  was  an  arrant 
flirt,  playing  with  the  girl's  affections  for  his  mere  amusement. 
That  Pauline  should,  in  her  giddy  vanity,  permit  this  trifling, — 
that  she  should  so  far  forget  her  own  dignity  and  the  relations 
she  sustained  to  the  family  —  this  it  was  that  tried  her  patience. 
And  on  this  point  there  was  perfect  unanimity  between  mother 
and  son,  although  not  a  word  had  ever  been  spoken  on  the  sub- 
ject by  either.  But  the  mother's  eye  was  quick  to  discern, 
and  her  heart  tender  to  sympathize,  with  the  trouble  of  her  off- 
spring. It  needed  no  words  to  reveal  to  her  that  Woldemar 
suffered,  — more  keenly,  perhaps,  than  he  was  willing  to  con- 
fess even  to  himself. 

It  was  indeed  a  strange  experience  through  which  the  young 
merchant  was  passing.  Why  should  he  be  so  keenly  vexed  by 
Pauline's  impropriety  of  conduct  —  for  he  was  honestly  con- 
vinced that  it  was  improper  —  toward  this  presumptuous  young 
Southerner?  He  was  not  her  guardian,  not  her  brother,  —  not 
even  her  suitor. 

Not  her  suitor ! 

Yet  she  must  know  that  it  was  his  father's  darling  wish  that 
she  should  be  his  wife.  To  be  sure,  he  himself  had  never 
spoken  a  word  either  to  her  or  to  any  one  else,  that  might  be 
construed  as  a  promise,  or  as  in  any  wise  pledging  him.  He 
had  been  too  wise  and  too  guarded  in  his  conduct  for  that. 
And,  coming  to  think  of  it,  might  not  her  conduct  be  accounted 
for  on  the  theory  that  Pauline  was  piqued  by  his  lack  of  lover- 
like attentions  toward  her?  He  had  heard  of  such  things  as 
young  ladies  coquetting  with  others  for  the  purpose  of  rousing 
the  jealousy  of  those  whom  they    wished   to  attract.     Yes ! 


TOO  LATE.  •  363 

That  must  be  it.  Well,  thcu,  he  would  drive  this  presump- 
tuous stranger  out  of  the  field  by  treating  the  lady  with  a  little 
more  cionsideratiou  and  devotion.  He  might  go  so  far  without 
irretrievably  committing  himself.  This  thought  flattered  his 
vanity.  He  found  it  easy, — found  it  delightfully  agreeable, 
indeed,  — to  j^ay  courtly  attentions,  in  a  mild,  non-committal 
way,  to  his  fair  cousin.  But  the  effect  on  Pauline  was  not  as 
he  had  anticipated.  She  seemed  very  much  pleased,  indeed, 
by  his  kind  treatment ;  but  the  smile  of  sisterly  gratitude  with 
which  she  rewarded  him  was  cold  and  tame  in  comparison  with 
the  beaming  joy  that  flushed  her  cheeks  when  welcoming  the 
young  lawyer.  The  flirtation  with  the  latter,  as  he  was  pleased 
to  consider  it,  continued  unabated,  and  Woldemar  began  to 
suspect  his  cousin  of  being  a  heartless  coquette.  How  strange 
that  he  should  discover  this  trait  in  her  character  just  now ! 
How,  stranger  still,  that  he  found  it  so  difficult  to  believe  ;  how 
■strangest  of  all  that  this  discovery  should  make  him  miserable ! 

Miserable !  That  Pauline  was  a  coquette !  What  business 
was  that  of  his  ?  His  pride  took  alarm.  The  coquette  must 
be  left  to  her  fate.  This  savage  resolution  soothed  his  ruffled 
temper  for  a  time,  at  least  when  Leslie  May  was  present.  But 
in  his  absence,  a  word,  a  look  from  Pauline  was  sufficient  to 
melt  it  into  thin  nothingness.  Then  he  came  to  the  conclusion 
that  charity  toward  the  poor  girl  demanded  a  heroic  sacrifice 
on  his  part.  Filial  duty  pointed  in  the  same  direction.  He 
must  commit  himself  openly  by  appearing  as  Pauline's  suitor. 

It  astonished  Woldemar  how  little  effort  it  cost  him  to 
adjust  himself  to  this  situation  when  he  had  resolved  to  make 
the  plunge.  He  admitted  to  himself,  with  a  feeling  something 
like  compunction,  that  he  ought  to  have  done  so  long  ago.  It 
would  have  pleased  his  father.  It  would  have  saved  Pauline 
the  humiliation  of  this  disgraceful  flirtation  with  a  stranger. 
And  he  gloated  veugefully  on  the  anticipated  discomfiture  of 
the  detested  lawyer,  to  forbid  whose  further  intercoure  with 
Pauline  would  be  his  first  care  after  informing  the  fortunate 
young  maiden  of   the  distinction  awaiting  her.     Still,  he  put 


364  THE   REBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

off  the  decisive  word  from  day  to  day,  hardly  knowiug  how  to 
account  to  himself  for  the  delay.  Surely,  it  could  not  be  that 
he  was  afraid?  Oh,  no!  Diffidence  was  not  his  weakness. 
He  had  fully  made  up  his  mind  ;  his  opportunities  to  be  alone 
with  the  maiden  —  he  might  now  truly  say,  the  maiden  of  his 
choice  —  were  ample  ;  there  was  no  conceivable  obstacle  in  the 
way:  Why,  then,  delay? 

But  one  morning,  —  the  morning  of  a  glorious,  mellow  Sun- 
day in  October,  full  of  sunshine  and  that  soft,  hazy  Indian 
Summer  brightness  peculiar  to  Western  Autumn  weather,  — 
the  young  lawyer  was  on  hand  directly  after  breakfast,  wait- 
ing, he  said,  for  Victor  and  the  professor,  who  were  to  meet 
him  here  for  a  canvassing  tour  into  the  suburbs,  to  make  sure 
of  some  voters  supposed  to  be  doubtful.  He  ])rofessed  sur- 
])rise  that  the  others  had  not  yet  arrived  ;  but  Woldemar  sus- 
pected that  he  did  not  feel  his  disappointment  too  keenly. 
And  the  readiness  with  which  he  joined  Pauline  in  a  walk  over 
the  grounds,  to  insi)ect  chrysanthemums  and  asters,  the  dahlias 
and  what  other  floral  tribute  generous  Autumn  yielded,  and  the 
])leasure  mirrored  in  Pauline's  face  seemed  to  sujjport  his  mis- 
givings. It  was  very  evident  that  the  time  before  the  arrival 
of  the  other  conspirators  against  Woldemar 's  peace  passed 
more  heavily  to  him  than  to  either  Mr.  May  or  his  cousin. 
During  the  exceedingly  tedious  interval  of  half  an  hour,  while 
he  was  watching  the  yoiuig  couple  from  an  upi)er  windoAv  of 
the  house,  the  resolution  rii)ened  in  Woldemar's  breast  that  he 
would  not  Avait  another  day  —  not  another  hour  —  before  he 
would  claim  at  Pauline's  hand  the  privilege  of  getting  rid  of 
the  hated,  dangerous,  soft-spoken  —  intruder, — rival,  he 
came  near  thinking,  but  that  he  indignantly  suppressed  the 
word  as  being  unworthy  of  himself.  In  accordance  with  this 
resolution  he  threw  off  his  dressing  gown,  worn,  as  was  cus- 
tomary at  Busch  Bluff  Villa  on  Sunday  mornings,  for  comfort ; 
made  an  unusually  careful  toilet,  and  placed  himself  in  ambush 
to  intercept  Pauline  before  she  should  return  to  the  house  after 
seeing  the  politicians  off. 


TOO  LATE.  3G5 

Presentlj'  he  saw  her  wave  her  handkerchief  to  the  young 
men,  as  they  drove  away  in  the  barouche,  and  turn  her  face 
toward  the  villa.  He  watched  her  fi'om  a  bosquet  of  dense 
foliage,  as  she  stepped  leisurely  along  the  graveled  pathway, 
not  aware  that  she  was  being  observed.  Her  face  glowed  with 
unusual  animation,  though  her  eyes  had  an  absent,  dreamy 
look,  as  if  her  thoughts  were  far  away.  When  she  passed  the 
bosquet,  Woldemar  stepped  forth  from  his  ambush,  accosting 
her  with  an  abrupt  request  for  a  moment's  conversation. 

"Cousin  Woldemar!  "  she  exclaimed,  with  a  little  shriek 
of  surprise  at  the  sudden  apparition.  "  How  3'ou  have  fright- 
ened me !  ' ' 

"I  beg  your  pardon,  Pauline,"  he  said  in  reply.  "And 
I  hope  that  your  surprise  will  be  of  a  more  pleasing  nature 
when  you  have  heard  what  I  wish  to  say  to  you.  May  I 
detain  you  for  just  a  little  while  before  you  return  to  the 
house?  " 

"  Why,  certainly.  Cousin  Woldemar,"  said  the  girl,  recover- 
ing herself.  "  But  why  not  go  in  ?  We  have  all  the  forenoon 
before  us  ;  and  if  what  you  have  to  say  is  pleasant,  as  you 
suggest,  let  uncle  and  aunt  share  the  pleasure  with  us.  Or," 
she  added,  casting  a  glance  at  his  full  toilet,  "  are  you  on  your 
way  up  town  ?  ' ' 

"Not  unless  you  send  me  away,"  he  said  with  a  com- 
plaisant air,  and  a  smiling  look  into  her  wondering  eyes,  which 
for  some  reason  unaccountable  to  her,  she  was  not  pleased 
with.     "  Can  you  not  guess  what  it  is  that  I  wish  to  say?  " 

"  No,  Cousin  Woldemar,  I  have  not  the  least  idea.  Unless," 
she  added  archly,  "you  have  changed  your  mind  about  poor 
Victor's  electioneering.     Is  it  something  about  the  election?  " 

"  Election !  "  he  repeated,  disgust  audible  in  his  voice,  and 
a  shade  of  disappointment  visible  in  his  eye.  "  You  can  think 
of  nothing,  of  late,  but  polities  and  politicians.  No ;  I  have 
that  to  say  that  concerns  you  and  me  more  nearly." 

The  light  died  out  of  Pauline's  eyes.  The  roguish  smile 
that   had    accompanied  her  last  words,  faded  from  her  face. 


366  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

Woldemar  could  not  but  notice  the  change.  "  Be  not  afraid," 
he  said,  forcing  a  smile,  but  not  able  to  hide  all  traces  of 
disappointment.  "  I  am  not  going  to  scold  you.  Although," 
he  added,  with  an  indifferent  attempt  at  playfulness  of  manner, 
"  some  people  might  have  deemed  it  their  duty,  in  my  place, 
to  caution  you  against  such  improprieties  of  conduct  as  you 
have  indulged  in.     But  —  " 

"Improprieties  of  conduct?"  the  girl  repeated,  turning 
pale.     "  What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  Oh,  nothing  in  particular,"  was  the  answer,  given  a  little 
reluctantly.     "  Let  it  go.     I  was  about  to  say —  " 

"But  wherein  have  I  been  guilty  of  improprieties?" 
Pauline  demanded,  in  a  low,  but  emphatic  voice.  "  I  have  a 
right  to  know." 

"  Well,  I  mean  of  course,  your  toleration  of  the  shameful 
way  in  which  this  young  hot-blood  of  a  Southerner  has  been 
paying  court  to  you,"  said  Woldemar. 

"  Shameful,  Cousin  Woldemar?  "  The  blood  had  retreated 
from  the  face  of  the  young  girl,  leaving  it  as  white  as  the  lace 
collar  that  encircled  her  throat.  "  What  word  has  he  spoken 
that  was  not  gentle  and  courteous?  What  act  has  he  been 
guilty  of,  that  was  not  worthy  of  a  gentleman?  " 

"  Oh,  I  dare  say  that  he  was  polite  and  courteous  enough  — 
to  you  at  least.  But  do  you  believe  it  to  be  consistent  with 
maidenly  modesty  and  good  manners,  that  one,  who  is  to  be 
the  wife  of  another  man,  should  accept  such  attentions?  " 

"  Was  I  to  be  the  wife  of  another  man?  "  Pauline  asked, 
fixing  a  searching  glance  on  the  young  man's  face.  "  If  so, 
it  is  strange  that  no  one  ever  told  me  of  it." 

"  Oh,  well,  the  matter  has  not  been  put  into  the  shape  of  a 
written  contract, ' '  Woldemar  replied,  a  little  petulantly.  "But 
you  know,  as  well  as  I  do,  that  it  is  my  father's  wish  that  I 
should  marry  you.  Why  do  you,  then,  let  this  fine-spoken 
gentleman  play  with  you  as  if  you  belonged  to  him  ?  Why 
lavish  upon  him  smiles,  and  favors,  and  compliments,  such  as 
you  have  never  bestowed  upon  me?  " 


He  oazed  into  her  face  with  unleiiiiied  tenderness. 


TOO  LATE.  367 

A  deep  Hush  for  a  momeut  crimsoued  Pauline's  face,  to 
leave  it,  iu  the  uext,  as  pale  as  before.  "  Cousiu  Woldemar," 
she  said,  speaking  in  a  low  unimpassioned  voice,  hardly  above 
a  whisjjer,  yet  with  an  emphasis  that  deeply  impressed  her 
cousin,  "  1  am  glad,  that  you  throw  all  the  blame  on  me.  For 
that  proves,  that  Mr.  May  has  not,  even  in  your  estimation, 
been  guilty  of  the  shameful  improprieties  of  which  you  speak. 
I  doubt  that  he  or  any  one  else  could  infer  from  your  conduct 
that  I  was  to  be  your  wife,  or  that  you  loved  me.  As  to  myself, 
I  sincerely  grieve  that  by  any  act  of  mine  I  have  forfeited  your 
esteem.  But  would  you  have  deemed  it  maidenly  modesty  in 
me  to  give  Mr.  May  to  understand  that  any  other  than  a  cousinly 
relation  existed  between  you  and  me,  when  you  had  never, 
by  any  word,  conduct,  or  even  gesture,  hinted  such  a  thing?  " 

Her  words  fell  heavily  on  his  ear.  He  felt  himself  decidedly 
at  a  disadvantage.  But  never  before  had  Pauline  appeared  to 
him  so  queenlike  in  her  dignity,  so  charming  in  her  exquisite 
beauty,  so  altogether  lovable  as  now.  And  he  understood, 
now,  what  a  faux  pas  he  had  committed  in  opening  the  conver- 
sation, and  was  eager  to  repair  his  mistake, 

' '  But  I  do  love  you !  "  he  exclaimed  with  greater  warmth  of 
feeling  than  he  had  ever  displayed  in  her  presence  before.  "  I 
love  you  with  all  my  heart !  And  I  came  here  to  tell  you  so. 
Pardon  me,  Pauline,  for  offending  you.  I  did  not  mean  it. 
Forget  my  rude  words.  It  was  a  mistake  I  made  ;  I  see  now 
that  I  have  been  iu  the  wrong  all  the  time.  You  are  good  and 
wise;  you  wnll  forgive  my  blindness,  will  you  not?  And  all 
will  be  well  with  us,  now  that  you  know  that  I  love  you." 

He  gazed  into  her  face  with  unfeigned  tenderness  ;  he  sought 
to  seize  her  slender  white  hand.  But  the  hand  moved  away 
from  his,  and  his  eager  ^aze  was  met  by  an  earnest,  almost 
sympathetic  look  out  of  her  soft  brow^n  eyes, — a  look  so 
eloquent  of  tender  regret,  and  withal  of  a  deep  joy  which  she 
could  not  wholly  conceal,  that  it  thi-illed  him  with  ecstatic  de- 
light, while  yet  it  gave  him  vague  alarm.  "*I  have  nothing  to 
forgive,  Cousiu  Woldemar,"  she  said,  "  although  some  of  your 


368  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

words  have  deeply  pained  nie.  I,  too,  may  pain  you  by  what 
I  have  to  say  ;  but  you  will  be  glad  of  it  in  the  end.  For  you 
are  right  in  saying'  that  I  knew  it  to  be  your  father'.s  wiyh  that 
I  should  marry  you.  At  least  I  was  presumptuous  enough  to 
so  imagine  from  his  genuine  kindness  and  fatherly  tender- 
ness toward  me  at  all  times.  But  it  was  never  your  wish,  Cousin 
Woldemar.  You  never  loved  me.  You  do  not  love  me  now. 
If  it  be  your  intention  to  marry  me,  it  may  be  beeause  you  are 
angry  with  Mr.  May ;  or  because  you  wish  to  please  your 
father  ;  or  even  because  you  wish  to  please  me.  That  is  kind 
and  generous  of  you  ;  but  it  is  not  love." 

Her  words  stung  Woldemar  to  the  quick,  for  he  felt  them  to 
be  literally  true,  so  far  as  they  referred  to  the  past.  And  in 
his  present  mood  it  maddened  him  to  think  how  foolishly  he 
had  underrated  the  priceless  treasure  so  long  as  it  was  within 
easy  reach.  But  why  should  she  doubt  his  protestations 
now?  That  his  present  feeling  toward  her  was  that  of 
love — of  passionate,  mad,  unreasoning  love  —  was  beyond 
question  to  him.  And  she  ought  to  know  it,  because  he 
had  told  her  so.  Perhaps  he  had  not  been  emj^hatic  enough 
in  his  declaration.  Was  she  right,  —  had  he  given  her 
sufficient  reason  to  suppose  that  he  was  acting  simply  in  obe- 
dience to  his  father's  wishes?  It  began  to  dawn  upon  him  that 
Pauline  might  possess  a  degree  of  pride  that  he  had  never  sus- 
pected, and  that  she  might  insist  on  being  wooed  for  her  own 
sake.  It  cost  him  no  effort,  now,  to  meet  her  on  this  level. 
So  he  repeated  his  assurances  with  greater  warmth  and  emphasis. 
He  called  on  God  to  witness  the  sincerity  of  his  passion.  He 
had  recourse  to  the  vows  and  oaths  of  which  lovers  are  so 
prolific  to  gain  their  ends.  He  would  have  knelt  to  her,  but 
for  Pauline's  imperious  gesture  forlAdding  it.  For  the  first 
time  in  his  life  he  doubted  his  oratorical  powers,  and  condes- 
cended to  precatory  phrases. 

With  indifferent  success,  or  rather,  without  success.  For  a 
faint  smile  of  incredulity  curled  the  girl's  lips  as  she  answered, 
improving  the  first  pause  he  made  in  the  flow  of  his  earnest 


TOO  LATE.  369 

protestations,  "  How  can  you  believe  that  you  love  me,  when 
you  have  such  sharp  eyes  for  my  '  improprieties  ? '  Is  not  Love 
usually  depicted  with  bandaged  eyes,  and  ought  he  not  to  l)e  — 
just  a  little  —  blind !  " 

Her  self-possession  and  calmness,  emphasized  by  that  shadow 
of  a  smile,  contrasted  sharply  with  the  fever  of  passion  into 
which  he  had  worked  himself.  Her  lack  of  response  to  his 
l)leadiugs  began  to  alarm  him.  The  thought  maddened  him 
that  his  suit  might  meet  with  a  rebuff.  His  wounded  pride 
got  the  better  of  his  judgment. 

"  What  is  it  that  you  demand  of  me.lr  "  he  exclaimed  hotly. 
"  Must  I  be  blind,  in  order  that  you  may  believe  in  my  love, 
or  in  the  sincerity  of  my  words  ?  ' ' 

The  smile  vanished  from  her  face.  "I  do  not  doubt  the 
sincerity  of  your  words,  Cousin  Woldemar,"  she  said,  the 
calm  assurance  of  her  manner  impressing  him  more  even  than 
her  words.  "  I  am  sure  that  you  are  incapable  of  any  inten- 
tion to  deceive  me.  But  I  am  equally  sure  that  you  are 
deceiving  yourself." 

"  Oh,  Pauline,  how  can  you  speak  so  cruelly!  "  he  protested 
anew.  "  Do  you  doubt  the  genuineness  of  my  passion,  when 
every  fiber  of  my  heart  quivers  with  intense  longing  for  your 
love !  What  can  it  be  but  love  that  compels  me  to  confess  to 
you  how  wrong  I  have  been  all  this  time  ?  Or  am  I  indifferent 
to  you?  Have  I  sinned,  in  my  blindness,  beyond  forgive- 
ness? " 

Pauline  was  about  to  answer,  when  the  voice  of  Mrs.  Auf 
dem  Busch  was  heard  from  the  house,  summoning  the  girl  to 
the  performance  of  some  household  duty,  which  summons  she 
hailed  as  a  most  welcome  pretext  to  shirk  an  answer.  But  as 
she  turned  to  obey,  Woldemar  seized  her  hand  with  a  firm 
grasp. 

"Let  mama  wait!  "  he  exclaimed  peremptorily.  "Speak 
to  me  before  you  leave  me." 

"Then  listen,  Cousin  Woldemar,"  she  said,  speaking  in 
low,  measured  accents,  looking  him  full  in  the  face,  for  a  sec- 

24 


^70  THE  BE  BE  US  DAUGIITEB. 

ond,  then  dropping  her  eyes  to  the  grouud.  "I  do  not  love 
you.  I  know,  now,  that  I  never  did  love  you.  There  was  a 
time  when  I  would  gladly  have  assented  to  your  father's  wish 
to  become  your  wife ;  that  time  is  gone  by.  I  can  never  be 
your  wife." 

She  again  started  to  go  ;  again  he  stopped  her.  "  Stay!  " 
he  cried.  "  Tell  me,  when  did  you  learn  that  jow  cannot  love 
me?  When  did  you  find  out  that  you  can  never  be  my  wife?  " 
"  You  have  no  right  to  ask  me  such  a  question,"  she  replied, 
drawing  herself  up  to  her  full  height.  "  But  I  will  tell  3"Ou. 
It  was  when  I  became  convinced  that  you  did  not  love  me. 
Then  I  knew  that  I  could  not ;  that  I  would  not  accept  your 
hand  or  fortune  as  a  beggar  accepts  alms." 

"  Ah,  that  is  it!  "  he  exclaimed,  in  a  tone  blending  sarcasm, 
anger  and  defiance.  "  This  fine  Southern  gentleman  has 
taught  you  what  love  is,  and  now  you  turn  your  back  on  your 
earlier  friends.  You  and  your  brother  Victor  worship  this 
paragon  of  a  backwoodsman  as  if  he  were  a  superior  being. 
You  are  both  attracted  by  him  as  the  moth  is  by  a  brilliaut 
light.  And  you  will  both  learn,  that  although  his  light  is  but 
the  murky  flame  of  a  tallow  dip,  it  is  sufficiently  hot  to  burn 
to  a  cinder  your  showy  wings,  and  leave  you  maimed  for 
life." 

Then,  flinging  away  the  hand  he  had  held  in  his  iron  grasp, 
as  if  he  were  hurling  the  girl  herself  from  his  pathway  through 
life,  he  made  for  the  garden  gate  in  angry  strides,  leaving 
Pauline  free  to  join  his  mother  iu  the  house, 

Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch  had  witnessed  the  angry  departure  of 
her  son,  and  probably  heard  the  last  loudly  sj5oken  words. 
She  accosted  Pauline  as  to  what  had  happened  between  her 
and  Woldemar. 

"  He  is  angry  with  me,"  said  the  girl,  hoping,  though 
faintly,  that  something  might  happen  to  avert  the  necessity  of 
an  ex})lanation. 

"  I  could  see  that  myself,"  the  lady  replied.  "  I  wish  to 
know  what  von  naid  to  make  him  angrv." 


TOO  LATE.  371 

Pauline  looked  around  uneasily  as  they  passed  through  the 
hall  toward  the  sittino-  room.  She  knew  that  Uncle  Auf  dem 
Busch  was  in  the  library  reading  his  Sunday  paper:  If  he 
would  only  call  her!  They  reached  the  sittihg-room,  and 
Pauline,  seeing  no  escape  from  the  impending  doom,  nerved 
herself  for  the  ordeal.  She  gave  a  simple  and  truthful  account 
of  what  had  been  said,  making  no  attempt  to  shield  or  excuse 
herself,  or  to  throw  any  blame  on  her  cousin. 

A  cloud  had  been  gathering  on  the  face  of  Mrs.  Auf  dem 
Busch  which  made  Pauline  exceedingly  uncomfortable.  When 
it  broke  at  the  conclusion  of  the  recital,  there  was  a  storm  which 
the  girl  suffered  to  blow  over  without  murmur  or  resistance. 
Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch  summoned  and  pressed  into  service  her 
whole  stock  of  sarcasm  (easily  exhausted)  and  invective  (of 
which  she  possessed  a  goodlier  store)  to  do  justice  to  the 
occasion.  The  poor  girl  was  enlightened  as  to  many  traits  in 
her  character  the  existence  of  w-hich  she  had  not  before  sus- 
pected. Fickleness,  ingratitude,  head-strongness,  coquetry, 
self-conceit,  silliness,  were  some  of  the  ingredients  composing 
it,  as  she  might  learn  from  her  aunt's  schedule  of  them.  The 
voice  of  the  latter  lady  was  somewhat  more  emphatic  than 
usual.  It  was  sufficient  in  volume  to  penetrate  to  the  library 
and  attract  the  attention  of  her  husband,  who  presently  made  his 
way  into  the  sitting-room  to  learn  the  cause  of  the  excitement. 
Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch  spared  the  girl  the  pain  of  repeating  her 
confession  by  volunteering  the  desired  information,  given  not 
so  tamely,  perhaps,  as  Pauline  had  given  it  to  her,  but  with  an 
emphasis  and  accentuation  of  particular  phrases,  which,  to- 
gether with  some  embellishments  that  added  spice  to  the  plain 
truth,  made  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch' s  version  much  more  pointed 
and  exciting  to  the  old  gentleman  than  Pauline's  would  have 
been. 

But  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch  did  not  duly  appreciate  the  rhe- 
torical accomplishment  of  his  spouse ;  or,  perhaps,  overrated 
the  same.  For  he  capriciously  insisted  on  hearing  the  story 
over  again  from  Pauline  herself,  ungallantly  suggesting  that 


372  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

perhaps  the  lady's  presence  was  ueeessarv  in  the^kitchen,  to 
insure  the  success  of  their  Sunday  dinner,  while  he  put  the  girl 
through  her  catechism, 

"  Yes,"  said  Mrs,  Auf  dem  Busch,  getting  ready  to  obey 
her  husband's  broad  hint,  "  this  hussy  is  not  worth  the  spoiling 
of  our  dinner  on  her  account.  To  refuse  our  Woldeniar ! 
Does  she  expect  a  prince  out  of  a  story  book  to  come  and 
marry  her  ? ' ' 

She  was  about  to  leave  the  room,  when  she  suddenly  turned 
to  the  girl,  commanding  her  to  see  to  the  cooking  in  the 
kitchen.  Then,  when  the  girl  had  obeyed,  she  addressed 
herself  to  her  husband,  "  Now  what  are  you  going  to  do  about 
the  matter?  You  will  have  to  speak  an  earnest  word,  to  In'ing 
her  to  her  senses.  If  the  shameful  ogling  and  coquetting  with 
this  wind-bag  of  a  lawyer,  whom  Victor  has  brought  into  our 
house,  is  not  stopped,  and  that  right  soon,  she  will  become  the 
talk  of  everybody  that  knows  us.  It  looks  as  if  she  has  got 
it  into  her  silly  head  that  this  coxcomb  :neans  to  marry  her  : 
but  he  has  no  more  notion  of  it  than  of  marrying  our  kitchen 
girl.  He  is  just  making  a  fool  of  her  for  his  amusement. 
Now,  you  talk  to  her,  as  you  can  when  you  are  in  earnest.  — 
The  idea  of  her  refusing  our  Woldemar !  " 

The  old  gentleman  was  more  deeply  affected  than  he  cared 
to  show,  "  It  is  a  case  of  much  stupidness,"  he  said  at  last, 
interrupting  the  strides  with  which  he  was  measuring  the  lloor. 
"  Much  stupiduess  !  More  of  Woldemar  than  Pauline,  If  I 
had  the  chance,  like  Woldemar  has  the  chance,  this  Mr.  May 
would  have  no  chance.  But  Woldemar  learned  stupidness  in 
Germany,  and  he  brought  it  home  with  him.  And  he  lets  it 
grow  here.  So  a  fool  he  is!  The  beautifullest  plun'i  just 
waited  that  he  opened  his  mouth,  and  wanted  to  just  plump 
in.  And  he  looks  in  the  clouds,  and  lets  another  fellow 
snap  up  the  plum  right  before  his  nose.  It  is  enough  to  get 
mad !  ' ' 

'^  Busch,  you  are  a  fool!  "  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch  informed 
him,  with  an  air  of  sincerity  that  ought  to  have  carried  con  vie- 


TOO  LATE.  '373 

tion  to  the  merchaut's  mind,  "  You  are  so  gone  on  this  girl, 
that  I  do  jjelieve  you  would  marry  her  yourself,  if  you  had  the 
chance." 

"  Then  I  would  be  not  a  fool ;  contrary,  wise.  But  because 
I  am  not  a  widower,  and  possess  not  the  right  of  a  Mormon, 
you  are  enough  wives  for  me." 

"  And  are  you  going  to  uphold  this  vixen  in  her  self-willed 
foolishness?  "  the  lady  went  on,  ignoring  his  allusion  to  Mor- 
monism.  "She  will  listen  to  no  one  but  you.  I  might  talk 
to  her  until  I  am  hoarse,  and  she  would  no  more  mind  it  than 
if  I  talked  to  the  wind.  A  stern,,  severe  sermon  from  you 
might  bring  her  to  her  senses." 

"  Mean  you,  that  I  shall  frighten  her  to  love  Woldemar?  " 
he  asked,  soberly.  "  I  will  not  shame  my  son  so  much  as  that. 
If  he  is  proud,  as  he  shows  to  be,  he  wishes  not  a  wife  that  I 
court  for  him.  And  it  is  not  right  that  I  thrash  Pauline  if  she 
says  no.  But  you  have  so  much  right :  I  must  talk  to  her. 
Go,  send  her  here.  But  scold  her  not,  mind!  You  don't 
know  how  your  talk  makes  her  grieve,  and  it  is  not  her  fault, 
when  your  talk  does  no  good.  It  is  I  who  shall  scold  so  much 
as  it  is  good  for  her." 

Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch  shook  her  head  doubtlngly  as  she  left 
the  room.  She  clearly  mistrusted  her  husband's  willingness 
to  impress  the  wayward  girl  with  the  enormity  of  the  offense 
of  rejecting  the  suit  of  her  son  Woldemar. 

Some  minutes  passed  before  Pauline  came  back.  Whatever 
her  uncle  had  intended  to  say  to  her,  was  postponed  for  the 
moment,  when  he  noticed  a  suspicious  redness  about  her  eyes. 
' '  Did  your  aunt  say  something  to  you  before  you  left  her  ?  ' ' 
he  inquired  instead,  betraying  ungallaut  doubt  whether  his 
spouse  had  obeyed  his  parting  injunction. 

Pauline  shirked  a  direct  answer.  She  approach  him  with 
downcast  eyes.  But  when  she  raised  her  face  to  look  into 
his,  he  saw  therein  freshly  shed  tears.  "  Are  you  very  angrv 
with  me.  Uncle?"  came  from  her  lips,  in  a  voice  of  anxious 
solicitude. 


374  THE  REBEL'S   DAUGHTER. 

"You  feel,  that  I  have  right  to  be  angry,  —  not?"  he 
blustered,  more  sternly  than  was  his  wont  in  speaking  to  her. 

"Oh,  Uncle,  I  am  so  sorry!  So  sorry!"  she  went  on, 
looking  at  him  out  of  her  great,  tear-dimmed  eyes  in  pathetic 
appeal.     "  Oh,  if  you  knew  how  sorry  I  am !  " 

"You  have  right  to  be  sorry,  not?  "  His  voice  sounded 
rougher,  even,  than  before. 

"  It  makes  me  so  miserable,  dear  Uncle,  to  know  that  you 
are  displeased  with  what  I  have  done." 

"  Nonsense!  "  the  father  of  Woldemar  exclaimed,  a  gleam 
of  hope  brightening  for  a.  moment  his  sober  face.  "If  you 
sorry,  all  is  yet  right.  Woldemar  is  not  so  a  fool,  as  he  tries 
to  be  to  you.  He  will  speak  over,  and  you  speak  so  that  you 
are  not  sorry." 

"  But  oh,  dear  Uncle,  I  cannot  speak  so  that  you  will  not  be 
sorry,"  the  girl  sobbed  out  in  keen  distress.  "  For  3^ou  wish 
me  to  say  yes,  do  you  not?  That  is  what  makes  aunt  angry, 
because  I  did  not  say  yes.  And  I  must  say  no,  dear  Uncle, 
indeed  I  must!  " 

"  So,  so,  you  must  say  no?  "  he  remarked,  eyeing  her 
sharply.  "  Why  must  you  say  no?  Is  not  Woldemar  good 
enough  for  you  ?  " 

"  Oh,  how  can  you  ask  me  such  a  question!  "  she  replied, 
looking  at  him  reproachfully.  "  Cousin  Woldemar  is  high- 
minded,  noble  and  generous.  He  is  good  enough  for  the 
proudest  lady  in  the  land.  And  I  thought  it  would  be  so  easy 
a  task  to  love  him  —  ' ' 

' '  Easy  task  !  ' '  the  old  gentleman  shouted.  ' '  Task  !  Well , 
and  why  loved  you  him  not  ? ' ' 

A  deep  blush  suffused  her  cheeks.  Whether  of  anger  or  of 
shame  he  could  not  be  sure.  She  dropped  her  eyes  as  she  an- 
swered, almost  in  a  whisper :  "Because  he  did  not  ask  me  to." 

"So  an  ass!  "  the  irate  man  almost  shouted.  Then,  turn- 
ing to  the  girl  with  scowling  face,  he  added:  "  Because  you 
never  helped  him,  —  not?  Because  he  could  read  in  your 
face  that  you  would  say  no,  when  he  would  ask  you,  —  not?  " 


TOO  LATE.  375 

"  If  he  had  asked  me,  I  would  not  have  said  no,  dear  rneli', 
I  am  sure  I  would  not." 

"  But  you  said  no,  when  he  asked  you  this  mornino-,  —  not? 
Why  said  you  no  this  morning?  " 

"  Because, "  she  stammered,  "he  —  he  asked  me  —  too 
late!  " 

A  low  whistle,  a  look  into  her  face  betraying  genuine  sur- 
prise, regret  and  unmistakable  vexation,  marked  the  effect 
upon  him  of  her  words.  "  So,  —  that  is  the  time  of  day?  "  he 
said,  after  a  little  pause.  "Too  late!  Then,  also,  you  are 
already  bespoken  ?  ' ' 

"  No,  oh  no,"  she  exclaimed  hurriedly.  "  Do  you  mean, 
whether  I  am  engaged?  No.  If  you  mean  that,  you  are  mis- 
taken. Uncle." 

"  Not  engaged?  "  he  queried  wonderingly.  "  Then  if  you 
are  not  engaged,  why  spoke  Woldemar  too  late?  You  like 
him.  You  say  he  is  good  enough  for  anybody.  He  asks 
you  to  marry  him.  Then,  if  you  are  not  engaged,  Avh}^  say 
you  no?  " 

"Because,  dear  Uncle,  I  cannot  love  him."  Her  eyes 
sought  the  floor,  and  a  crimson  flood  suffused  her  neck  and 
cheeks,  mounting  upward  over  even  her  forehead  as  she  spoke. 
"I  know  now,  that  it  would  be  a  lie,  if  I  promised  to  love 
him." 

"  More  and  more  stupiduess !  "  Uncle  Auf  dem  Busch  ex- 
claimed. "  Woldemar  betook  himself  like  an  ass,  I  know. 
Because  he  was  in  Germany.  But  you  have  been  here  with 
me.  I  am  proud  over  your  good  sense.  What  makes  you 
a  fool  now  ?  ' ' 

"  Dear  Uncle,  be  not  angry,"  said  the  girl,  in  low,  pleading 
accents  and  with  a  look  of  painful  distress  he  found  diUicult  to 
resist.     "  I  could  not  do  otherwise,  indeed  I  could  not." 

"  Women  and  mystery!  "  the  old  gentleman  mused.  "  You 
like  Woldemar.  You  like  to  please  me.  You  like  to  please 
your  aunt.  And  you  are  not  engaged.  Then  why  not  marry 
Woldemar?  " 


376  THE  BEBEL'S  DAUQHTEB. 

"  Because  it  would  be  wrong  to  man-y  a  luau  I  do  not  love." 

"  Then  love  Woldemar !  " 

'•But,  Uncle,  Love  comes  not  for  the  asking.  Do  you  not 
know,  that  he  laughs  at  the  foolish  heart  that  would  compel 
him?  And  when  he  comes,  he  knocks  not  for  admittance.  He 
takes  possession  of  the  heart  and  rules  tvTaunically.  All  the 
senses  are  in  league  with  him ;  all  the  affections  center  in  him.  ■ 
He  glorifies  our  very  being.  He  elevates  us  into  the  realm  of 
the  Divine  ;  for  love  is  the  God-like  gift  of  God  to  those  whom 
he  exhalts." 

Pauline  stood  erect,  as  she  spoke.  A  rosy  hue  overspread 
her  face  and  glorified  its  expression,  as  she  raised  her  spark- 
ling eyes,  looking,  —  not  at,  but  thiough  her  uncle,  into  the 
beyond. 

"Oh!  "  said  the  uncle,  raising  his  eye-brows.  "Well, 
Pauline,  if  you  are  not  bespoken,  maybe  you  ought  to  be.  It 
is  a  case  of  much  stupidness." 


XXIV. 

PRIVATE  AND  CONFIDENTIAL. 

^ECCAVI!  I  freely  confess,  adorable  sister  mine,  that 
six  months,  — or  is  it  seven?  —  is  entirely  too  long  to 
keep  you  waiting  for  the  answer  to  that  pathetic  ques- 
tion you  put  to  me  about  the  railsplitter's  ballad  of  The 
Glove.  And  since  I  am  no  better  acquainted  with  Schiller's 
poems  than  yourself,  I  can  only  give,  by  way  of  an  excuse  for 
the  answer,  a  rough  guess :  Let  us  suppose  that  the  Ger- 
mans, in  their  inscrutable  philosophy,  spurn  the  distinction 
between  a  mitten  and  a  glove  ;  and  let  us  suppose,  further, 
that  the  ceremony  of  presenting  the  mitten  is,  among  poetical 
Germans,  not  exclusively  a  privilege  of  the  lovely  sex,  as  it  is 
among  us  prosaic  Americans;  then,  —  don't  you  see?  —  the 
application  is  easy  enough.  He  would  politely  decline  your 
thanks,  —  give  you  the  mitten,  as  Victor  did  when  you  asked 
him  to  marry  you  —  in  fun.  If  this  explanation  is  not  satis- 
factory, let  me  suggest  to  you  to  get  Leigh  Hunt's  The  Lady 
and  the  Glove,  or  Bulwer's  translation  of  Schiller's  Poems,  — 
either  of  which  you  will  find,  no  doubt,  in  the  congressional 
library  —  and  read  the  poem  for  yourself. 

And  having  now  fully  answered  the  momentous  query,  I 
will  proceed  to  do  such  ample  penance  for  my  remissness  in  the 
epistolary  duties  of  an  exemplary  brother,  as  shall  secure  abso- 
lution from  even  so  stern  a  Father  Confessor  as  Lovely  Woman 
can  be  when  she's  in  a  tantrum.  I  propose  to  send  you  such  a 
budget  of  spicy  news,  as  shall  cause  your  feminine  heart  to 
beat  with  the  very  ecstasy  of  feminine  delight.  I  give  you 
fair  warning  that  I  mean  to  disarm  your  just  anger  by  tickling 
your  palate  and  cramming  your  maw  with  the  choicest  morsels 
of  gossip  and  delicate  tid-bits  of  a  swell  brother's  confidence. 

(377) 


378  THE  llEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

—  To  begin  with,  I  might  say,  as  did  Citsar  to  his  frieud 
Armiutus,  Veni,  Vi(h\  Vici.  For  that  is  about  the  size  of 
it.  But  then  your  woman's  fancy  might  jump  to  a  woman's 
conclusion,  and  tempt  your  diminutive  wits  to  set  about  the 
unmaking  of  a  match  that  is  not  yet  made.  I  am  sorry  that  I 
cannot  indulge  you  in  such  exquisite  sport,  just  now.  For 
spoiling  a  match  is,  to  the  girl  of  the  jjeriod,  the  rarest  fun,  is 
it  not?  Always  saving,  of  course,  that  pinnacle  of  her  ambi- 
tion, —  of  hooking  a  lish  for  one's  self,  and  then  flinging  the 
silly  gudgeon  back  into  the  water,  with  lacerated  gills  ;  or  leav- 
ing him  to  gasp  away  his  miserable  life  at  one's  feet,  while 
bating  the  hook  for  a  fresh  victim.  Oh,  no,  Nell.  I  have, 
sometimes,  swallowed  bait;  but  never  the  hook.  I  manage, 
mostly,  to  turn  the  laugh  against  the  fair  anglers. 

—  But  you  may  congratulate  me  all  the  same.  For  have  I 
not  realized  the  maxim  taught  us  by  Caleb  Amos,  —  business 
before  pleasure?  —  Nay,  have  I  not  inade  of  business  a 
})leasure,  while  you,  poor  slave  of  Society  and  shuttle-cock  of 
Fashion,  are  making  the  pursuit  of  pleasure  a  laborious,  un- 
satisfactory business  ?  At  least  I  judge  from  your  last  effusion 
that  you  are  beginning  to  realize  how  high  a  price  you  are  pay- 
ing for  the  morbid  ambition  of  shining  as  the  acknowledged 
bell-wether  —  I  mean  belle  —  at  Saratoga,  or  even  at  the  capi- 
tal. I  can  well  imagine  how  sated  —  surfeited,  rather, — you 
are  by  this  time,  of  the  fulsome  adulation  of  short- witted  fojis, 
who  brag  among  themselves  of  the  favors  secretly  granted 
them  by  that  "  adowable  creecher ;  "  and  how  skeptical  you 
have  grown  of  the  gushing  admiration  and  friendship  of  lesser 
stars  of  the  feminine  persuasion,  who  do  not  believe  half  the 
horrid  stories  of  your  being  an  incurable  flirt  and  shameless 
coquette  —  until  they  have  repeated  them  the  half  a  dozenth 
time.  Of  course  I  know  how  immaculate  my  charming  sister 
is  in  this  respect ;  but  how  are  you  to  stop  those  tongues  from 
wagging,  when  they  Avag  in  such  lovely  feminine  mouths  ? 

—  But  to  my  text.  The  way  I  took  this  city  by  storm,  and 
became  at  once  a  famous,  if  not  case-hardened  lawyer,  would 


PBIVATE  AND    CONFIDENTIAL.  379 

have  astouislied  Blackstoue  himself,  and  is,  if  uot  miraculous, 
at  least  a  trifle  romantic.  My  gushing  young  friend  Victor 
Waldhorst  (of  whom  I  shall  have  something  more  to  say  by 
and  by)  was  the  first  to  discover  my  dormant  genius,  you 
know,  and  is  now  fii'mly  convinced  that  destiny  means  me  to 
wear  the  silken  gown  and  bestride  the  woolsack  as  Chief 
Justice  of  these  United  States.  You  would  agree  with  him,  I 
have  no  doubt,  in  ascribing  my  phenomenal  success  to  my  own 
sterling  merits,  did  not  my  equally  phenomenal  modesty  impel 
me  to  give  the  devil  his  due,  — that  is,  to  admit,  that  I  owe 
my  success  chiefly  to  our  whilom  overseer,  old  Jeffreys  ;  it 
came  about  thusly : 

—  On  my  arrival  in  this  city,  I  joined  shingles  with  an  old 
fox  of  a  lawyer  named  Simms,  and  launched  my  barque  to 
pilot  confiding  clients  upon  the  storm-tossed  billows  of  litiga- 
tion into  the  haven  of  success — or  defeat.  AVell,  our  firm 
was  retained  to  defend  the  Quixotic  proprietor  of  a  beer  gar- 
den, who  was  indicted  for  selling  beer  on  Sunday.  There  had 
been  many  hundred  indictments  of  the  same  kind ;  for  the 
Germans  are  partial  to  a  drink  of  beer  or  wine  on  Sunday, 
even  such  of  them,  if  any,  that  drink  nothing  but  water  during 
the  balance  of  the  week,  and  the  Sunday  law  had  not  been 
enforced  until  the  know-nothings  captured  the  city.  So  it 
came  hard  on  the  keepers  of  the  beer  houses  to  knock  under 
to  the  new  regime.  I  spoke  of  our  client  as  Quixotic,  because 
there  was  hardly  a  chance  in  a  thousand  to  clear  him.  For 
every  phase  of  the  Sunday  law  had  been  passed  on  by  the 
Supreme  Court.  Conviction  must  inevitably  follow  proof  of 
selling,  or  even  of  keeping  open  an  establishment  for  the  sale 
of,  beer,  or  any  other  alcoholic  di'ink,  on  Sunday.  So  we 
informed  our  client  of  the  hopelessness  of  any  defense  we  could 
make,  and  suggested  to  him  that  by  a  plea  of  guilty  he  would 
not  only  save  his  lawyer's  fee,  but  also  escape  with  a  far 
smaller  penalty.-  But  he  was  clear  grit :  he  insisted  on  being 
defended  against  an  iniquitous  and  tyrannical  law,  holding  that 
it   would   be   cowardly  and  wrong  for  him  to  submit  Avithout 


380  THE  BEBEU8  DAUGHTER, 

resistance.  So,  you  see,  we  lawyers  were  put  on  our  mettle, 
and  I,  for  one,  determined  to  secure  an  acquittal,  if  it  were 
within  human  endeavor. 

It  fell  to  my  lot  to  bear  the  brunt  of  probable  defeat,  as 
being  the  junior  partner,  old  Simms  telling  me  with  a  sly  wink, 
that  one  of  the  most  important  things  for  a  young  lawyer  to 
learn  was  to  bear  defeat  with  equanimity.  But  I  determined 
to  die  game,  if  die  I  must ;  and  knowing  that  there  was  no 
hope  on  the  law  of  the  case,  I  set  about  studying  the  chances 
on  the  facts,  by  which  I  mean  that  I  tried  to  find  out  what  kind 
of  evidence  would  likely  be  given  before  the  jury  to  prove  our 
client's  guilt.  With  this  view  I  visited  the  establishment  kept 
by  him  —  a  beer  garden  of  considerable  pretensions  and  cor- 
responding popularity.  There  I  made  some  important,  at 
least  very  interesting  discoveries  ;  but  of  these  I  will  tell  you 
later  on,  for  they  had  no  connection  with  the  case  in  hand,  and 
afforded  no  encouragement  in  that  direction.  So  I  next  visited 
the  clerk's  office  of  the  criminal  court,  to  examine  the  indict- 
ment. And  here,  at  last,  a  gleam  of  light  broke  in  upon  the 
hitherto  gloomy  outlook.  Not  that  I  found  the  indictment 
defective,  or  the  smallest  loophole  through  which  I  might  have 
attempted  to  extricate  my  client:  The  work  of  the  State's 
attorney  was  properly  waterproof.  But  on  turning  over  the 
paper  I  found  indorsed  thereon  the  name  of  our  former  over- 
seer as  the  sole  witness  for  the  prosecution.  Here  was  a  pros- 
pect of  fun,  at  least,  if  not  of  success.  My  face  must  have 
shone  with  exultation  ;  for  one  of  the  clerks,  looking  at  me 
with  an  expectant  smile,  asked  me  what  flaw  I  had  found  in  the 
indictment.  I  duly  blushed  for  the  unlawyerlike  freshness  I 
had  displayed.  A  case-hardened  lawyer,  you  know,  would  have 
reserved  all  show  of  feeling  for  the  jury. 

But  when  the  trial  came  off,  I  showed  my  brethren  of  the 
bar  what  a  lawyer  from  the  backwoods  can  do  by  way  of 
dressing  down  a  swift  witness.  The  old  villain  knew  me  at 
once,  of  course,  and  I  could  see  by  the  fiu'tive  glances  with 
which  he  regarded  me,  that  he  was  not  quite  at  ease.     But  he 


PlilVATE  AND    CONFIDENTIAL,  381 

gave  his  testimony  with  remarkable  directness  and  effect,  so 
long  as  he  was  in  the  hands  of  the  prosecuting  attorue3%  He 
had  evidently  improved  in  style  by  the  experience  he  had  gone 
thi-ough  in  the  criminal  court, — for  he  was  the  prosecuting 
witness  in  a  large  number  of  the  Sunday  cases  docketed  for 
that  term.  And  even  when  my  turn  came  to  put  questions  to 
him,  he  answered  boldly  and  readily  enough,  until  I  tackled 
him  about  his  Brookfleld  experiences.  Of  course  he  denied 
that  he  had  run  off  from  there,  and  that  he  had  sworn  falsely, 
and  that  he  had  abused  his  position  as  gi"and  juror  to  revenge 
himself  upon  his  employer  for  having  discharged  him.  Of 
course,  too,  he  lied  glibly  in  answer  to  my  questions  as  to  what 
he  had  done  before  he  left  Brookfleld.  It  was  then  that  I  put 
him  through  a  course  of  sprouts  that  opened  the  eyes  of  the 
jury.  It  was  absolutely  painful,  though  amusing  in  the  highest 
degree,  to  witness  his  awkward  attempts  to  wi'iggle  out  of  one  lie 
by  telling  another,  until  at  last  he  stuck  in  the  quagmire  of  his 
lies  so  firmly,  that  every  motion  he  made  but  sunk  him  deeper, 
and  he  finally  gave  up  in  sullen  helplessness.  It  was  an 
easy  thing,  then,  to  show  by  his  own  testimony  that  he  had 
been  hired  by  a  temperance  lodge  to  visit  as  many  of  the  beer 
houses  and  pleasure  gardens  as  he  could  on  a  Sunday,  and 
either  to  buy  and  pay  for,  or  induce  some  other  person  in 
his  presence  to  order  and  pay  for,  beer,  wine  or  other  alco- 
holic di'ink  so  as  to  be  able  to  swear  to  enough  to  secure  con- 
viction, in  which  event  he  was  to  be  paid  by  the  lodge,  in 
addition  to  the  witness  fee  to  be  paid  out  of  the  costs  of  the 
case,  a  certain  sum  of  money.  My  success  was  complete.  I 
take  credit  to  myself  for  the  hit  I  made  about  the  pay  from 
the  temperance  lodge ;  that  was  not  a  random  shot,  but  a 
shi'ewd  guess,  based  on  the  fact  that  Jeffreys  was  the  prose- 
cuting witness  in  so  many  cases,  and  my  opinion  of  the  narrow- 
minded  calibre  of  the  average  temperance  fanatics.  Not  only 
was  our  client  cleared,  but  every  defendant,  against  whom 
Jeffreys  was  the  witness,  came  off  scot-free,  because  the  State's 
attornej'  with  the  approbation  of   the  judge,  refused  to  go  to 


382  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

the  jury  iu  auy  single  ease  on  the  unsupported  testimony  of 
the  self-convicted  perjuror.  There  was  great  rejoicing  among 
the  Teutons,  you  may  believe,  and  the  law-fii-m  of  Simms  & 
May  now  enjo^^s  great  popularity  among  them. 

—  So  much  for  my  success  at  the  bar.  My  career  as  a  poli- 
tician, though  equally  brief,  was  even  more  brilliant.  In  this 
regard  the  laconism  of  Ci^sar  would,  also,  be  appropriate  and 
expressive.  You  need  not  excuse  me  in  your  shallow-brained 
fashion,  of  tooting  my  own  horn,  when  I  say  to  you:  Get 
ready  your  frippery  to  shine  on  the  next  higher  round  of  the 
Washington  Society  ladder.  Let  mama  practice  to  put  a  little 
extra  stiffness  into  her  courtesies  to  the  lions  visiting  the  cai)i- 
tal,  so  as  to  support  the  projier  dignity  of  a  senator's  wife. 
Now  I  do  not  claim  the  merit  of  having  elected  pa._  As  you 
hint,  in  your  famous  letter  to  me,  he  is  a  perfect  team  in  him- 
self, and  has  done,  no  doubt,  Herculean  work  in  canvassing 
the  State.  And  I  hoi)e,  among  other  things,  that  Ralph 
Fayton  has  done  his  share  of  work  in  the  vSouthwest,  as  he 
promised,  and  as  was  not  only  his  duty,  but  to  his  own  inter- 
est to  do.  But  this  I  may  say,  defying  contradiction,  that  I 
have  done  such  work,  as  a  veteran  wire-puller  might  be  proud 
of.  I  have  hitched  teams  with  a  cranky  philosopher  in  run- 
ning the  primaries,  and  keeping  the  convention  straight.  We 
succeeded  in  pledging  most  of  the  members  nominated  for  the 
General  Assembly,  from  this  county,  for  pa,  and  the  conven- 
tion endorsed  him  b}^  special  resolution.  But  above  all  things 
1  have  secured  a  powerful  element  of  the  press,  —  an  element 
that  will  most  likely  gain  us  a  number  of  votes  outside 
of  our  own  party.  And  I  have  succeeded,  —  not  without 
the  aid  of  the  cranky  philosopher  aforesaid,  —  in  pledging 
Victor  Waldhorst  to  our  cause,  and  securing  his  powerful 
influence  in  the  interest  of  pa.  You  think  that  was  not  much 
of  a  job,  do  you?  But  you  should  know  better.  You  should 
remember  that  he  carries  his  squeamish  conscientiousness  to  a 
ridiculous  extent.  He  would  no  more  vote  for  pa,  if  he  be- 
lieved him  to  be  wrong  on  some  serious  question   of    public 


PRIVATE   AND    CONFIDENTIAL.  383 

policy,  tliau  he  would  lie  or  steal.  But  I  flatter  myself  that 
we  have  him  pretty  safely  bound.  He  was  chairman  of  a  mass 
meeting  that  instructed  for  pa ;  he  was  a  member  of  the  com- 
mittee, in  the  convention,  that  reported  in  his  favor,  and 
things  must  happen  strangely  indeed,  if  he  can  be  induced  to 
desert  our  cause,  even  if  he  be  put  to  a  severe  test. 

—  Speaking  of  Victor  Waldhorst  reminds  me,  that  I  must 
tell  you  the  i)articulars  of  my  visit  to  Vaux  Hall  Park.  That 
is  the  name  of  the  public  garden  kept  by  the  client  I  spoke  of. 
Do  you  remember  the  place  we  visited  one  Sunday  afternoon 
while  at  Stuttgart,  called  Fran  Harm's  Garden?  Well,  this 
Vaux  Hall  Park  is  in  many  respects  very  much  like  it.  If 
you  can  bring  your  mind  to  bear  on  the  amusing  things  we 
witnessed  there,  you  will  have  an  excellent  idea  of  the  circum- 
stances under  which  I  made  the  acquaintance  of  its  patrons. 
One  of  these  was  a  quaint  old  gentleman,  who  lectured  me  in 
a  droll  compound  of  Teutonic  and  Anglo-Saxon  on  the  danger 
of  drinking  iced  lemonade  in  hot  weather.  While  conversing 
with  him  and  drinking  —  not  lemonade  !  —  w^ho  should  rush  in 
on  us,  with  radiant  face  and  an  exclamation  of  glad  surprise, 
but  Victor  Waldhorst !  This  was  interesting  in  itself  ;  but  it 
became  more  so  by  the  fact,  that  he  was  accompanied  by  a 
sister,  and  a  cousin  and  an  aunt ;  and  that  the  old  gentleman 
who  had  cautioned  me  against  lemonade  turned  out  to  be  the 
father  of  the  cousin  and  the  husband  of  the  aunt,  and  therefore 
the  uncle  of  Victor  and  the  sister.  Not  exactly  an  uncle  in 
fact,  as  Victor  subsequently  informed  me,  but  a  distant  rela- 
tive, called  "  uncle  "  by  courtesy,  as  was  the  "  cousin,"  also 
by  courtesy.  But  the  sister  was  genuine.  He  introduced  her 
as  Pauline.  That  makes  her  Pauline  Waldhorst,  —  a  name 
that  sounded  not  unfamiliar,  and  not  at  all  unpleasant.  Rather 
euphonious  I  found  it  in  contrast  with  that  oddity  that  served 
the  others  for  a  patronymic,  — Auf  dem  Busch  !  — But  I  think 
the  name  Pauline  alone  so  pretty,  and  so  much  nicer  than  the 
formal  Miss  Waldhorst,  that  you  will  permit  me,  at  least  in  the 
privacy  of  our  confidential  correspondence,  to  call  her  Pauline. 


384  THE  EEBEUS  DAUGHTEE. 

Well,  we  had  a  great  afternoon  of  it.  I  was  polite  to  the 
ladies  (note  that  I  use  the  plural!)  and  tried  to  put  my  best 
foot  foremost,  entertaining  the  company  with  as  lively  an  ac- 
count of  our  travels  (for  I  took  care  to  keep  you  in  the  fore- 
ground) as  I  knew  how.  I  needed  but  slight  varnish  to  my 
colors,  for  I  had  very  attentive  listeners.  Pauline,  at  least, 
and  Victor,  displayed  a  degree  of  interest  that  was  very  flat- 
tering to  the  narrator.  Even  the  old  gentleman  (who,  in  spite 
of  his  whimsicalities,  is  by  no  means  a  fool)  never  took  his  eyes 
off  my  face,  except  to  press  upon  me,  now  and  then,  the  very 
excellent  Khein  wine  he  had  ordered.  The  cousin  alone,  whom 
they  had  introduced  as  Woldemar  Auf  dem  Busch,  seemed 
really  bored.  I  must  have  trodden  on  some  corn  of  his. 
Perhaps  dimming  his  lustre  as  a  traveler,  for  I  learned  he  had 
returned,  not  so  very  long  before,  from  a  sojourn  of  several 
years  in  the  old  country.  Whatever  may  have  been  the  cause, 
the  fact  was,  that  he  took  no  sort  of  pains  to  conceal  his  bad 
humor,  and  I  was  rather  amused  at  the  grimaces  by  which  he 
betrayed  it,  and  may  have,  on  my  part,  transcended  the  limits 
of  good  form  in  trying  his  patience.  You  need,  however, 
waste  no  sympathy  on  him.  He  is  big  enough  to  take  care  of 
himself,  and  has  been  to  Germany.  If  he  learned  manners 
there,  it  is  about  time  that  he  should  conform  to  our  American 
standard.  He  deserved  all  he  got  from  me,  and  more  than  I 
gave  him,  for  the  exasperating  air  of  proprietorship  with  which 
he  lorded  it  over  that  glorious  creature  who  calls  him  cousin. 

Glorious,  did  I  say?  Well,  let  it  stand.  I  may  as  well 
confess  that  I  mean  it.  She  is  glorious.  No  newly  opening 
rose-bud,  gemmed  with  pearls  of  dewy  morn,  can  vie  with  her 
in  loveliness.  (These  words  may  sound  to  you  like  something 
you  have  heard  before  ;  so  I  will  claim  no  copyright  to  them. 
But  they  express  my  opinion  of  her  exactly.  So  I  may  as  well 
employ  a  few  more  flowers  in  sketching  her  to  you.)  No  daisy 
is  more  simple,  no  mignonette  more  unpretendingly  modest 
than  she  ;  yet  no  camelia  more  queenlike  in  regal  grace  and 
beauty!     Her  smile,  when  it  comes,  (and  it  is  easy  to  make  it 


PBIVATE  AND    CONFIDENTIAL.  385 

eomc)  nc'celerates  the  pulse  and  wuims  the  heart,  as  if  one  had 
drauk  sweet  wiue.  She  is  not  a  bkie-stocking  ;  but  has  akuack 
of  applying  dainty  scraps  of  poetry  just  in  the  right  places. 
Neither  forward  with  her  opinion,  nor  of  what  you  might  call  a 
talkative  disposition,  she  converses  charmingly,  and  when  her 
interest  is  aroused,  her  sallies  are  effective,  usually,  by  their 
naive  drollery  and  vivacious  playfulness. 

But  she  has  her  faults,  too.  In  all  the  arts  of  coquetry  her 
education  has  been  sadly  neglected.  And  then  her  angelic 
goodness  makes  one  feel  uncomfortable.  I  miss  the  wings  on 
her  shoulders.  Her  perfection  puts  me  out  of  conceit  with 
myself.  I  can  see  that  she  ought  to  naarry  some  good  man,  — 
some  such  paragon  of  excellence  as  her  brother  will  be  some 
day,  when  he  gets  his  sentimental  nonsense  knocked  out  of 
him  by  a  little  rough  experience  ;  or  even  as  her  cousin  Wol- 
demar  might  be.  if  he  had  not  been  to  Germany.  From  these 
confessions  you  will  understand  that  1  do  not  propose  making 
Victor  your  brother-in-law,  nor,  on  the  other  hand,  do  I  con- 
template to  give  up,  just  yet,  the  exquisite  sjjort  of  rousing  the 
angry  jealousy  of  the  imperious,  self-sufficient  German  Cousin 
Woldemar,  by  playing  lover  to  this  rare  piece  of  girlish  love- 
liness. It  may  prove  a  blessing  in  disguise  to  both.  Do  you 
understand  ? 

—  The  discovery  in  Vaux  Hall  Park  had  other  consequences 
also.  It  is  evident  to  you,  I  suppose,  that  I  made  liberal  use 
of  my  invitation  to  visit  the  villa  of  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch. 
There,  on  my  fbrst  visit,  I  became  acquainted  with  an  odd 
genius,  —  no  less  a  personage  than  a  live  philosoj^her,  who 
gave  us  a  scientific  disquisition  of  the  art  of  carving  —  in 
which,  to  do  him  justice,  he  is  an  adept  —  involving  the  law  as 
a  science,  and  winding  up  with  a  sermon  on  Cats'  Tails  and 
the  absurdity  of  slave  laws.  A  strange  man!  Repellant,  yet 
fascinating.  His  influence  over  the  inmates  of  the  old  mer- 
chant's household  is  truly  marvelous,  though  exceedingly  di- 
verse. The  old  gentleman  himself  admires  him  as  a  hunter, 
and  is  thoroughlv  convinced  that  there  is  not  a  more  learned 


386  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

or  profound  man  in  the  State.  Pauline  is  infatuated  with  him 
as  a  poet ;  for  she  told  me  that  he  was  the  only  man  who 
had  been  able  to  make  Goethe  speak  to  her  in  English.  She 
regards  him  as  a  superior  man,  I  doubt  not;  though  I  hardly 
believe  she  likes  him.  Woldemar  Auf  dem  Busch  is,  in  this 
one  respect  at  least,  like  me :  We  both  look  upon  him  as  crack- 
brained,  having  succumbed  to  the  influence  of  German  meta- 
physics and  speculative  philosophy.  But,  unlike  Mr.  Auf  dem 
Busch,  who  believes  him  to  be  an  impractical  visionary,  I  am 
convinced  that  he  possesses,  in  spite  of  his  cranky  notions 
about  philosophy,  a  keen  insight  into  the  motives  and  weak- 
nesses of  human  nature,  and  a  power  of  organization  that  is 
truly  astonishing.  I  have  akeady  indicated  to  you  that  it  was 
chiefly  through  his  aid  that  we  succeeded  in  pledging  the  mem- 
bers of  the  legislature  in  pa's  favor,  and  what  is  almost  of 
graver  importance,  that  both  Victor  and  the  paper  he  edits  are 
indissolubly  attat^hed  to  his  interest.  It  would  have  amused 
you  to  listen  to  the  arguments  by  which  he  corrected  Victor's 
squeamishness.  The  latter's  nice  sense  of  honor  rebelled 
against  employing  any  but  the  most  scrupulously  straightfor- 
ward means  in  carrying  on  the  canvass.  But  the  professor 
convinced  him,  in  spite  of  himself,  that  h\^ocrisy  and  lying  were 
conunendable  in  a  good  cause.  It  sounded  odd  to  hear  him 
defend  hypocrisy  and  prevarication,  and  I  was  sorely  afraid 
that  he  was  di'iving  Victor  into  the  opposition  to  our  cause  ; 
l)ut  the  professor's  words  were  to  him  "  confirmation  strong  as 
proof  of  Holy  Writ,"  and  Victor  swallowed  them  all.  Young 
Auf  dem  Busch  once  told  me,  that  the  professor's  influence 
over  Victor  was  like  that  of  a  snake  charming  a  bird.  Now 
doesn't  that  look  like  it?  Yet  Victor  would  indignantly  deny 
that  the  professor  had  any  influence  over  him  at  all,  but  that 
he  only  yielded  to  the  force  of  the  reasoning  employed  by  him. 
If  so,  then  reason  is  the  God  he  worships,  and  Professor 
Rauhenfels  is  his  Prophet. 

—  By  the  way,  Nellie,  are  you  not  a  little  curious  to  know, 
whether  Victor  is  given  to  worship  any  other  idol  besides  Rea- 


PBIVATE  AND    CONFIDENTIAL.  387 

son  ?  I  dare  say  that  you  have  not  forgotten  the  devotion  that 
attached  him  to  a  little  lassie,  who  played  havoc  with  the  hearts 
of  the  laddies  ever  so  long  ago.  Have  you  not  his  scalp  dan- 
gling from  your  girdle-belt, — one  of  the  earliest  trophies  of 
your  prowess  in  the  warfare  against  the  sterner  sex?  His 
scalpwound,  however,  seems  not  to  have  proved  fatal, — so 
much  I  can  demonstrate,  for  he  still  wears  a  goodly  head  of 
hair.  But  as  to  the  condition  of  his  heart — why,  you  might 
come  here  yourself.  You  mean  to  come  at  any  rate,  don't 
you?  To  help  electioneer  for  pa,  you  know;  for  you  can  do 
more  in  this  line,  than  any  other  person,  or  half  dozen  per- 
sons,—  more  than  even  the  professor.  For  in  a  certain  con- 
tingency, which  may  or  may  not  arise,  his  interest  will  be 
adverse  to  us,  and  in  that  case,  nothing  will  hold  Victor,  unless  it 
be  your  coaxing.  If  that  contingency  should  come  to  pass  it  may 
turn  out,  too,  that  nothing  can  save  pa  but  Victor  and  his  ad- 
herents. So,  if  you  are  in  earnest  about  doing  something  for 
the  honor  of  our  family,  don't  fail  to  induce  pa  and  ma  to 
make  a  stay  of  a  few  days,  on  your  way  home  from  Washing- 
ton, at  this  gay  metropolis  of  the  West!  Don't  shirk  duty! 
You  know  as  well  as  I,  that  your  power  to  lead  Victor  is 
limited  only  by  the  limits  of  the  possible.  So  come,  at  the 
risk,  if  need  be,  of  arousing  a  little  jealousy  on  the  part  of  your 
intended.  —  For  I  suppose  that  by  this  time  3^ou  have  com- 
mitted yourself  in  the  direction  of  that  "sturdy  Western 
beau  "  who  went  all  the  way  to  Washington  to  angle  for  an 
heiress  and  a  seat  in  Congress  ?  You  ought  to  be  weary  of 
distributing  mittens  ;  and  I  judge  that  Payton  has  laid  close 
siege  to  your  heart,  or  what  there  is  left  of  it.  I  cannot  say  that 
he  is  the  one  whom  I  would  have  selected  as  my  brother-in-law  ; 
but  then  this  match  is  your  funeral,  not  mine.  I  don't  admire  the 
grit  of  a  man,  who  has  promised  his  support  to  pa,  in  a  highly 
important  election,  and  who  is  himself  a  candidate  for  Con- 
gressional honors,  and  instead- of  attending  to  his  business, 
wastes  his  time  in  running  after  his  girl,  —  even  if  he  does 
believe  the  heiress  to  be  worth  more  to  him  than  his  seat  in 


388 


THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 


Congress.  For  I  iufer  from  some  of  pa's  letters  that  he  must 
have  been  dancing  attendance  on  you  at  Saratoga,  and  followed 
you  to  the  mountains  !  —  But  then  he's  a  lucky  man,  I  suppose, 
in  having  wormed  himself  into  the  heart  of  my  giddy  sister ; 
and  the  Germans  have  a  jjroverb  that  it  is  the  lucky  man  that 
brings  home  the  bride  !  And  I  hope  that  it  may  be  his  luck  to 
lead  home  the  daughter  of  a  United  States  senator.  To  insure  for 
him  this  luck,  I  strongly  advise,  out  of  abundance  of  caution, 
the  careful  lawyer  would  say,  that  you  arrange  a  stay  of  at 
least  a  few  days,  in  this  city,  and  duly  notify  of  the  day  of 
your  coming, 

Your  indulgent  brother 

Leslik  May. 


XXV. 

STORM-CLOUDS    IN   THE    HORIZON. 

MEMORABLE  to  Victor  Waldhorst  was  the  election  of 
1860.  While  his  party  had  carried  their  legislative 
ticket  by  a  slight  majority,  his  own  vote  had  been 
largely  in  excess  of  that  of  his  colleagues,  notwithstanding  in- 
cessant vituperative  attacks  made  upon  him  during  the  whole  of 
the  cauvass,  in  the  columns  of  the  rival  newspaper.  It  was  a 
vindication,  also,  of  Professor  Rauhenfels'  prediction  of  the 
rival  editor's  discomfiture.  "  Naturally,"  he  said,  in  talking 
over  the  result,  "The  jaundice-livered  miscreant  lied;  and 
lies  have  the  trick  of  the  boomerang  to  cut  back,  sometimes, 
on  the  projector." 

"Now  do  you  see,"  said  Leslie  May  triumphantly,  "what 
I  told  you  at  Brookfield,  so  many  years  ago,  that  you  have  the 
address  of  an  adroit  politician  ? ' ' 

The  pleasant  smile  that  accompanied  Leslie's  words  carried 
Victor  back  to  the  delightful  time  when  they  two,  with  Nellie 
May  as  an  enthusiastic  listener,  had  talked  over  the  colonel's 
chance  of  success. 

"  Of  course,"  had  been  the  echo  from  Mr.  Becker,  "  our 
editor  of  the  Beobachter  has  been,  thanks  to  our  friend  of  the 
ojjposition  paper,  the  best  advertised  candidate  in  the  State." 
And,  rubbing  his  hands  in  high  glee,  he  added:  "  He  will 
have  things  his  own  way  in  the  legislature,  and  will  have  no 
trouble  in  electing  a  State  printer." 

"  I  hope,"  was  Woldemar  Auf  dem  Busch's  comment, 
"  that  Victor  will  not  sink  the  character  of  a  gentleman  in 
that  of  the  politician,  no  matter  how  successful  he  may  be 
as  such." 

"  Fear  you  not  for  our  Victor,"  the  old  gentleman  spoke  up. 

(389) 


390  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

"  Our  Victor  is  through  and  through  a  gentleman.     When  he 
is  a  politician,  then  a  politician  is  a  gentleman." 

Memorable,  too,  was  the  election  of  1860  to  politicians  ;  even 
to  statesmen.  Memorable,  because  Democracy,  triumphant 
hitherto  in  the  Federal  elections,  had  been  hurled  from  power. 
Not  by  the  verdict  of  the  people  in  their  original  capacity :  a 
majority  of  them  had  cast  their  votes  against  the  man  who 
would  be  President  of  the  United  States  by  choice  of  the 
electoral  college.  A  large  majority  had  been  cast  against  those 
who  would  represent  the  people  in  the  Congress.  But 
Democracy  had  been  dethi'oned,  because  a  house  divided 
against  itself  cannot  stand.  The  democrats  had  split  their 
forces  into  two  angrily  contending  factions,  neither  of  which, 
alone,  was  strong  enough  to  outnumber  the  common  adver- 
sary. And  thus,  although  know-nothingism  had  received  its 
quietus,  — a  fate  from  which  not  even  the  magic  of  its  watch- 
word ' '  Constitutional  Union  ' '  had  saved  it  —  the  republicans 
had  succeeded,  by  uniting  their  vote  (not  much  larger  than 
that  of  either  moiety  of  the  democrats)  to  elect  an  overwhelm- 
ing majority  of  the  electoral  college  and  of  the  members  of  the 
House  of  Representatives.  And  politicians  and  statesmen  were 
confronted  with  a  problem  whose  solution  would  tax  to  the 
utmost  their  united  astuteness  and  wisdom. 

Memorable,  above  all  others,  was  that  election  of  1860  to 
patriotically-minded  citizens  in  every  part  of  the  Union.  It 
aroused  fierce  anger  in  one  section  of  the  country,  finding 
utterauce  in  wrathful  threats  of  forcible  disruption :  while  in 
the  other  it  fortifled  a  determined  spirit  to  check  the  growth 
of  slavery  and  maintain  the  Union  at  all  cost.  As  yet  there 
was  only  talk  on  both  sides,  though  talk  fierce  and  passionate. 
Most  people  fondly  imagined  that  the  quarrel  was  but  a  squab- 
ble among  politicians  ;  that  the  vindictive  threats  and  taunts 
hurled  forth  and  back  were  but  the  ravings  of  magniloquent 
fire-eating  fanatics  ;  and  that  whatever  of  real  difference  there 


STOBM-CLOUDS  IN    THE  HOBIZON.  391 

might  be  between  the  sections  would  be  smoothed  over,  as  so 
many  previous  quarrels  in  the  history  of  the  nation  had  been, 
by  compromise.  For  it  was  monstrous  to  contemplate  that  a 
nation  of  brothers,  grown  mighty  and  prosperous  under  a 
common  flag,  having  by  a  common  effort  shaken  off  the  yoke 
of  tyranny,  shining,  the  glorious  beacon  of  freedom  to  all  the 
world,  should  now  bespatter  the  Goddess  of  Liberty  with  reek- 
ing gore  in  fratricidal  strife.  It  was  horrible  to  imagine 
brothers  thirsting  for  their  brothers'  heart-blood,  —  kinsmen 
devastating  the  homes  of  kinsmen  with  sword  and  fire.  So 
monstrous  and  horrible  was  the  contemplation  of  these  things, 
that  few  people  deemed  them  possible  in  a  Christian  country, 
in  the  nineteenth  century. 

Yet  there  were  those,  who,  albeit  not  pessimistically  inclined, 
were  deeply  anxious. 

Among  these  was  Victor.  The  result  of  the  election  had 
forced  on  him  the  recognition  of  a  phase  in  the  issue  between 
North  and  South  which  he  had  hitherto  i)ersistently  ignored, 
and  which  now  gave  rise  to  gloomy  forebodings  touching  the 
fate  of  the  Republic.  As  an  opponent  of  slavery  on  principle 
he  had  indulged  in  the  hope  that  its  limitation  to  the  States  in 
which  it  now  prevailed  would  of  necessity  bring  about  its 
final  extinction,  and  had  hailed  such  a  result  as  the  most 
natural  and  desirable  solution  of  the  problem.  Now  that  the 
election  had  demonstrated  the  hopelessness  of  further  aggrand- 
izement of  slave  territory,  he  saw  with  appalling  distinctness 
that  the  people  of  the  South  understood  fully  as  well  as  he  what 
such  limitation  of  slavery  must  necessarily  lead  to.  Having 
lost  the  political  ascendency  hitherto  enjoyed,  which  had 
enabled  them  to  legislate  for  the  protection  of  their  property, 
they  now  struggled  for  its  bare  preservation.  The  gradual 
extinction  of  slavery,  Victor  now  saw  with  deep  anxiety,  was 
as  much  a  deprivation  of  property  solemnly  guaranteed  by  the 
constitution,  as  direct  abolition.  If  aliolitiou  was  wrong,  how 
could  it  be  right  to  reach  the  same  result  by  other  means? 
And  if  the  South  was  right  in  this  struggle,  w^hat  course  did 


392  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

duty  point  out  for  himself  ?  He  was  deeply  perplexed  by  the 
distressing  uncertainty  as  to  what  Justice  and  Right  demanded 
touching  this  burning  question,  which  he  was  soon  to  be  called 
on  for  decisive  action. 

But  care  and  anxiety  were  forgotten  when,  one  day,  Leslie 
May  informed  him  that  his  father,  with  mother  and  sister,  had 
arrived  in  the  city,  and  would  make  a  stay  of  some  days  be- 
fore proceeding  on  their  way  to  the  capital.  Leslie  had 
spoken  in  his  usual  quiet  way,  but  was  keenly  observant  of  the 
effect  of  his  statement  on  Victor. 

"  Really?  "  the  latter  exclaimed,  steadying  his  voice  with  an 
effort,  but  unable  to  repress  the  flush  spreading  over  his  face, 
' '  Have  you  seen  them  ?     And  how  are  they  ?  ' ' 

"  I  have  seen  them,  and  they  are  well,"  replied  Leslie, 
smiling  at  Victor's  illy-concealed  eagerness.  "  Both  the  gov- 
ernor and  Nellie  inquired  after  you,  and  are  impatient  to  see 
you . " 

"  I  thank  you."  And  after  a  swift  glance  into  the  eyes  of 
his  friend  he  added:  "  And  them.  Of  course  1  shall  pay  my 
res[)ects  to  Colonel  May.  It  is  highly  important  that  I  should 
consult  him.  And  if  Miss  Nellie  —  pardon  me,  I  mean  Miss 
May  —  " 

"  Now,  have  done  with  that  nonsense!  "  Leslie  interrupted 
him,  assuming  that  half-dictatorial,  half -precatory,  but  wholly 
irresistible  air  that  he  found  so  effective  in  cajoling  Victor. 
"  It  is  not  a  question  of  mock  marriage  to-day,  and  you  know, 
or  ought  to  know,  that  my  sister  is  quite  ashamed  of  her 
conduct  on  that  occasion." 

"  —  If  Miss  Nellie  will  do  me  the  honor  to  receive  me,  I  will 
also  call  on  her."  The  blush  deepened  on  Victor's  cheeks  as 
he  spoke,  but  Leslie  was,  for  a  moment,  uncertain,  whether  the 
name  "  Nellie  "  possessed  for  the  young  editor  the  charm  of 
old. 

'•'•  You  need  not  call  on  the  governor,"  he  said.  "  I  have 
given  him  your  address,  and  he  will  hunt  you  up  as  soon  as 
he  has  the  time.     But  Nellie  and  ma  ai-e  at  their  rooms  in  the 


STORM-CLOUDS  IN   THE  UOlilZON.  393 

Planters'  House,  and  they  will  no  doubt  feel  highly  compli- 
mented if  you  will  take  the  trouble  to  call  on  them." 

"  I  shall  be  happy  to  do  so,"  said  Victor  speaking  in  a  tone 
of  indifference  assumed  with  a  powerful  effort.  "  What  hour, 
do  you  think,  would  be  proper  for  a  visit  to  the  ladies?  " 

"  No  hour  better  than  the  present,"  Leslie  answered,  con- 
sulting his  watch.  "  They  are  through  with  dinner  by  this 
time,  I  suppose,  and  if  you  do  not  object,  we  will  just  step  over 
to  the  Planters.'  " 

Victor  was  ready  for  a  visit  to  the  ladies  of  the  May  family, 
no  matter  how  important  the  business  in  hand  might  be.  The 
walk  to  the  hotel  was  but  short.  In  less  than  five  minutes  the 
gentlemen  had  sent  up  their  cards  to  the  ladies,  but  were 
informed  by  the  returning  messenger  that  the  ladies  were  not 
in,  although  their  doors  were  unbolted. 

"  Well,"  said  Leslie,  "  this  is  unpleasant.  But  they  can- 
not be  far  off  at  any  rate.  Will  we  wait  for  them  in  the 
parlor?  " 

Victor  had  no  objection,  and  followed  Leslie.  They  had  to 
pass  the  ladies'  parlor,  the  door  of  which  stood  ajar.  Victor 
cast  a  glance  into  the  richly  appointed  saloon,  and  stood  sud- 
denly still,  —  his  eyes  fixed  upon  a  tableau  that  deeply  im- 
pressed him.  On  a  sofa  facing  the  door  sat  Ralph  Pay  ton, 
engaged  in  eager  conversation  with  a  lady  by  his  side,  —  a  lady 
whom  Victor  so  well  knew  ;  and  yet  he  beheld  for  the  first  time 
that  perfection  of  beauty  that  burst  upon  his  intoxicated  gaze 
from  the  sofa  there.  He  stood  spell-bound.  Every  fibre  of 
his  body  thrilled  with  ecstatic  transports.  Those  clear,  gray 
eyes  were  Nellie's  eyes,  whose  bright  flashes  had  so  often  pene- 
trated to  his  heart ;  yet  now,  as  they  were  bent  upon  her  com- 
panion's face,  they  beamed  with  a  tenderness  that  was  a  new 
experience  to  Victor.  That  sweet  mouth  with  its  rosy  lips,  that 
had  so  often  charmed  him  with  its  make-believe  pouts,  its 
droll  mimicry,  its  irresistible  smiles,  was  Nellie's  mouth, 
tempting,  as  of  old,  but  expressive,  now,  of  a  capacity  for 
pathos,  as  well  as  humor,  that  was  a   new   revelation.     The 


394  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

lady  ou  the  sofa  was  undoubtedly  Nellie  May :  not  the  lovely 
child  that  Victor  had  known,  but  a  radiantly  beautiful 
woman,  —  the  full-blown  flower  redeeming  in  resplendent 
brightness  the  promise  given  by  the  exquisite  bud.  Nellie 
May :  But  Victor  felt  as  if  it  would  be  a  desecration  to  apply 
the  endearing  diminutive  to  that  maguilicently  beautiful  woman, 
and  repeated  mentally :  Eleonora ! 

As  Victor  paused,  Leslie  looked  around. 

"  So,  this  is  where  you  receive  your  friends?  "  he  said,  as 
his  eye  fell  on  the  occupants  of. the  sofa.  "  Well,  Mr.  Fayton, 
how  do  you  find  yourself  ?  And  to  what  are  we  indejjted  for 
the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  here  ? ' ' 

The  lady  promptly  rose  on  hearing  her  brother's  voice,  and 
while  Payton  and  Leslie  were  shaking  hands  she  held  out  hers  to 
Victor  with  a  cordial  smile  of  welcome.  The  blood  rushed 
hotly  to  Victor's  head  as  he  stepped  forward  to  clasp  the  hands 
so  graciously  extended.  "  Mr.  Waldhorst!  "  she  exclaimed, 
her  face  beaming  with  such  genuine,  unfeigned  pleasure  as  to 
throw  her  visitor  into  raptures  of  delight.  "You  cannot 
believe  how  happy  it  makes  me  to  see  you  after  so  long  a  time. 
You  are  glad  too,  are  you  not?  " 

"  Indeed  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you.  Miss  May !  " 

"  There  —  please  don't  Miss  May  me,  unless  you  wi^sh  to 
dis-may  me,  by  remembering  those  silly  words  of  mine  that  I 
had  hoped  you  had  forgotten  !  ' '  She  accented  her  word-play 
with  a  ripple  of  low,  silvery  laughter.  "  To  you,  you  know,  I 
wish  to  be  Nellie.  Or  have  I  changed  so  much,  that  you  do 
not  recognize  in  me  your  old  classmate  ?  By  the  way,  Victor  — 
pardon,  Mr.  Waldhorst,  I  should  say  —  you  have  changed  in- 
deed, and  very  much  for  the  better.  I  would  like  to  say,  if  1 
were  not  afraid  that  you  would  deem  me  guilty  of  clumny 
flattery,  that  you  have  grown  to  be  quite  handsome." 

"  Have  I  outgrown  the  scarecrow,  do  you  think?  " 

"  Well,  I  don't  know  that  I  can,  or  wish  to,  say  that!  "  she 
replied  looking  at  him  with  a  smile  of  unmistakable  admira- 
tion.    "  For,    do   you   know,    Mr.    Waldhorst,    that    I  shall 


STORM-CLOUDS  IN   THE  HORIZON.  395 

always  cherish  the  memory  of  that  brave  act  of  yours  as  a 
bright,  romantic  incident  in  my  prosaic  life  ?  That  scarecrow 
has  taken,  in  my  mind,  the  shape  of  a  chivalrous  knight,  whose 
devotion  to  me  I  would  not  willingly  forget.  —  But  the  change 
I  notice  in  you  is  less,  perhaps,  a  physical  growth,  than  an  in- 
tellectual development ;  you  have  certainly  improved  in  this 
respect  since  I  last  saw  you  at  Brookfield." 

"  How   silly  I  must  have  appeared  to  you  in  those  days!  " 

"  Unless,  indeed,"  she  continued,  taking  no  notice  of  his 
remark,  "it  is  my  own  growth  and  development  that  enables 
me  to  see  you  more  truly  now.  For  I,  too,  have  grown  some- 
what since  then,  don't  you  thiuk,  Mr.  Waldhorst?  " 

To  answer  this  question  advisedly,  required  a  closer  sui-vey 
of  her  person,  and  afforded  Victor  an  excuse  to  feast  his  eyes 
anew  without  seeming  to  be  rude, — an  opportunity  of  which 
he  availed  himself  to  the  utmost  limits  of  propriety.  "  Won- 
derfully !  "  he  said  at  last,  in  a  subdued  voice.  Ralph  Payton 
was  within  earshot  and  Victor  felt  annoyed  by  the  thought  of 
being  overheard,  so  he  said  nothing. 

Mr.  Payton  meanwhile  chafed  under  the  necessity  of  answer- 
ing Leslie's  questions,  and  Avas  casting  uneasy  glances  in  the 
direction  of  the  lady,  —  a  decided  frown  darkening  his  fea- 
tures whenever  his  eye  fell  on  Victor.  He  was  unsuccessful 
in  concealing  his  vexation,  if  he  made  the  attempt  at  all,  in 
having  his  tete-a-tete  with  Miss  May  interrupted,  and  Leslie,  in 
the  sprit  of  mischief,  or  for  some  reason  sufficient  to  himself, 
proceeded  to  add  fuel  to  the  flames  of  his  anger.  He  took  the 
young  gentleman's  arm  and  said,  in  his  bantering,  pleasant 
voice : 

"Come,  Ralph!  You  have  not  yet  spoken  to  Mr,  Wald- 
horst. Tell  him  how  glad  you  are  to  see  him ;  and  then  let  us 
go  and  hunt  up  the  governor.  NelUe,  I  suspect,  and  our  friend 
Victor  will  not  be  sorry  to  have  us  leave  them  to  themselves. 
They  surely  have  a  good  deal  to  say  to  each  other  after  such 
long  absence." 

Payton  grew  wroth.     But  what  was  there  for  him  to  do? 


396  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGIITEB. 

Miss  May  looked  as  if  her  -brother's  remark  quite  suited  her. 
So  he  stepped  forward  to  shake  hands  with  Victor,  saying, 
with  a  scowl  on  his  face  that  belied  his  words:  "  I  rejoice  to 
see  you  so  well,  Mr.  Waldhorst?  " 

Victor's  acknowledgment  sounded  just  as  cordial. 

After  shaking  hands.  Pay  ton  bowed  to  the  lady,  and  saying 
that  he  hoped  to  see  her  later  on,  when  she  might  be  at  more 
leisure,  he  left  the  room,  without  wasting  another  look  at  Victor. 

"  Come  and  sit  down  by  me,"  said  Nellie,  as  soon  as  the 
others  had  left.  -'I  am  sorry  that  both  papa  and  mama  are 
out,  but  they  will  be  back  soon,  and  you  must  content  yourself 
with  my  company  the  while.  I  am  anxious  that  papa  should 
find  you  here,  for  he  is  real  desirous  of  having  a  talk  with 
you." 

Victor  gladly  complied  with  her  request  to  sit  down  beside 
her.  He  secretly  hoped  that  some  propitious  power  might 
postpone  indefinitely  the  return  of  both  Colonel  and  Mrs. 
May,  while  he  was  contenting  himself  with  Miss  May's  com- 
pany. The  conversation  between  them  was  lively,  as  conver- 
sation with  Nellie  always  was.  So  lively,  that  before  Victor 
thought  the  time  long,  they  had  thoroughly  talked  over  the 
probabihty  of  Colonel  May's  election,  agreeing  that  small 
room  for  doubt  remained,  —  the  daughter  ex]>ressing  not  only 
hope,  but  firm  confidence  on  this  point,  and  Victor  pledging 
his  utmost  efforts  to  bring  it  about.  They  had  engaged,  also, 
in  a  stirring  debate  on  the  political  situation,  their  opinions 
diverging  just  enough  to  make  the  discussion  highly  interesting. 
The  lady  had  the  advantage  over  him  in  having  formed  a  de- 
cided opinion  as  to  the  course  which  it  was  the  duty  of  the 
Federal  government  to  pursue  toward  the  States.  There  was 
no  room  for  doubt  in  her  mind.  The  whole  matter  lay  in  a 
nutshell :  The  Federal  government  had  absolutely  no  right  to 
interfere  with  the  domestic  affairs  of  the  States,  but  must 
protect  the  right  of  property  in  the  slave-holding  States  as 
effectually  as  in  non-slaveholding  States.  Any  usurpation  of 
power  to  distinguish  between  them  was  a  breach  of  the  consti- 


STOHM-CLOUDS  IN   THE  HORIZON.  397 

tutiou  and  must  be  resisted,  —  by  force,  if  necessary.  Her 
reasoning-  was  plausible,  to  Victor,  at  least,  who  was  carried 
away  by  it  in  spite  of  a  vague,  uneasy  suspicion  that  she  was 
repeating  the  arguments  of  Southern  extremists,  which  he  could 
not  wholly  sanction. 

After  one  of  her  enthusiastic  utterings  in  this  direction, 
Victor  ventured  to  suggest:  "  Don't  you  think.  Miss  Nellie, 
that  our  opponents  Avould  be  right  in  calling  you  a  pronounced 
flre-eater?  " 

"  Well,  sir,  if  the  assertion  of  our  rights  and  of  our  deter- 
mination to  maintain  them,  makes  me  a  fireeater,  you  may 
set  me  down  as  one.  And  I  look  upon  a  man  who  would  do 
less  as  upon  a  coward  not  fit  to  live  in  a  free  land.  Is  it  not 
your  opinion,  Mr.  Waldhorst,  that  tyi-anny  exists,  not  because 
oppressors  are  tyrants,  but  because  the  oppressed  are  cowards? 
Then  give  me  a  brave  fire-eater  always  before  a  tamely  sub- 
mitting coward !  ' ' 

The  conversation  was  interrupted  by  a  soft  knocking  at  the 
open  door.  Victor  beheld  a  neatly  clad  servant  of  striking 
appearance.  Was  not  that  Lucre tia,  the  slave-maiden  belong- 
ing to  Nellie?  As  he  looked  at  her,  a  slight  flush  suffused  her 
face.  It  might  be  because  of  his  rude  stare,  or  it  might  be 
because  she  recognized  him,  — not  the  slightest  twitching  of  a 
muscle  of  her  face  gave  indication,  unless  the  dropping  of  her 
eyes  before  his  gaze  might  be  counted  as  such.  She  too  had 
grown  to  be  very  beautiful,  and  his  mind  recalled  vividly  a 
scene  when  this  superb  woman  of  Junonic  grace  even  then,  was 
threatened  with  the  lash  in  the  hands  of  a  brutal  overseer. 

"Well,  Cressie,  what  is  it?"  the  mistress  inquired,  while 
Victor  still  gazed  and  mused. 

"  Missis  May  sent  me  to  find  you;  she  is  in  her  room," 
was  the  answer,  spoken  in  a  mellow,  pleasant  voice,  possessing 
all  the  sweetness  but  hardly  a  trace  of  the  pfdois,  or  lingo 
peculiar  to  negroes. 

"  Very  well,  Cressie.  Tell  her  I  am  coming.  And  tell  her 
I. will  bring  Mr.  Waldhorst  along,  who  has  called  to  see  her." 


398  THE  BEBEVS  DAUGHTEB. 

"  Yes,  ma'am,"  said  the  octoroou,  casting  one  eager  glance, 
though  furtively,  at  Victor. 

The  latter  was  still  looking  at  the  oi)eu  door  through  which 
the  gii'l  had  disappeared  when  Nellie  asked  him  : 

"  You  remember  Cressie,  don't  you?  Has  she  not  grown 
and  improved  as  much  as  any  of  us?  " 

"  As  much  as  any  of  us !  "  he  echoed. 

"  I  am  proud  of  her,"  Nellie  went  on.  "  She  is  perfectly 
devoted  to  me.  I  can  trust  her  as  if  she  were  a  sister.  I 
sometimes  think  —  now  don't  you  laugh  at  me  !  — I  sometimes 
really  think  that  she  is  trustier,  and  —  well,  wiser  than  I  am. 
Now  what  do  you  say  to  that?  " 

"  That  you  are  fortunate  in  having  so  reliable  a  servant," 
said  Victor;  "and  that  her  praise,  out  of  your  mouth,  is 
doubly  your  own.  Imagine  her  at  the  mercy  of  a  t>T:ant  like 
Jeffreys !  ' ' 

"  Don't  mention  the  brute!  "  Nellie  exclaimed,  puckering  up 
her  face  into  a  momentary  scowl.  Then,  brightening,  she 
added :  "  Come  now,  Mr.  Waldhorst,  and  pay  your  respects  to 
mama.     She  will  be  delighted  to  see  you." 

When  Victor  parted  from  the  ladies,  it  was  after  a  cordial 
invitation  from  both  to  call  again  before  they  left  the  city. 

Victor  stepped  out  of  the  hotel  in  exuberant  spirits.  He 
walked  with  head  erect  and  eyes  turned  sk^'ward,  as  if  soaring 
through  space.  He  felt  as  if  he  must  shout  out  to  the  world 
the  wild  joy  of  his  heart  in  having  found  the  maiden  that  had 
won  his  undying  love,  —  his  boyish  ideal,  cherished  so  loj^ally 
as  the  embodiment  of  feminine  grace  and  beauty  transformed 
into  a  revelation  of  the  Divine,  before  which  he  must  kneel  and 
worship.  Yes !  This  woman  transcended  the  image  hitherto 
enshrined  in  his  bosom  as  far  as  his  imagination  had  idealized 
the  Nellie  May  of  his  boyish  days.  And  she  had  been  so 
gracious, — had  received  him  with  such  cordiality!  How 
could  he  help  reveling  in  the  memory  of  her  smiles,  of  exulting 
in  the  touching  confidence  she  so  trustfully  placed  in  his  ability 
to  further  the  interests  of  her  father ! 


STORM-CLOUDS  IN   THE  HOIilZON.  399 

It  was  a  comfort  to  reflect,  that  they  had,  iu  the  inaiu, 
agreed  in  their  political  views.  Yet,  on  recalling  her  positive 
statements  as  to  the  rights  of  the  .South,  and  the  duties  of 
freemen,  a  vague  presentiment  of  trouble  crept  stealthily  into 
his  mind,  imj^artiug  to  his  blissful  day-dreaming  the  spice  of 
uncertainty.  What  if  they  should  disagree?  He  choked 
down  the  doubt  as  quickly  as  it  arose.  Were  they  not,  Nellie 
and  he,  of  one  mind  on  the  all-important,  to  the  loving  daugh- 
ter overshadowing,  subject  of  Colonel  May's  election  to  the 
Senate  !  He  surely  desired  his  election  as  ardently  as  did  she  ; 
and  she  knew  that  he  did.  What  mattered  then,  disagreement 
on  minor  points?  Could  it,  if  it  did  exist,  endanger  the 
cordial  relations  between  them  ? 

Then  loomed  up,  in  the  midst  of  his  busy  imaginings,  the 
frowning  physiognomy  of  Ralph  Payton.  A  dark  shadow ; 
first  contrasting  with,  then  imparting  its  somber  hue  to,  the  rose- 
tinted  pictures  his  fancy  was  weaving.  The  shadow  grew 
darker  as  he  dwelt  upon  the  eagerness  depicted  on  the  two 
faces  that  he  had  seen  turned  to  one  another  on  that  sofa. 

To  be  sure,  there  was  great  unanimity  on  polities  between 
these  two,  —  greater  than  that  between  Miss  May  and  himself. 
Naturally :  They  were  both  Virginians  by  birth  and  Southerners 
by  instinct,  while  he,  Victor,  had  grafted  his  Southern  j)ro- 
clivities  on  a  vigorous  stock  of  anti-slavery  convictions.  It 
was  quite  possible,  then,  that  their  conversation  had  turned 
upon  the  relations  between  Payton,  as  the  colonel's  successor 
in  the  House  of  Representatives,  and  the  colonel  as  a  candidate 
before  the  legislature.  But  then,  why  that  frown  on  Payton 's 
face  when  Victor  appeared?  If  he  and  Nellie  had  been  talk- 
ing politics  would  not  Payton  have  hailed  Victor  as  a  co-worker 
in  a  common  cause  ?  And  that  look  of  eager  tenderness  on 
Nellie's  face  —  was  it  not  eloquent  of  an  interest  more  tender 
than  that  conditioned  by  a  common  political  purpose  ?  The 
brightly  colored  visions  darkened  under  the  shadow  of  gloomy 
doubt,  asserting  itself,  and  demanding  recognition.  Lucretia's 
pathetic  face  haunted  him,  too.     Wh}' should  it?     What  had 


400  THE  RE  BE  US  DAUQHTEB. 

he  done  to  the  beautiful  oetoroou,  that  her  peusive  features 
should  disturb  his  peace  of  mind?  Perhaps,  —  if  he  had  ana- 
lyzed his  feelings  —  he  saw  in  her  concrete  case  the  difficulty 
of  the  problem  that  was  agitating  the  nation,  —  a  problem  that 
had  no  difficulty  for  Ralph  Pay  ton,  nor,  as  he  well  knew,  for 
Miss  May.  But  Miss  May's  solution  was  incompatible  with 
human  rights  for  the  octoroon  girl ! 

Nellie's  letter  to  her  brother  occurred  to  Victor.  "  Poor 
Victor,"  she  had  written. — And  she  had  told  him  of  her 
"  sturdy  rural  beau,"  who  was  to  her  more  than  a  mere  gen- 
tleman, —  Poor  Victor,  indeed  !  He  experienced  an  agonizing 
revulsion  from  the  height  of  human  bliss  to  the  depths  of  doubt 
and  despair,  as  the  thought  confronted  him  that  the  cordial 
welcome  she  had  extended  to  him  was  possibly  but  a  form 
demanded  by  common  politeness.  Her  smiles  and  pleasant 
words  were  but  the  tribute  of  courtesy  and  good-nature.  She 
felt  some  compunction,  perhaps,  for  the  cruel  words  she  had 
spoken  to  him  before  leaving  Brookfield,  and  meant  to  atone 
for  them  in  this  way.  Perhaps  —  he  paled  at  the  thought,  but 
it  forced  itself  upon  him  again  and  again  —  her  feeling  toward 
him  was  simply  that  of  pity.  Pity!  Oh,  if  so,  what  a  fool 
he  had  been ! 

The  thought  was  too  humiliating  to  be  borne  with  equanim- 
ity. A  touch  of  pride  came  to  his  aid  and  for  a  moment 
assuaged  the  poignancy  of  his  woe.  She  need  not  pity  him ! 
No  !  Not  even  from  Nellie  May,  —  though  dearer  to  him  than 
his  heart's  blood  —  would  he  accept  such  alms.  He  would  com- 
pel her  to  respect  him.  He  would  teach  her  that  he  was  the 
equal,  at  least,  of  the  man  upon  whom  she  lavished  the  price- 
less boon  of  her  affections. 

As  for  Ralph  Payton,  —  let  him  beware  how  he  cross  the 
path  of  Victor  Waldhorst ! 

Victor  had  looked  forward  to  the  interview  with  Colonel  May 
in  the  eager  hope  that  the  veteran  statesman  might  clear  up 
the  doubts   that   harassed    him  about  the  political  situation. 


STOEM- CLOUDS  IN    THE  IIOBIZON.  401 

Vaguely  apprehensive  that  the  attitude  of  some  of  the  Southern 
States  might  call  for  coercive  measures  on  the  part  of  the 
Federal  government  not  consistent  with  the  views  of  extreme 
adherents  to  the  doctrine  of  States'  Rights,  and  that  in  such 
case  it  would  become  necessary  to  take  sides  for  or  against  the 
adoption  of  such  measures,  he  yearned  for  light  to  guide  him 
in  determining  the  course  he  oiight  to  take. 

But  when  they  met,  their  conversation  hardly  touched  upon 
politics  at  all.  The  colonel,  being  well  aware  of  Victor's 
loyalty  and  devotion  to  him  and  his  cause,  spoke  upon  matters 
personal  and  easily  can-ied  Victor  along,  —  obtaining  from  him 
a  minute  account  of  his  life  and  experiences  after  leaving 
Brooklield,  including  a  description  of  his  present  surroundings. 
Victor's  narration  led  the  colonel  to  express  a  desire  to  become 
acquainted  with  some  of  the  people  whom  he  described,  where- 
upon Victor  immediately  proposed  a  visit  to  the  store  of  the 
Auf  dem  Busches  on  Main  Street,  where  the  colonel  and  the 
two  merchants  were  introduced  to  each  other. 

The  junior  meml)er  of  the  llrm  showed  a  decided  reserve  in 
his  demeanor,  unwilling  to  enter  into  conversation  beyond  what 
mere  politeness  required  ;  but  the  two  elder  gentlemen  took  a 
liking  to  each  other  at  once.  So  well  pleased  with  his  distin- 
guished visitor  was  Uncle  Auf  dem  Busch,  that  he  extended  to 
him  and  to  his  wife  and  daughter  an  invitation  to  spend  an 
evening  at  Busch  Bluff  before  leaving  the  city,  —  an  invita- 
tion which  the  colonel,  in  behalf  of  himself  and  his  ladies, 
promptly  accepted. 

'•  To-morrow,  if  it  be  suiting  to  you,"  the  merchant  pro- 
posed. "Or,  if  it  be  that  you  have  not  fear  before  philosophers, 
after-to-morrow.  On  that  evening  the  Philosophical  Society 
hold  a  sitting  at  our  house,  and  the  philosophers  will  reckon 
it  to  their  honor  if  you  shall  be  present." 

' '  What  —  a  regular  society  for  the  cultivation  of  philos- 
ophy?" the  colonel  inquired.  "Then,  will  it  not  disturb 
them  if  strangers  intrude  on  their  deliberations?  " 

"Oh,"  said  the  merchant,  "you  disturb    them  not.     See 

26 


402  THE  EEBEUS  DAUOHTEtt. 

you,  that  they  disturb  uot  you.  They  are  not  a  club,  you 
know,  — eorporated  ;  they  are  meu  who  meet  together,  to  study 
how  to  know  things.  And  sometimes  women  come  and  help 
them,  when  it  is  a  fine  paper  to  read.  They  have  meetings 
sometimes  in  one  house,  and  then  in  another  house,  and  after- 
to-morrow  they  shall  have  meeting  at  Busch  Bluff." 

"  You  arouse  my  curiosity,  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch,"  said  the 
colonel.  "  I  take  it  for  granted  that  you  are  a  member  of 
this  i)hilosopliical  society?  " 

"  Oh,  no!  "  the  merchant  rei^lied,  with  a  humorous  chuckle. 
"  I  am  not  philosopher;  sure  not  speculative  philosopher.  I 
speculate  only  sometimes  on  Main  Street.  The  president  of 
the  Philosophical  Society  is  a  friend,  and  he  honors  me  to 
bring  the  society  to  my  house  :  and  1  like  it  to  hear  them  talk, 
and  sometimes  I  understand  it  what  they  talk.  But  when  I 
understand  it,  then  it  is  not  si)eculative  philosophy:  contrary, 
common  sense.  I  make  no  doubt  it  will  interest  Colonel  May 
and  his  ladies,  to  take  tea,  once,  with  speculative  philosophers." 

"Indeed  it  will  be,"  said  the  colonel.  "Mrs.  Ma^^  will 
feel  highly  honored,  and  I  am  sure  my  daughter  Nellie  will 
look  upon  such  an  opportunity  as  a  rare  treat." 

' '  So  after-to-morrow  will  be  fitting  to  you  ?  ' ' 

"  Certainly.  I  hope  that  the  ladies  will  be  through  with 
their  shopping  by  that  time,  and  will  have  the  more  leisure  to 
enjoy  their  visit  to  Busch  Bluff." 

"  Also,  then  on  after-to-morroAV  evening,"  said  the  merchant, 
nodding  his  head.  "  I  will  do  me  the  honor  to  send  the  car- 
riage for  you,  at  the  Planters',  at  four  o'clock." 


XXVI. 
MAGNETISM  — REPELLANT  AND  ATTRACTIONAL. 


ff/HE  news  of  the  iuvitation,  wheu  auuounced  by  the 
*•  colonel  at  the  Planters'  House,  did  not  produce  the 
same  effect  upon  the  mother  as  upon  the  daughter. 
Mrs.  May  expressed,  and  still  more  emphatically  looked,  de- 
cided disapprobation.  "  I  do  not  understand,"  she  explained, 
in  tone  of  unmistakable  protest,  "  how  you  could  accept  so 
Yery  informal  an  invitation.  Who  is  this  man  with  an  un- 
pronounceable name,  that  he  should  invite  ladies  to  his  house 
who  are  perfect  strangers  to  him  ?  ' ' 

"  But,  Mama,"  Xellie  broke  in,  "  surely,  jaapa's  name  is 
well  enough  known  to  be  received  as  a  voucher  for  the  respecta- 
bility of  his  wife  and  daughter  ?  ' ' 

"  I  dare  say  it  is,"  the  elder  lady  replied,  a  touch  of  sarcasm 
in  her  voice,  while  a  slight  nod  of  the  head  might  have  been 
understood  as  suggestive  of  reproof  to  her  daughter.  "  The 
question,  however,  is  not  as  to  our,  but  as  to  his  respectability. 
Who  is  there  to  vouch  for  the  respectability  of  his  wife  and 
daughter?  " 

"  Why,  Mama,  Leslie  is  on  intimate  terms  with  the  family !  " 
the  sister  urged  with  some  warmth. 

"  You  are  aware,  my  daughter,"  came  from  Mrs.  May 
frigidly,  "  that  your  brother  Leslie  enjoys  a  degree  of  freedom 
in  the  choice  of  his  associates,  that  is  not  permitted  to  ladies. 
And  I  dare  say  that  you  are  aware,  also,  of  your  brother's 
propensity  to  run  after  every  pretty  face,  or  what  he  deems  a 
pretty  face,  without  inquiring  into  the  social  standing  of  its 
owner." 

"But  he  —  I  mean  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch — is  Victor's 
uncle,"  the  young  lady  persisted.  "  And  I  am  just  wild  to 
become  acquainted  with  Victor's  sister." 

(403) 


404  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUOHTEB. 

"Perhaps,  my  dear,"  the  mother  admonished,  "it  would 
be  more  appropriate  for  you  to  speak  of  Mr.  Waldhorst  with 
less  familiarity.  He  is  uo  longer  the  young  shopkeeper  whom 
it  was  our  pleasure,  —  or  let  us  say,  our  duty  —  to  patronize 
in  Brookfield.  It  might  now  displease  him,  as  well  as  Mr. 
Payton,  to  hear  you  call  him  by  his  first  name." 

A  merry  little  laugh  preceded  the  daughter's  answer. 
"  Why,  to  be  sure,  he  has  become  the  Honorable  Victor  Wald- 
horst !  And  1  have  really  forgotten  to  tease  him  with  his  new 
title.  He  is  the  editor  of  a  newspaper  with  a  name  unspeak- 
able except  in  the  German  tongue.  And  the  Honorable  Ralph 
Payton  honors  him  Avith  his  jealousy.  You  are  right,  Mama,  I 
must  be  more  cautious  to  avoid  taking  the  Christian  names  of 
these  Honorables  in  vain.  At  least  in  their  absence."  Then 
she  added  more  soberly,  "  Now  is  not  that  respectability 
enough?  The  uncle,  the  aunt  and  the  sister  of  an  Hon- 
orable? And,  Mama,  coming  to  think  of  it,  this  uncle  has 
quite  a  claim  to  papa's  recognition  on  his  own  account.  He 
presided  at  the  mass  meeting  which  instructed  for  him  as 
United  States  senator,  and  was  a  member  of  the  convention." 

"  Such  an  upstart  he  must  be!  "  the  elder  lady  ejaculated, 
in  no  wise  propitiated  by  Nellie's  playful  attempts  at  concilia- 
tion. "  To  think,  that  he  should  put  upon  us  the  affront  of 
offering  to  send  us  his  carriage  !  " 

"  Pray,  Louise,  is  that  the  head  and  front  of  his  offending?  " 
the  Colonel  queried,  smiling  quizzically.  "  I  ask  for  informa- 
tion, because  I  was  impressed  with  the  notion  that  it  was 
rather  thoughtful  of  the  old  gentleman,  to  spare  us  the  annoy- 
ance of  having  to  inquire  our  way  to  his  villa." 

"  Villa !  "  the  lady  repeated  disdainfully.  "  What  airs  these 
Germans  put  on  about  their  suburban  roost !  ' '  And  then  she 
added,  a  little  more  resignedly,  assuming  the  air  of  an  injured 
victim  to  the  exactions  of  tyrannical  Democracy,  "  To  think, 
that  the  wife  and  daughter  of  a  —  congressman,  should  be 
called  on  to  ride  in  the  carriage  of  a  parvenu,  merely  to  gratify 
his  vulgar  ambition!  " 


MA  GNE  TISM—  B  E  FELL  AN  T  AND  A  TTRA  C  TIONAL .      405 

"  Well,  my  dear,  the  mischief  is  done,"  said  the  colonel, 
good-naturedly.  "There  is  no  use  crying  over  spilt  milk. 
We  are  going  to  see  what  a  galaxy  of  speculative  philosophers 
looks  like,  when  assembled  at  tea." 

And  Mrs.  May  accepted  the  inevitable  with  what  grace  she 
might,  solacing  herself  Avith  the  reflection  that  the  ladies  they 
were  going  to  visit  were  unknown  to  Washington  society,  and 
strangers  to  Brookfleld,  so  that  it  w^as  very  improbable  indeed 
that  she  should  ever  be  called  on  to  extend  social  recognition, 
as  a  senator's  wife,  to  any  of  the  family. 

Uncle  Auf  dem  Busch  passed  through  a  similar  experience 
on  making  known  to  his  family  the  honor  in  store  for  them  by 
no  less  an  event  than  the  visit,  with  wife  and  daughter,  of 
a  prospective  United  States  senator.  "  It  was  very  thought- 
less of  you  to  invite  guests  for  the  evening  when  you  know  the 
philosophical  society  is  going  to  swarm  here,"  Mrs.  Auf  dem 
Busch  remarked,  the  while  a  perceptible  frown  darkened  her 
comely  features,  caused,  perhaps,  by  honest  dread  of  the  task 
of  entertaining  guests  of  such  high  quality. 

"  Contrary,  thoughtful,"  was  the  merchant's  reply.  "  The 
colo-nell  and  the  ladies  from  Washington  will  find  pleasure  to 
look  at  philosophers  when  they  drink  tea.  The  colo-nell  said 
it  expressly. 

"Drink  tea?"  the  lady  inquired.  "Did  you  invite  them 
for  tea,  or  for  supper,  or  dinner?  " 

"Tea?  Supper?  Dinner?  the  merchant  repeated  with  a 
look  of  bewilderment.  "  I  invited  riot  for  dinner,  not  for  sup- 
per !  I  invited  for  four  o'clock.  Four  o'clock  p.  m.  Means 
that  dinner?  Get  we  dinner,  after  four  o'clock  p.  m.,  before 
next  day?  " 

"  Yes,  Uncle,"  said  Pauline  pleasantly.  "  I  have  been 
told,  that  at  Washington  the  dinner  hour  is  usually  six.  Some 
aristocratic  people  in  our  own  city  have  dinner  even  later,  when 
they  have  company.  So  you  see  it  is  difficult  for  aunt  to  know 
how  to  receive  her  Washington  guests  properly,  if  thej'^  have 
not  been  informed  of  the  nature  of  the  entertainment  to  which 


406  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

they  have  been  invited.  They  should  know  in  what  dress  to 
appear." 

"  It  affects  nothing  how  they  dress,"  the  merchant  ex- 
claimed, vexed  as  well  as  amused  by  his  wife's  distress,  which  he 
ascribed  to  a  hypercritical  vagary  of  the  female  mind.  "  They 
know  they  come  to  sit  down  with  philosophers,  and  they  get  to 
eat.  Now  you  give  them  to  eat  something  nice,  how  you  can 
cook,  and  tea,  or  something  else  what  they  like  to  di'ink. 
Then  the  colo-nell  and  his  Washington  ladies  eat  supper,  or  if 
they  like  better,  dinner  ;  our  philosophers  drink  tea ;  and  it 
shall  be  a  party  A  No.  one,  —  if  they  dress  white,  or  black,  or 
if  they  put  on  a  rainbow.     Not,  Pauline?  " 

The  diversion  attempted  by  Pauline  for  the  benefit  of  her 
aunt,  had  not  been  graciously  received  by  that  lady.  But, 
nothing  daunted,  the  young  girl  persisted  in  her  effort  to  put 
the  hostess  at  ease,  and  therefore  said,  with  a  pleasant  smile, 
"  I  am  sure  that  Colonel  May  will  be  pleased  with  you  and 
with  our  philosophical  friends,  whether  we  give  them  a  dinner, 
or  other  meal.  And  if  the  ladies  should  be  bored  by  meta- 
physical discussions  at  table,  aunt  and  I  will  leave  the  lords  of 
creation  to  enjoy  their  inevitable  smoke  in  dining-room  or 
library,  and  retire  with  Mrs.  and  Miss  May  to  the  parlor.  I 
am  sure,"  she  added,  addressing  herself  with  a  smile  of  perfect 
confidence  to  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch,  "  that  aunt  will  make  it 
pleasant  for  the  ladies,  even  if  the  gentlemen  should  prefer 
smoke  and  philosophy." 

The  lady  addressed  vouchsafed  no  indication  whether 
Pauline's  effort  was  a  success.  But  the  old  gentleman  seemed 
to  understand  the  situation.  He  nodded  with  a  smile  of  dry 
humor,  as  he  said:  "  When  the}^  like  to  smoke,  better  as  talk 
to  you,  they  are  in  a  fog."  Turning  to  his  wife,  he  continued  : 
"  Believe  you,  that  you  can  manage,  as  Pauline  has  well  said? 
She  has  right.  She  can  make  an  evening  pleasant  for  an3'body. 
You  and  she,"  he  hurriedly  added,  as  his  wife  cast  a  searching 
glance  at  him.  "  If  the  gentlemen  are  like  me,  the  ladies  will 
not  be  alone." 


MAGNETISM— REPELLANT  AND  A TTEACTIONAL.      407 

"No,  I  expect  not,"  muttered  Mrs.  Auf  deui  liuseli, 
turning  her  reproachful  eyes  from  her  husband  to  PauHne. 
"  Not  if  that  coxcomb  of  a  lawyer  is  among  them." 

Mrs.  May  was  destined  to  receive  one  more  shock  to  her 
sense  of  propriety,  when,  punctual  to  the  appointed  hour,  the 
colonel  and  his  ladies  were  invited  to  step  into  —  not  an 
elegant  carriage,  such  as  she  had  anticipated,  but  an  open 
barouche  ;  driven  —  not  by  a  coachman  in  livery,  but  by  the 
merchant  Auf  dem  Busch  himself.  "The  insolence  of  this 
man !  ' '  she  exclaimed  (though  in  a  whisper)  to  her  daughter 
as  they  descended  the  steps  leading  to  the  sidewalk  in  front 
of  the  hotel.  "  See,  how  he  is  appropriating  us,  just  as  if^we 
were  his  equals." 

"  Indeed,  Mama,  I  hope  we  are!  "  Nellie  remarked,  with  an 
arch  smile.  "  The  fact,  that  papa  is  just  noAV  expecting  most 
important  services  from  them  need  not  raise  them  above  our 
level  at  all." 

They  had  by  this  time  reached  the  sidewalk,  and  Nellie 
exclaimed  with  a  little  shout  of  delight,  "  Oh,  just  loolv  at 
that  splendid  span  of  horses  !  I  am  going  to  sit  on  the  front 
seat  with  the  driver.     It  will  be  a  delightful  drive." 

Sure  enough,  when  the  merchant,  having  bowed  to  the  ladies 
on  being  introduced  to  them  by  the  colonel,  not  without  stately 
courtesy,  was  handing  Mrs.  May  to  her  seat  in  the  rear,  the 
girl  leaped  nimbly  up  into  the  front  seat,  saying,  with  the 
enchanting  smile  that  was  at  her  command  when  she  wished  to 
please,  "You  will  let  me  sit  by  you,  will  you  not,  Mr.  Auf 
dem  Busch  ?  Papa  must  for  once  take  a  back  seat.  I  admire 
your  splendid  horses,  and  would  like  to  see  you  handle  them." 

Of  course  the  young  lady  had  her  way.  She  completely 
won  the  merchant's  heart  by  the  intelligent  questions  she  put 
to  him,  and  by  her  enthusiasm  over  his  really  fine  turnout. 
It  was  not  long  before  she  had  coaxed  him  to  intrust  her  with 
the  reins,  and  then  she  challenged  his  admiration  by  the  skill 
and  coolness  with  which  she  managed  the  spirited  steeds.     All 


408  THE   BE  BEL' 8  DAUGHTER. 

iu  all,  the  two  on  the  front  seat  were  on  excellent  terms  with 
each  other  long  before  they  reached  the  merchant's  pretty 
villa. 

The  meeting  between  Mrs.  May  and  Mrs.  Anf  dem  Busch 
would   have    amused   Leslie,  If    his    attention    had  not  been 
engrossed  in  watching  the  first  approaches  between  his  sister 
and  Pauline  Waldhorst.     This  circumstance  deprived  him  of 
the  enjoyment  of  marking  the  expression  of  mutual  aversion 
which    for    a    brief    moment   marred   the   features    of    each 
matron, — con])led  here  with  a  look  of   haughty  superiority, 
there  with   a   glance  of  sullen  antagonism  —  before  the  smile 
accompanying  the   conventional  phrases  stereotyped  for  such 
occasions  masked  their  countenances.     He  saw,  instead,  a  more 
l)eautif  ul  s(;ene :  Pauline    watching   the    descent  of  his  sister 
from  the  barouche,  her  features  animated  with  eager  expectation, 
lips  slightly  parted,  her  face  gradually  brightening  into  an  ex- 
pression of  hearty  approval  of  the  beautiful  stranger,  whose 
graceful  elastic  movements  she  followed  with  sparkling  eyes, 
until  they  encountered  Nellie's  searching  gaze.     Then,  a  vivid 
flush  heightening  the  color  of  her  cheeks  and  betokening  the 
pleasure  of  mutual  recognition,  the  bright  smile  on  Nellie's  face 
found  glad  reflection  in  her  own. 

A  scene  charming  enough  to  quicken  even  Leslie  May's 
pulses. 

Nellie  waited  for  no  formal  introduction.  Impulsively  she 
flew  toward  Pauline,  exclaiming,  "  You  are  Victor's  sister?  " 
' '  And  you  are  Miss  Nellie  May  ?  ' '  Pauline  rejilied  in  a  soft 
glad  voice,  looking  eagerly  into  Nellie's  eyes,  and  reading  there 
such  assurance  of  friendly  good  will,  as  to  prompt  her  to  meet 
half-way  the  proffered  kiss  and  embrace. 

There  had  been  other  eyes  besides  those  of  Leslie  May  to 
watch  the  meeting  of  the  young  gii'ls.  Victor,  when  he  saw 
the  cordial  welcome  of  each  to  each,  breathed  a  sigh  of  deep 
joy.  He  felt  as  if  the  dawn  of  friendship,  rose-tinting  the 
horizon  of  the  maidens,  had  for  him,  too,  a  ray  of  brightness, — 
and  of  promise. 


MAGNETISM  — BEPELLANT  AND  ATTRACTIONAL.      409 

Youug  Auf  clem  Busch  was  likewise  affected.  Not  with 
pleasure  wholly  unalloyed  ;  for  his  self-comi)lacency  was  dis- 
turbed. He  had  in  his  own  mind  set  down  the  Southern  belle 
as  a  much  spoiled  pet  of  society,  and  concluded  that  it  would 
be  the  proper  thing  for  him  to  ignore  her  so  far  as  he  might 
without  downriglit  rudeness.  On  witnessing  the  strong  attrac- 
tion that  drew  the  young  girls  toward  each  other,  and  noting  the 
exquisite  play  of  her  features,  whose  beauty  was  not  at  all 
marred  by  their  intellectual  expression,  a  vague  apprehension 
dawned  upon  him,  that  it  might  be  difficult  to  carry  out 
his  program,  if  she  should  take  it  into  her  head  not  to  be 
ignored.  But  relying  on  his  superior  tact,  he  resolved  to 
let  her  see,  that  he,  too,  had  seen  the  world,  and  that  he  knew 
how^  to  keep  arrogance  within  proper  bounds.  But  for  some 
reason  unaccountable  to  him  he  found  his  thoughts  dwelliuof 
on  the  ridiculous  proposition,  how  he  would  take  it  to  be 
ignored  by  her. 

The  introduction  of  the  Washington  guests  to  the  gentlemen 
of  the  Philosophical  Society  took  place  in  the  parlor.  Among 
the  latter  was  Doctor  Taylor,  with  whom  the  young  Mays  had 
become  acquainted  at  Venice,  during  their  European  tour. 
Doctor  Taylor  was  a  man  of  rather  slender  build,  tall,  and  of 
comely  appearance.  His  complexion,  contrasting  with  his 
luxuriant,  densely  black  hair,  seemed  fairer  than  it  was.  A 
mustache,  sparse,  but  as  dark  in  hue  as  the  hair  of  his  head, 
added  piquancy  to  his  frank  ingenuous  countenance,  the  pre- 
dominant expression  of  which  was  that  of  calm  serenity.  His 
eyes,  deep  set,  not  large,  snapped  and  sparkled  with  infectious 
mirth  on  slightest  provocation  of  fun  or  humor,  for  the  detec- 
tion of  the  slightest  trace  of  which  he  possessed  a  keen  sense. 
This  quahty,  which  Miss  May  had  not  been  slow  to  discover, 
as  well  as  the  zest  with  which  he  enjoyed  a  joke,  which  he  in- 
variably emphasized  with  Homeric  laughter  that  never  failed  to 
carry  his  auditors  with  him,  had  led  both  the  brother  and  sister 
during  theu"  sojourn  in  the  city  on  the  Adriatic,  to  cultivate 
his  acquaintance. 


410  THE  BE  BE  U  8  DAUGHTER. 

Nellie,  in  particular,  was  pleased  to  meet  with  him  again. 
"  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you  here,"  she  said,  on  shaking  hands 
with  him.  "  Do  you  live  here?  You  never  told  us,  that  you 
were  from  our  own  State,  when  we  met  in  Venice." 

"  No,"  said  Doctor  Taylor,  evidently  pleased  by  her  words. 
"I  have  not  lived  here  long.  —  So,  you  remember  me,  do 
you?  " 

"  Indeed,  sir,  I  should  be  ashamed  of  myself ,  if  I  did  not," 
said  Miss  May  with  some  emphasis. 

"  1  am  very  glad  of  it.  This  meeting  with  you  is  such  an 
unexpected,  agreeable  surprise." 

"  Ah,  I  am  sure  I  shall  never  forget  how  deeply  we  are  in- 
debted to  you  for  the  pleasant  days  we  spent  in  Italy,"  said 
Nellie.  "  But  for  the  highly  interesting  criticisms  with  which 
you  favored  us,  we  should  have  come  away  from  that  classic 
land  without  seeing,  or,  having  seen,  without  understanding,  a 
tithe  of  the  literary  and  art  treasures  which  you  so  kindly 
taught  us  to  see,  with  the  mental  as  Avell  as  the  i)hysical  eye. 
You  made  so  clear  to  us  —  to  me,  at  least  the  world-historical 
significance  of  what  I  would  otherwise  have  passed  by  as  com- 
monplace or  unmeaning.  Do  you  recall  the  time  we  met  you 
at  the  Grand  Square  of  St.  Mark's,  when  we  spent  the  time, — 
all  that  was  at  my  disposal  —  in  the  Great  Council  Chamber  of 
the  Ducal  Palace  one  day,  examining  the  manuscripts  and  pic- 
tures of  the  St.  Mark's  Library,  and  how  we  listened  —  oh, 
for  an  hour  or  more  —  to  your  fascinating  talk  on  Art,  sug- 
gested by  our  inquiries  touching  Tintoretto's  great  painting  of 
'  The  Paradise?  '  " 

"  I  remember,"  said  the  doctor,  breaking  into  a  peal  of 
merry  laughter;  and  then  added:  "  And  I  remember,  how  my 
eloquence  drove  you  away  from  the  PJazzo  Ducale;  how,  in- 
terrupting me  with  a  lame  excuse,  in  the  middle  of  a  linely 
worded  sentence,  you  made  your  escape,  rushing  down  the 
Giant's  Stairway  in  a  headlong  run,  colliding  with,  and  nearly 
upsetting  your  own  clumsy  gondolier,  who  stood  there,  waiting 
for  you." 


MAGNETISM  — REPELLANT  AND  ATTIiACTIONAL.      411 

"  Yes,"  Nellie  admitted  with  a  smile.  "  We  had  planned  an 
excursion  that  day  for  Trieste,  and  came  very  near  missing 
the  steamer,  notwithstanding  our  hasty  and  undignified  retreat. 
And  so  I  missed  the  sight  of  the  Bridge  of  Sighs,  and  of  more 
than  half  of  the  wonderful  things  marked  down  in  our  guide 
book  as  being  crowded  together  there." 

"  And,  Doctor,"  put  in  Leslie,  who  had  been  attracted  by  the 
laughter,  and  had  heard  the  latter  part  of  the  conversation, 
"  we  might  as  well  have  given  up  that  trip  to  Trieste,  for  all 
the  pleasure  or  profit  we  had  of  it." 

"  Why?  "  queried  the  doctor.  '•  Was  it  so  dreary  an 
affair?" 

"Stupid,"  said  Leslie.  "If  I  had  not,  fortunately,  had 
the  copy  of  your  '  Epigrammatic  Voyage  '  with  me,  which  you 
had  so  kindly  placed  at  my  disposal,  I  don't  know  how  I  should 
have  passed  the  time.     And  Sis,  here,  fared  not  much  better." 

' '  And  so  you  had  a  stupid  time  of  it  with  my  '  Epigram- 
matic Voyage,'  did  you?  "  asked  the  doctor,  with  a  grin. 

"  On  the  contrary,"  said  Leslie,  "  I  got  so  interested  in 
trying  to  find  out  what  your  verses  meant,  that  I  forgot  the 
dullness  of  the  company." 

"  Not  on  the  homoeopathic  principle,  I  hope?  "  And  after 
another  peal  of  laughter  the  doctor  added :  "So  my  epigrams 
were  conundi'ums  to  you,  were  they?  " 

"  That  is  what  you  meant  them  for,  did  j^ou  not?  "  asked 
Leslie  in  his  turn,  with  a  quizzical  look  at  the  doctor. 

"  Why  —  what  makes  you  think  that  I  meant  the  epigrams 
for  conundrums?  " 

"Because  you  say,  or  rather  you  have  one  of  the  epigrams 
to  say : 

'  Voyager,  I  cannot  say  I  am  modest,  because  I  am  modest ; 
If  I  could  tell  what  I  am,  thou  wouldst  love  me  no  more.' 

This  epigram  cannot  tell  what  it  is,  for  fear  of  becoming 
prosaically  plain  ;  therefore  the  reader  must  guess.  That  is 
your  purpose,  is  it  not?  " 


412  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTEB. 

A  renewed  burst  of  laughter  was  all  the  answer  Leslie  got. 
Then,  turning  to  Miss  May,  he  asked  her,  whether  she,  too, 
had  taken  a  hand  at  riddle-guessing. 

"  I  like  your  closing  verses  best,"  the  young  lady  replied, 
"  and  they  are  not  riddles.  At  least  to  me  they  are  word- 
paintings  that  tell  their  story  very  eloquently." 

Doctor  Taylor  regarded  the  fair  speaker  with  a  pleased  and 
eager  face.  "Word-paintings?"  he  repeated.  "What  do 
you  mean?     What  did  the  picture  say  to  you?  " 

"  It  seemed  to  open  up  before  me  a  mythological  landscape, 
crowded  with  temples  and  statues  of  gods  and  goddesses 
taking  on  Homeric  life.  The  columns,  of  the  temples  dance, 
like  a  chorus  of  dazzling  Greek  maidens,  beckoning  the  wan- 
derer from  the  other  side  of  the  world  to  enter  and  behold  the 
Goddess,  combining  with  the  wisdom  of  age  the  beauty  of 
youth,  filling  the  heart  of  her  worshipers  with  classic  joy." 

"  Go  on !  "  the  doctor  cried,  as  the  lady  paused. 

She  continued :  "  The  picture  brought  to  mind  the  delightful 
talks  you  had  given  us  on  the  construction  and  meaning  of 
great  art  works,  so  that  I  enjoyed  over  again  the  pleasure  of 
your  company,  almost  as  if  you  had  been  personally  present." 

The  doctor's  eager,  hungry  eyes,  fixed  in  a  keen  gaze  on  the 
lovely  face  before  him,  said,  more  emphatically  than  the  words 
he  had  just  spoken,  that  he  longed  for  her  to  "go  on."  But 
Nellie  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  Pauline,  out  in  the  garden  all 
by  herself,  and  obej^ed  a  sudden  impulse  to  join  her.  Offering 
a  brief  apology,  she  left  him ;  and  as  she  glided  out  of  the 
room,  his  gaze  followed  her  with  a  wistfulness  that  even  the 
Greek  maidens  of  his  own  Epigrammatic  Voyage  would  hardly 
have  called  forth. 

The  early  frosts  of  October  had  ruthlessly  stripped  the  gai'- 
den  of  its  softer  floral  wealth,  leaving  only  the  hardiest  autumn 
blossoms  to  brighten  the  lovely  Indian  Summer  days  that  fol- 
lowed. Among  these  Pauline  was  busy,  cutting  what  flowers 
she  found,  when  Nellie  approached  her. 


MAGNETISM— BEPELLANT  AND   ATTEACTIONAL.      413 

"  Do  you  propose  to  get  flowers  enough  out  of  this  garden, 
at  this  time  of  the  ,year,  for  a  presentable  nosegay?  "  she 
asked,  as  she  watched  Pauline's  deft  fingers  snipping  away 
among  the  chrysanthemum  stalks  with  a  pair  of  scissors.  "  I 
would  say,  you  will  find  hardly  enough  flowers  for  buttonhole 
bouquets  to  go  round  among  your  gentlemen  guests." 

"  Oh,  yes,"  Pauline  replied,  smiling  and  blushing  at  sight 
of  Leslie's  sister.  "  You  underrate  the  capacity  of  our  garden. 
There  are  blossoms  enough  here,  spared  by  the  nipping  frost, 
for  several  hundred  buttonhole  bouquets.  But  my  purpose  is 
a  little  more  ambitious.  I  wish  to  fill  a  vase  or  two  with 
flowers  for  the  table.     Will  you  help  me?  " 

"  If  you  will  let  me,"  said  Xellie,  with  alacrity.  "  But  1 
have  no  scissors.     Shall  I  run  into  the  house  and  get  a  pair?  " 

"  Take  these,  if  you  please,  and  cut  as  many  crysanthemums 
as  you  may  find  with  long,  straight  stems.  Meanwhile  I  will 
try  to  find  some  asparagus  ferns,  if  the  frost  has  left  any 
uuinjured." 

Nellie,  like  all  her  fair  sisters,  was  fond  of  flowers.  When 
Pauline  returned,  with  quite  a  handful  of  the  desired  ferns, 
she  showed  her  a  formidable  collection  of  perfect  blossoms,  in- 
cluding, besides  the  chi'ysanthemums  of  various  shades  of  color, 
salvias  of  dazzling  scarlet,  and  a  few  chalices  of  deep  blue ; 
besides  dahlias  of  exquisite  hues,  and  a  number  of  gaudy  Ian- 
tanas.  "  What  do  you  say  to  this?  "  she  exclaimed,  holding 
out  her  floral  treasures  for  Pauline's  inspection,  with  a  trium- 
phant smile.  Where  are  the  vases?  Let  us  fill  them  out 
here." 

Pauline  turned  toward  a  little  pavilion.  "In  here,  if  3'ou ' 
please.     The  vases  are  on  the  table." 

The  filling  in  of  the  flowers  occupied  the  girls  but  a  short 
time.  Yet  they  produced  a  couple  of  bouquets,  that  without 
too  great  a  stretch  of  laudation  might  be  designated  as  works 
of  art.  Beautiful,  both.  Yet  so  different  in  construction  and 
effect,  as  to  astonish  the  young  artists  themselves,  perhaps 
most   of   all'.     That   they  complimented  one  another  on  their 


414  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

respective  successes,  was  but  natural,  characteristic,  however, 
was  the  sincerity  with  which  either  ascribed  to  the  other  the 
superior  skill.  Nellie  had  chosen  the  brightest  blossoms  at 
her  command  and  combined  them  with  such  consummate  taste  as 
to  produce  an  exquisite  effect  in  the  contrast  and  harmony  of 
colors.  Pauline  had  paid  more  attention  to  the  contour  of  the 
material  employed,  building  up  her  floral  structure  with  the 
eye  of  an  architect  rather  than  that  of  a  painter,  pleasing 
less  by  brilliance  of  color  than  by  the  grace  and  symmetry  of 
outline. 

"Oh,  what  an  exquisite  picture  you  have  composed!  " 
Pauline  exclaimed.  "  If  I  had  not  seen  you  do  it,  it  would  be 
hard  for  me  to  believe  that  so  brilliant  an  effect  can  be  pro- 
duced with  such  common  flowers.  I  could  not  equal  it^ 
beauty  with  a  hot-house  full  of  exotics  at  my  disposal." 

"  Ah,  but  where  in  my  bouquet  is  the  charm  of  symmetr}-, 
the  elegance  of  pose,  if  3'ou  won't  laugh  at  the  expression,  of 
every  blade  of  grass  and  leaf  of  fern  that  makes  of  yours  a 
clief-cVoeuvre?  "  Nellie's  face  shone  in  such  genuine  admira- 
tion, as  she  spoke  these  words,  as  to  put  their  sincerity  out  of 
doubt.  "But,  never  mind!"  she  added.  "The  two  to- 
gether will  complement  one  another,  and  thus  keep  each  other 
in  countenance,  if  you  put  them  on  the  same  table.  And 
together  they  will  proclaim  the  floral  wealth  of  your  garden, 
and  the  taste  of  its  mistress !  " 

"  And  the  skill  of  Miss  May!  "  added  Pauline  with  an  an- 
swering smile.  "  Your  composition  suggests  the  luxuriance 
of  a  Jiright  June  morning  bathing  his  blooming  treasures  in  the 
mellow  sunlight  of  a  serene  autumn  day —  " 

"  Do  not,  please,  cast  about  for  complimentary  phrases," 
Nellie  interrupted  her.  "They  put  me  in  mind  of  the  con- 
ventional taffy  they  expect  us  to  feed  on  in  fashionable  society. 
And  I  hate  shams —  " 

' '  Meaning  flattery  ? ' ' 

"  Meaning  flattery,  most  decidedly!  " 

"  Therein,    then,  we    quite    agree,"    said  Pauline.     "  The 


MAGNETISM— REPELLANT  AND   ATTRACTIONAL.     415 

only  trouble  is,  to  detect  it;  for  its  iusidious  charm  so  easily 
cheats  our  judgment.     Decius,  you  know,  says  of  Citsar 

'  But  when  I  tell  him  he  hates  flatterers, 
He  says  he  does,  being  then  most  flattered.'  " 

"Then  let  us  drOp  compliments,  and  speak  rational^,  like 
the  good  friends  we  are  going  to  be,"  Nellie  suggested. 

"  With  all  my  heart,"  responded  Pauline  promptly,  a  flush 
of  pleasure  coloring  her  cheek.  "  And  since  it  is  the  office  of 
a  friend  to  speak  the  truth,  whereat  the  friend's  friend  must 
not  take  offense,  let  me  remind  you,  that  it  was  you  that  set 
the  example  of  paying  compliments  —  ' ' 

"  While  you,  I  suppose  you  want  me  to  believe,  spoke  the 
unadorned  truth,"  Nellie  broke  in  with  her  silvery  laugh. 
"  Well,  for  the  sake  of  peace,  let  us  pretend  that  all  we  said 
to  one  another  is  true."  She  was  playfully  arranging  some  of 
the  flowers  remaining  after  filling  the  vases,  into  pretty  little 
bunches,  as  she  added:  "  Would  you  mind  telling  me  some- 
thing of  the  philosophers  we  are  to  meet  at  table  ?  Doctor 
Taylor,  for  instance  ;  do  you  know  him  well?  " 

Pauhne  followed  the  example  of  her  guest  in  working  up  the 
flowers  into  tiny  bouquets.  It  was  not  long  before  a  number 
of  the  dainty  posies  lay  before  the  young  girls.  "  I  am  very 
slightly  acquainted  with  Doctor  Taylor,"  she  said  ;  "  but  my 
brother  Victor  thinks  highly  of  him." 

"  Your  brother  thinks  highly  of  every  one,  does  he  not?  " 

Pauline  cast  a  searching  glance  at  her  questioner,  as  if  to 
make  sure  of  her  sincerity.  "  Of  every  one  that  commands 
his  respect,"  she  answered.  "  He  entertains  a  very  high  opin- 
ion of  the  gentlemen  of  the  Philosophical  Society  ;  Mr.  Taylor, 
in  particular,  he  esteems  not  only  as  a  philosopher,  but  also  as 
a  poet  of  high  power." 

"  Poet !  "  Nellie  repeated,  musing.  "  Yes  ;  that  must  be  it. 
None  but  a  poet  could  so  fascinatingly  discourse  on  subjects 
that  were  usually  dull  and  indifferent  to  me.  Why,  he  held 
brother  Leslie  and  me  spellbound,  one  day  at  Venice,  explain- 


416  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

iiig  to  us  what  art  meant.  He  made  me  forget  and  nearly  miss 
an  engagement  I  had  that  day,  and  ever  since  then  I  thought 
more  highly  of  art,  and  of  artists." 

Pauline  regarded  Nellie  with  a  shy  little  glance,  as  she  asked  : 
"  Mr.  May  —  I  mean  your  brother  —  shares  j^our  admiration 
of  Mr.  Taylor  as  a  poet,  does  he  not?  " 

"  What  makes  you  think  so?  " 

Pauline  as  she  answered,  was  very  busy,  taking  extraordi- 
nary pains  about  the  flowers  she  was  tying,  so  that  she  could  not 
look  at  her  companion.  "  I  heard  him  say  something  of  the 
kind.  He  seemed  to  be  much  pleased  with  something  the  doctor 
had  written,  and  which  he  repeated  to  me." 

"  That  is  great  news,"  said  Nellie.  "  I  never  knew  Leslie 
to  take  interest  in  any  kind  of  poetry.  At  least  not  in  lyric 
poetry.  Was  it  something  in  the  lyrical  line  he  quoted  to 
you  ?  ' ' 

Although  Nellie's  look  and  voice  betrayed  no  interest  save 
that  of  innocent  curiosity,  still  the  delicate  pink  on  Pauline's 
cheek  deepened  preceptibly  as  she  made  answer :  "I  cannot 
tell  exactly.  Perhaps  it  was  didactic.  It  was  in  praise  of 
modesty." 

"  Ah  !  in  praise  of  modesty !  "  Nellie  repeated  with  perfectly 
sober  mien.  "Yes;  it  must  have  been  didactic,  if  brother 
Leslie  took  enough  interest  in  it  to  remember  it.  It  must  have 
been  one  of  the  epigrams  that  he  admires  as  conundrums." 

Pauline,  still  concentrating  her  attention  on  the  posy  she  was 
so  assiduously  at  work  on,  said  nothing.  After  a  brief  pause, 
Nellie  went  on : 

"  So  this  is  all  that  you  know  about  Doctor  Taylor?  —  Well, 
who  is  that  benevolent  looking  gentleman  that  wears  blue 
glasses?  He  was  introduced  to  me  as  Professor  Something  — 
I  have  forgotten  his  name  —  ' ' 

"  Rauhenfels  ?  "  Pauline  suggested.  "  But  he  does  not  wear 
glasses." 

"  No!  "  was  Nellie's  prompt  response.  "  Nor  is  benevo- 
lence a  salient  feature  of  his  physiognomy.     I  shall  never  for- 


MAGNETISM  —  BETELL ANT  AND  ATTBACTIONAL,      417 

gt't  tlic  expii'ssion  oi  his  Jacc  wlu'ii  he  was  iutrochiccHl  to  mo. 
It  wiis  tliat  ol'  a  liawk  on  the   h>okout  for  pre  v." 

PauHiie  smiled.  ''  You  are  severe,"  she  said.  '•  There  is, 
it  must  l)e  granted,  something  eagle-like  in  his  face,  when  seen 
in  i)rolile  ;  but  when,  i)artieularly  under  excitement  over  some 
])ernieious  error,  or  public  wrong,  he  utters  withering  sarcasms 
and  lierce  denunciations  in  his  powerful,  deep  voice,  he  puts 
me  in  mind  of  an  ancient  Hebrew  seer  proclaiming  the  divine 
wrath  of  Jehovah." 

"  Ah,  PauUne,  I  suspect  that  you,  like  your  brother  Victor, 
are  given  to  idealizing  people.  He  is  of  a  lively  imagination, 
and  seizes  upon  and  exaggerates  all  the  plausible  traits 
he  finds  or  invents  —  charitably  ignoring  even  grave  defects  — 
in  those  with  whom  he  comes  in  contact.  But  the  gentleman 
aliout  whom  1  am  asking  you  —  ah,  now  I  remember.  Professor 
Altrue  is  what  they  call  him  —  has  a  round,  fair  face,  a  massive 
forehead,  and  a  mouth  of  almost  feminine  sweetness.  I  did 
not  catch  the  color  of  his  eyes  behind  his  glasses,  but  they 
must  be  blue,  to  harmonize  with  the  expression  of  kind-hearted- 
ness and  intelligence  beaming  from  his  countenance." 

'•O,  of  course,  I  know  Professor  Altrue,"  said  Pauline, 
looking  np  as  if  interested.  "  They  mostly  call  him  Domine, 
or,  in  a  playful  way,  Doctor  Domine.  Because,"  she  added, 
in  answer  to  a  questioning  look  of  Nellie,  '*  he  is  looked  up 
to  as  a  great  authority  on  pedagogy." 

■■'  A  schoolmaster,  is  he?  " 

"  Well,  yes,  you  may  call  him  a  schoolmaster.  He  was 
once  the  principal  of  a  grammar  school ;  but  now  is  at  the 
head  of  the  school  system  of  our  city.  Professor  Rauhenfels 
says  that  he  has  a  national  reputation  as  an  organizer,  and  has 
secured  for  our  public  schools  the  fame  of  being  the  best 
organized  in  the  United  States.  He  is  very  proud  of  the 
Domine,  as  being  one  of  the  very  few  of  his  disciples  that  has 
really  mastered  Hegel's  logic  —  whatever  that  means." 

''Disciples,  did  you  say?  Is  Professor  Rauhenfels  also  a 
schoohnaster  ?  " 


418  THE  REBEL'S  DAUQHTEB. 

"  lu  a  seuse,  yes.  He  is  the  leader  of  what  my  brother 
calls  the  Philosophical  Class." 

"  And  is  your  brother  a  philosopher  too?  " 

"Only  a  most  devoted  disciple,"  said  Pauline,  smiling. 
"And  he  is  thoroughly  convinced  that  there  is  not  a  pro- 
founder  thinker  in  all  the  State,  than  Professor  Raahenfels,  or 
a  more  competent  teacher." 

"  Cease  to  laud  this  paragon  of  wisdom  in  my  presence,  or 
I  shall  hate  him!"  said  Nellie,  frowning.  "Indeed,  I  hate 
him  as  it  is." 

"  How  can  you  hate  one  of  whom  you  know  little  or  noth- 
ing? "  Pauline  asked,  looking  a  little  surprised. 

"It  is  a  woman's  privilege,  don't  you  know,  to  love  and 
hate  without  reason  or  rhyme,"  Nellie  ansAfered,  smiling,  as  if 
she  enjoyed  Pauline's  wonderment  at  such  levity*  "But  I 
may  know  more  about  this  Rauhenfels  than  you  imagine. 
Never  mind  now.  — That  line  looking  young  man,  Mr.  Auf  dem 
Busch  Junior,  —  he  is  your  cousin,  is  he  not?  " 

"  A  very  distant  cousin,  so  far  as  blood  relationshiii  goes." 

"So  far  as  blood  relationship  goes, — I  see,"  remarked 
Nellie,  with  a  meaning  smile  that  embarrassed  Pauline.  "  Is 
he  a  philosopher,  too?  " 

"Not  of  the  Hegelian  kind,  at  least,"  smiling.  "He 
sympathizes  with  you  in  hating  Professor  Rauhenfels,  whom  he 
calls  a  Mephistopheles." 

"  How  came  he  to  call  him  Mephistopheles?  " 

"  Oh,  brother  Victor,  one  day,  remarked  of  the  philosophy 
class,  that  some  of  its  members  reminded  him  of  the  Olympian 
Gods,  ascribing  to  the  Domine  the  attributes  of  blue-eyed 
Athene,  to  Doctor  Taylor  those  of  the  song-dispensing,  sun- 
light-shedding Apollo,  and  to  Professor  Rauhenfels  the 
majesty  of  thunder-voiced  Jupiter,  when  cousin  Woldemar 
interrupted  him,  saying  that  he  was  cheating  the  devil  of 
his  due,  for  that  Rauhenfels  was  as  complete  a  Mephistopheles 
as  Gothe  had  in  mind  when  he  wrote  his  Faust." 

"Good  for  your  cousin!  "  said  Nellie.     "He    shall  have 


'  But  what  are  we  goiug  to  do  with  these  bouquets  :■  " 


MAGNETISM  — BEPELLANT  AND  ATTBACTIONAL       419 


ouc  of  my  li nest  posies  for  that.  Mepliisto  !  That  describes 
him  better  thau  hawk  ! ' ' 

"  But  it  is  time  that  I  should  be  thinking  of  the  table,"  said 
Pauline.     "  Would  you  mind  carrying  one  of  the  vases?  " 

"  With  the  greatest  pleasure.  But  what  are  we  going  to  do 
with  these  bouquets  ?  ' ' 

"  They  are  to  be  utilized  in  giving  the  table  a  cheerful  ap- 
pearance. Each  one  of  the  guests  is  to  have  one  tucked  in  his 
napkin." 

"  Here  is  a  little  beauty  that  I  mean  to  pin  on  your  uncle's 
coat-lapel,"  said  Nellie.  "  I  owe  him  an  acknowledgment  for 
his  courtesy  in  letting  me  drive  his  glorious  team." 

"  That  will  please  him  greatly,"  Pauline  remarked.  "  You 
must  have  made  a  very  favorable  impression  on  him,  if  he 
intrusted  you  with  the  reins  while  he  was  by." 

"And  one  for  your  cousin  —  Woldemar,  is  it?  What  a 
fine  name  !  — for  the  smart  thing  he  said  of  Eauhenfels.  And 
your  brother  Victor  shall  have  one,  for  old  acquaintance'  sake. 
I  am  quite  sure  that  he  will  be  proud  to  wear  a  flower  that  I 
gave  him,  don't  you  think?  " 

"  But  if  you  thus  decorate  the  gentlemen  of  the  house,  it 
will  be  a  slight  to  our  guests,  unless  we  remember  them  the 
same  way." 

"  Well,  you  may  honor  my  father  if  you  will,"  said  Nellie, 
smiling  pleasantly.  "  And  if  Leslie  has  behaved  i^roperly,  you 
may  put  one  in  his  buttonhole.  As  to  the  philosophers,  we 
will  go  snacks  in  supplying  them  with  floral  favors.  It  looks 
as  if  there  were  enough  to  go  round." 


XXVII. 

PHILOSOPHERS    AT    TEA. 

'HE  meal  passed  off  pleasantly.  The  distribution,  by  the 
yonng  ladies,  of  the  pretty  posies,  had  put  the  gentle- 
men in  good  humor,  and  started  the  conversation  in 
merry  mood.  Like  a  babbling  brooklet  the  stream  of  talk 
flowed  on,  —  smoothly  now,  now  breaking  into  purling  ripples 
of  sparkling  repartee  ;  not  deep,  but  gliding  briskly  over  the 
well-worn  pebbles  of  generalities,  moving  over  such  topics  as 
educed  from  each  guest  some  jjleasant  remark.  Doctor  Taylor, 
for  instance,  said  something  pretty  about  the  atfinity  lietween 
the  bloom  of  flowers  and  the  bloom  of  the  maidens  dispensing 
tliem  ;  Professor  Rauhenfels  indulged  in  some  i)unning  on  the 
names  of  May  and  Waldhorst,  which  latter  he  explained  as 
meaning  a  nest  in  the  forest ;  he  was  in  turn  corrected  by 
Professor  Altrue,  who  asserted  that  the  word  "  horst  "  meant 
not  a  nest,  but  the  place  where  birds  of  prey  build  their  nests, 
the  exact  equivalent  of  our  "  aerie,"  or,  as  the  word  is  spelled 
in  our  editions  of  Shakespear,  "  eyry."  Then  Woldemar  Auf 
dem  Busch  had  his  fling  at  Professor  Rauhenfels,  wherein  he 
was  seconded  by  Miss  May,  who  said  some  sharp  things  about 
German  names,  but  was  glad,  in  the  end,  that  the  professor's 
barbed  shafts  of  cutting  retort  were  aimed  rather  at  the  young 
merchant  than  at  her.  Pauline  spoke  but  little.  By  a  judicious 
remark,  now  and  then,  she  suggested  a  i)leasant  subject,  u])on 
which  otliers  dilated.  Colonel  May  noted,  with  silent  approval, 
the  unpretending  efficiency  with  wliich  she  assisted  the  hostess. 
Both  he  and  Mrs.  May  were  highly  amused  by  the  curioiis 
English  in  which  Auf  dem  Busch  Senior  served  up  the  few 
remarks  in  which  he  indulged,  —  furnishing  to  the  lady  proof 
indul»itable  of  the  correctness  of  her  estimate  of  his  low  origin. 
(420) 


rillLOSOPllEES  AT    TEA.  421 

But  a  remark  made  by  the  host  himself  presently  turued  the 
conversation  into  a  deeper  channel .  ' '  Go  you  straightway 
home  from  herewith  your  madam  and  daughter,"  he  inquired. 
'  ^  or  go  you  first  to  the  State  capital  ?  ' ' 

"  Our  route  home  passes  very  closely  by  tlu-  cnfjitnl,  so  thai 
we  shall  not  lose  much  time  by  a  visit  there,"  was  thf 
colonel's  answer.  "  I  shall  be  detained  a  few  days  in  the 
city;  but  then  Ave  shall  start  for  home.  If  we  find  it  necessary 
on  reaching  the  cajiital,  we  shall  remain  there  until  the 
convening  of  the  General  Assembly.  Otherwise  I  may  take 
the  ladies  home  first,  and  then  return  to  the  capital." 

''  But  you  will  let  me  stay  in  .the  capital,  papa?  "  said  Miss 
May,  in  a  tone  that  was  at  once  precatory  and  confident.  "•  I 
have  never  attended  at  a  governor's  reception  yet,  and  thisjs 
too  good  an  opportunity  to  be  neglected."  Then,  with  a  sly 
look  at  Victor,  she  added:  "'And  I  wish  to  have  a  dance 
witli  the  Honorable  Victor  Waldhorst  at  the  governor's  rece[)- 
tiou . ' ' 

•'  May  1  tai\e  you  at  your  word.  Miss  Nellie?  "  said  \'irlor, 
rtushing  deeply. 

''  Of  course,  Miss  May  will  be  at  the  governor's  reception," 
Professor  Rauhenfels  spoke  up.  '-I  take  it  for  granted,  that 
you  wish  to  be  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate,  Colonel 
May;  and  even  if  it  should  not  be  your  wish,  you  owe  it  to 
these  gentlemen  here,  most  of  whom  have  been  pretty  active 
in  your  l)ehalf,  to  make  the  best  race  you  know  how.  And 
if  you  do  not  suspect  it  yourself,  these  gentlemen  here  —  Mr. 
Waldhorst  not  excepted — are  satisfied,  that  ISIiss  May's  pres- 
ence at  the  capital  next  week  will  put  your  election  out  of 
doubt,  whatever  your    chances  otherwise  may  be." 

"■  The  professor  has  right,  like  always,"  Mr.  Auf  dem 
Busch  Senior  proclaimed.  ''If  the  colo-uell  is  prudent,  then 
Miss  May  shall  be  in  the  capital.  The  colo-uell's  election  is 
may  be  sure  ;  but  double-stitched  holds  better." 

"  Apropos  of  the  election,"  said  Woldemar,  thereby  cutting 
off  whatever  reply  might  have  been  intended  to  Miss  May's 


422  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

suggestion,  "  is  the  outlook  quite  so  clear  as  the  present  com- 
pany seem  to  wish?  To  me  it  seems,  that  Lincoln's  election 
has  so  complicated  the  slavery  question,  that  political  combina- 
tions are  uncertain." 

"  One  thing,  however,  is  certain,"  the  colonel  observed, 
amid  profound  silence  of  the  others.  "  If  this  Union  is  to  be 
preserved,  as  I  devoutly  hope  and  trust  it  shall  be,  it  will  be 
upon  condition  that  one-half  of  the  people  shall  not  be  robbed 
of  their  property  by  the  other  half." 

"  Robbed?  "  said  Woldemar.  "  Is  not  that  a  stronger  term 
than  you  meant  to  use  ?  ' ' 

"  It  is  not  too  strong  a  term  !  "  Victor  almost  shouted  in  his 
eagerness.  "  It  is  just  the  right  term.  If  a  lot  of  pharisaical 
hypocrites  should  demand  of  you  to  turn  loose  your  horses  and 
cattle,  because  they  are  God's  creatures  as  well  as  you,  — 
would  you  do  it?  And  if  you  were  made  to  do  it  by  force, 
would  not  that  be  robbery  ? ' ' 

"  Horses  and  cattle  are  not  human  beings,"  said  Woldemar 
confidently.  "  Nor  is  it  proposed,  so  far  as  I  understand,  to 
liberate  the  slaves  by  force,  or  at  all." 

"  Call  it  liberation  or  not  as  you  please,"  said  Leslie  May. 
"  You  deprive  us  of  our  property,  if  you  interfere  with  us  in 
its  use.  And  mark  me,  sir,  the  South  will  not  tamely  submit 
to  such  monstrous  spoliation,  as  the  abolition  of  slavery  would 
involve.  If  it  be  attempted  under  color  of  law,  it  will  be  such 
law  as  the  highwayman  imposes  upon  his  victim,  with  the  knife 
at  his  throat." 

"  The  South  will  never  yield  to  force  !  "  Nellie  added,  with 
flashing  eyes.  "If  it  comes  to  that,  the  Yankees  will  find  that 
two  can  play  at  the  game.  I  hope  —  no,  I  don't  hope  for  war. 
But  if  war  ever  comes,  let  the  Y^ankees  beware !  " 

"  Peace,  children!  "  the  colonel  demanded.  "  Y"ou  talk  as 
though  it  were  proposed  to  fight.  The  dauger  does  not  lie 
there.  There  will  be  no  fighting  ;  l)ut  there  may  be  disruption 
of  the  countr\'.  It  is  very  clear,  that  if  the  abolitionists  carry 
out  their  fanatical  program,  the  constitution  will  be  violated  — 


FHILOSOPHEBS  AT   TEA.  423 

broken,  in   fact, — and  what  will  there  be  then    to  hold  the 
country  together?  " 

"  There  will  be  a  new  constitution,"  Doctor  Taylor  now 
spoke.  "  Our  i:)resent  constitution  seems  too  narrow  for  the 
vigoi"Ous  people  to  which  we  have  grown.  Our  nation  has 
been  expanding  in  every  direction, — in  territorial  extent,  in 
population,  in  power  and  wealth,  and,  —  may  I  add?  —  in 
moral  tone.  But  our  constitution  which  fitted  us  very  well 
just  after  the  Revolution,  is  now  the  same  as  it  was  then. 
Fixed  and  rigid  in  its  inflexible  written  form,  it  could  not,  like 
for  instance  the  British  constitution,  ffrow  with  the  OTowth  of 
the  nation  —  " 

"  You  forget,  sir,  the  chief  characteristics  of  the  American 
constitution,"  the  colonel  thi'ew  in,  "  which  is  precisely  the 
quality  that  your  statement  denies  it,  —  its  capacity  to  conform 
to  the  changing  views  and  needs  of  the  people." 

"  By  means  of  constitutional  amendments,  do  you  mean, 
sir?  " 

"Exactly." 

"  But  if  what  I  say  is  true,  —  if  the  growth  of  the  constitu- 
tion has  not  kept  pace  with  the  growth  of  the  people,  then  its 
amendability  has  been  of  little  avail,  so  far.  Nor  is  the  pros- 
pect promising,  that  the  slavery  quarrel  will  be  settled  by  that 
means.  Your  son  has  just  now  stated, — and  I  believe  that 
he  fairly  voices  the  Southern  sentiment  in  this  particular  — 
that  the  South  will  not  submit  to  what  he  calls  —  justly,  let  us 
admit  —  being  robbed  of  their  slaves.  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch  — 
the  young  man,  I  mean  —  incHnes  to  the  view  that  the  aboli- 
tion of  slavery  is  demanded  by  public  opinion,  at  least  by  a 
sufficient  majority  of  the  people  to  put  it  into  the  shape  of  a 
law.  Thus  you  will  have  a  breach  of  the  constitution :  for 
interference  with  the  right  of  slaveholders  in  the  States,  in  any 
manner  other  than  by  an  amendment  of  the  constitution,  is,  I 
take  it,  indubitably  a  breach  of  that  instrument." 

"  I  beg  that  you  will  not  misunderstand  my  statement," 
young   Auf  dem  Busch  protested.      "■  I  distinctly  disavow  any 


424  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

intention  that  Congress  sluill  interfere  with  slavery  in  the 
States.  I  siin])ly  desire  that  it  shall  be  con  lined  to  the  States 
in  which  it  now  exists." 

"Well,"  said  Victor,  rather  warmly,  "do  you  not  intend 
thereby  to  eventually  exterminate  slavery?  For,  whether  you 
confess  it  or  not,  is  it  not  i)erfectly  evident,  that  your  policy 
will  ])revent  any  new  slave  State  from  Ijeing  added  to  the 
Union?  And  do  you  not  therel)y  deprive  those  States,  whose 
interest  requires  the  recognition  of  slavery,  of  their  due  share 
of  influence  in  the  councils  of  the  nation  ?  And  will  not  that 
lead  to  the  abolition  of  slavery  as  inevitably  as  direct  al)olition 
would  ?  ' ' 

''  It  strikes  me  that  my  young  friend  has  fairly  and  accurately 
stated  the  case,"  Colonel  May  remarked.  "  Whether  it  l>e  the 
conscious  policy  of  the  free  soil  party  to  enhance  the  prosperity 
of  one  section  of  the  country  at  the  cost  of  the  ruin  and  beg- 
gary of  the  prosperous  citizens  of  the  other,  or  not,  —  tliat  is 
certainly  the  prospect  before  us,  if  Lincoln  should  side  with 
the  radical  wing  of  the  party  that  elected  him.  I  am  happy  to 
say,  that  I  do  not  believe  he  will." 

"  There  is  an  element  of  profound  truth  in  what  our  friend, 
Doctor  Taylor,  has  suggested,  that  deserves,  1  l)elieve,  closer 
attention." 

It  was  Professor  Altrue  that  spoke,  in  a  low,  melodious 
voice,  that,  however,  made  itself  distinctly  heard.  "  He  has 
pointed  out  the  impossibility  that  a  written  constitution  should 
acH'urately  or  truly  represent  the  consciousness  of  a  nation. 
Sir,  I  dare  say,  that  if  you  will  abstract  from  the  political 
bearing  of  the  question,  you  will  readily  see  that  this  constitu- 
tion, which  you,  very  properly,  so  strongly  defend  as  the  safe- 
guard of  your  rights,  does  not  reflect  the  conviction  which  you 
yourself  entertain  on  the  morality  of  slavery." 

''  Whether  I  see  this  or  not,  you  will  readily  grant  me," 
said  the  colonel,  "  that  an  individual  cannot  be  i^ermitted 
to  set  up  his  own  opinion  as  the  standard  of  right  and 
wrong:," 


rillLOSOPHEBS  AT   TEA.  425 

"  Clearly  not  for  others,"  Professor  Altrue  asseuted. 
"  Else  no  one's  rigUts  foiild  be  protected —  " 

"Then,"  the  colonel  interrupted,  "let  me  say,  that  the 
constitution  is  good  enough  for  me,  and  that  I  do  not  propose 
to  sit  in  judgment  on  its  morality." 

"•  That  is  a  thing  that  you  cannot  help  doing,  sir,"  said  the 
Domine  amid  the  breatldess  attention  of  the  others.  '■  For 
while  your  own  opinion  has  no  binding  force  for  others,  it  is 
the  voice  of  God  to  yourself,  and  this  very  constitution  that 
you  set  up  as  your  standard  demands  of  you  that  you  judge  it 
by  that  divine  criterion." 

"  Wliy  must  I  judge  it  at  all?  " 

"  By  judging  I  do  not  mean,  necessarily  condemning.  But 
you  do  decide  (for  yourself,  and  so  far  as  your  influence  goes) 
whether  the  constitution  adequately  performs  its  functions. 
The  humblest  citizen  does  this  every  time  he  performs  his 
duty  at  the  polls  :  how  much  more  yourself,  who  are  called  on, 
as  an  illustrious  statesman,  to  guide  the  ship  of  State.  You 
certainly  know  it  to  be  your  duty  to  actively  assist  in  amend- 
ing the  constitution  so  as  to  purify  it  from  any  defect  that  has 
become  api)arent  to  you.  Is  not  that  a  judgment  against 
its  adequacy  ?  Or  you  may  opi^ose  any  suggested  amendment, 
or  simply  remain  inactive.  Is  not  that  a  judgment  in  its  favor? 
In  this  way  every  human  being  that  owes  allegiance  to  our 
government  continually  passes  judgment  on  the  sutliciency  of 
the  constitution." 

"  And  in  doing  so,"  Doctor  Taylor  interjected,  "  they  have 
no  higher  criterion  than  their  conscience." 

"  Precisely,"  the  Domine  assented.  "  Now,  what  I  wished 
to  comment  on  is,  as  Doctor  Taylor  happily  pointed  out,  the 
necessarily  unequal  development  of  the  people  and  their  con- 
stitution. Grant  that  a  law,  when  enacted,  represents  the 
clear  judgment  of  a  majority  of  the  people.  That  is  the  theory 
upon  which  we  recognize  its  binding  validity.  To-morrow, 
changing  circumstances,  or  it  might  be,  the  riper  judgment  of 
the  people,  may  have  changed  the  views  of  some  of  them,  so  that 


426  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

the  law  no  longer  represents,  the  opinion  of  the  majorit3^  Such 
changes  are  of  daily 'Occurrence ;  and  it  is  obvious,  that  until 
such  law  can  be  amended  or  repealed,  there  is  a  tension  between 
the  will  of  the  people  and  the  law  which,  theoretically,  ex- 
presses it.  Ordinarily,  such  amendment  or  repeal  follows  as 
soon  as  this  tension  has  made  itself  felt  by  the  majority.  But 
how,  when  the  amendment  requires  more  than  a  majority? 
Such  substantially  unanimous  concurrence  of  opinion,  for 
instance,  as  is  conditioned  by  a  majority  of  two-thirds  of  each 
House  of  Congress,  to  be  ratified  by  a  majority  of  everyone  of 
three-fourths  of  the  State  legislatures?  It  is  evident,  that  a 
determined  minority  —  it  may  be  of  less  than  one-tenth  of  the 
people  —  may  defeat  the  will  of  the  other  nine-tenths,  provided 
that  they  constitute  the  majority  in  one  more  than  one-fourth 
of  the  States,  though  they  be  of  the  smallest.  If  the  majority, 
then,  is  as  determined  as  the  minority,  the  tension  will  be- 
come so  great,  that  a  rupture,  such  as  is  dreaded  by  Colonel 
May,  would  not  be  surprising ;  nor,  as  Doctor  Taylor  sug- 
gests, that  a  new  constitution  —  even  several  new  constitu- 
tions —  should  result,  if  the  old  one,  instead  of  being  amended, 
should  be  fractured  by  the  tension." 

"  Which  may  God  hinder!  "  the  old  merchant  exclaimed. 
"  Professor  Rauheufels,  you  have  said  us  nothing  over  this 
point.     We  might  hear  an  opinion  of  you." 

' '  Why  do  you  want  another  opinion  ?  ' '  the  professor  re- 
sponded, looking  around  at  all  the  company,  and  then  address- 
ing the  host  with  an  amiable  face.  "  Opinions  are  cheap,  and 
worth  about  what  they  cost.  Every  man  has,  or  ought  to 
have,  one  of  his  own,  worth  more  to  him,  probably,  than  to 
any  one  else.  Does  any  one  expect  to  change  his  opinion  on 
hearing  some  one  else's?  I  can  give  a  shrewd  guess,  that 
Colonel  May  still  wishes  to  preserve  the  Union,  slavery  and 
all,  although  he  may  not  be  able  to  refute  the  argument  of 
Doctor  Taylor  that  it  is  superannuated  and  needs  overhauling ; 
or  the  reasoning  of  our  friend,  the  Domine,  that  written  con- 
stitutions are  like  a  tightly  fitting  garment  on  a  fast  growing 


PHILOSOPHERS  AT    TEA.  427 

youth,  that  must  presently  be  rent  asunder,  unless  replaced  by 
one  of  ampler  dmiensions.  And  so,  I  suspect,  our  young 
friend  Auf  dem  Busch  Avill  still  insist  that  it  is  the  duty  of  a 
Christian  government  to  abolish  slavery,  although  Mr,  Wald- 
liorst  indignantly  proves  this  to  be  highway-robbery,  and 
young  Mr.  May  shows  us  that  if  it  is  done,  it  must  be  done 
by  sheer  force,  the  which  Miss  May  is  equally  sure,  will  be 
met  with  like  force." 

"But  will  you  not  favor  us  with  your  views  on  the  sub- 
ject? "  Colonel  May  inquired.  "  I  will  confess  that  I  am  very 
eager  to  hear  from  you,  after  what  Leslie  has  written  and 
spoken  to  me  of  your  part  in  the  election." 

"Do,  Professor,"  said  the  Domine.  "  I  am  sure  the  whole 
company  are  anxious  to  hear  your  views." 

There  was  general  assent  to  this  statement. 

"My  views  as  to  what?"  said  the  professor.  "Do  you 
wish  to  know,  why  I  am  in  favor  of  Colonel  May  for  the 
United  States  Senate?  I  will  tell  you :  Because,  by  his  course 
in  Congress,  he  has  given  ample  proof  of  his  devotion  to  the 
American  principle,  —  which  demands  Liberty  through  Law, 
and  Law  in  Liberty.  He  knows,  that  there  can  be  no  liberty 
without  law%  and  therefore  demands  the  strict  and  literal 
compliance  with  our  written  constitution,  as  the  only  safe- 
guard of  our  rights.  And  yet  I  agree  with  the  Domine  and 
Doctor  Taylor,  that  a  written  constitution  does  not  grow  with 
the  body  politic,  hke  the  bark  of  a  tree,  which  expands  as  the 
tree  grows.  But  I  see  just  in  the  tension  which  these  gentle- 
men emphasize,  as  a  possible  consequence  of  the  fluctuation, 
in  public  sentiment,  the  Magna  Chartaof  individual  liberty, — 
since  it  operates  as  a  check  upon  the  caprice  of  the  people. 
For  no  tyranny  is  more  oppressive  and  galling  than  the  des- 
potism of  unbridled  majorities.  Colonel  May  recognizes  in  the 
conservative  element  of  our  government  the  sheet-anchor  of 
Freedom  and  Right.  So  do  I.  He  has  evaded  the  question 
put  to  him  by  the  Domine,  as  to  his  view  on  the  morality  of 
slavery :   I  care  not  what  it  is  ;   under  the  present  condition  of 


428  TEE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

tilings  it  is  of  far  greater  importance  to  humanity,  —  to  the 
cause  of  freedom  —  that  our  government  remain  intact,  than 
that  the  normal  condition  of  the  slaves  be  changed.  As 
Doctor  Taylor  once  neatly  expressed  it,  — 

'  'Tis  not  the  outward  bond  that  makes  the  slave, — 
But  the  base  craven  thought  within  the  man.' 

Slaves  are  such  upon  their  own  compliance.  No  freeman, 
loving  liberty  above  life  or  ease,  was  ever  yet  made  a  slave. 
To  the  slave,  then,  manumission  is  of  no  benefit.  The 
vice  of  slavery  consists  in  its  degradation  to  the  master, 
because  slavery  is  incompatible  with  his  own  freedom.  Its 
recognition  in  the  constitution  is  a  monstrous  contradiction  of 
the  principle  of  our  government,  and  of  the  solemn  declaration 
upon  which  we  achieved  independence.  In  depriving  a  human 
being  of  his  liberty  (for  though  this  cannot  be  done  with  the 
slave's  consent,  neither  can  it  be  done  without  the  master's 
act)  he  destroys  the  divine  quality  wherein  man  is  the  image 
of  (xod.  This  is  the  sin  that  will  bring  upon  us  retributive 
punishment  as  surely  as  effect  follows  cause.  But  the  forcible 
abolition  of  shnxny  would  be  no  remedy :  It  would  be  a  new 
crime.  Not  only  sinning  against  the  constitutional  rights  of 
the  slave-owner,  but  adding  the  base  perfidy  of  violating  our 
own  solemn  covenant.  Colonel  May,  whether  abhorring  slav- 
ery or  not,  abhors  the  treachery  involved  of  robbing  the  South 
of  the  property  solemnly  guaranteed  to  them  by  the  constitu- 
tion. To  this  extent  he  truty  represents  my  political  convic- 
tion." 

"It  is  your  conviction,  then,  that  slavery  cannot  be  abol- 
lished  under  the  constitution?"  This  question  was  put  by 
Victor. 

"Only  by  the  spontaneous  co-operation  of  the  States," 
the  professor  answered,  with  impressive  emphasis. 

"So!  "  said  Woldemar  Auf  dem  Busch,  a  perceptible  touch 
of  sneering  sarcasm  in  voice  and  mien.  "  That  means,  that 
under  the  constitution  human  freedom  is  at  a  discount,  — good 


PHILOSOPHERS  AT   TEA.  429 

only  for  oue  class,  wicked  in  iinotUcr.     How  glorious  the  '  Ituid 
of  the  free,  and  the  home  of  the  brave!'  " 

"  That  means,"  the  professor  repeated,  closely  imitating  the 
young  man's  sneering  voice  and  manner,  "  that  in  this  '  land  of 
the  free  and  home  of  the  brave  '  neither  covert  theft  nor  open 
robbery  are  reckoned,  as  yet,  among  the  virtues  to  be  culti- 
vated." Then,  laying  down  his  knife  and  fork,  and  fixing  his 
opponent  with  a  look  of  fierce  contempt,  he  added,  his  voice 
pitched  to  the  deepest  bass,  the  impassioned  earnestness  of 
which  impressed  his  audience  with  the  solemn  gravity  of  the 
subject:  "  Sir,  you  have  probably  studied  Mrs.  Stowe's  '  Uncle 
Tom's  Cabin,'  and  learned  from  her  soul-stirring  pictures  of 
Life  among  the  Lowly  how  easily  Eva  St.  Clair  Avould  have 
settled  this  question  that  is  agitating  the  country.  Romantic 
sentiment  makes  short  work  of  problems,  such  as  these,  that 
sorely  try  the  wit  of  the  anxious  statesmen,  philanthropists 
and  philosophers.  It  is  so  easy  to  follow  the  dictates  of  the 
heart  if  you  can  only  stifle  the  skeptical  protests  of  the  head,  — 
most  easy  to  tliose  w^ho  are  least  oppressed  with  brains.  What 
a  glorious  task  is  that  of  the  poet,  or  even  of  a  poetess,  or  one 
who  is  reckoned  so,  to  divide  mankind  into  two  classes,  — the 
wMcked,  who,  like  Shylock,  stand  on  their  bond,  in  this  case 
the  constitution,  and  the  pious,  the  good,  w^ho  insist  that  their 
neighbors  shall  liberate  their  slaves,  constitution  or  no  consti- 
tution —  taking  the  latter  to  the  place  where  little  Eva  and 
Uncle  Tom  are  supposed  to  have  gone,  while  providing  for  the 
former  a  warmer  reception  elsewhere.  Is  this,  sir,  what  your 
wisdom  comes  to  ?  Out  upon  such  hypocritical  cant !  Such 
nursery-room  morality,  such  St.  Crispin  virtue !  You  will  not 
solve  the  eternal  conflict  between  conscience  and  law  by 
imposing  your  conscience  as  law  upon  others.  Liberate  your 
slaves,  if  you  have  any,  and  appease  your  conscience  ;  but  let 
your  neighbor  liberate  or  keep  his,  as  his  conscience  may 
demand.  That,  sir,  is  the  law  of  the  land.  Let  no  one 
violate  it,  pleading  a  higher  law  of  God.  Be  warned  by  the 
fate    of    Antigone:   She    obeyed  what  she  felt  to  be  the  law 


430 


THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTER. 


written  in  her  breast  by  tlie  gods  themselves  in  preference  to 
the  king's  decree,  and  perished,  because  Institutions  are  valid, 
though  individuals  deem  them  cruel  or  absurd.  So  shall  they 
perish,  who  lay  sacrilegious  hands  on  the  constitution,  come 
they  from  the  North,  or  come  they  from  the  South!  " 


^ 

i^^^i^ 

a 

1^ 

1 

^S 

i 

^^^^^ 

XXVIII. 

"THE  DEMOS  KRATEO  PRINCIPLE." 

ESLIE  MAY  did  not  share  the  confidence  of  his  father 
and  sister  in  Victor's  loyal  adherence  to  the  colonel's 
cause.  The  speech  of  Professor  Rauhenfels  had  con- 
firmed him  in  the  conviction,  that  neither  the  professor,  nor 
Victor,  nor  any  of  their  friends,,  would  ever  co-operate  with 
avowed  secessionists.  He  himself  thought  secession  to  be 
as  efficient  a  plan  as  the  South  could  adopt  for  the  furtherance 
of  its  own  interests,  and  accordingly  believed  so  much  more 
readily  than  did  his  father,  that  the  threats  in  which  the  slave- 
holding  States  were  indulging,  would  be  carried  into  execution. 
That  in  case  of  actual  disruption  his  father  would  not  be  able 
to  retain  his  seat  in  the  Senate  did  not  trouble  his  mind,  nor 
in  any  wise  abate  his  strong  desire  for  his  father's  election ; 
for  not  only  would  his  influence  in  such  case  be  highly  valu- 
able in  securing  favorable  terms  of  separation,  but  Leslie 
reflected,  his  father's  claim  to  preferment  in  the  new  govern- 
ment would  be  projDortioued  to  the  height  of  the  place  he  gave 
up  in  the  old.  Who  could  surmise,  what  distinction  was  not 
in  store  for  a  patriotic  Southerner,  who  threw  up  a  United 
States  senatorship  to  serve  the  South  ?  —  On  the  other  hand  he 
was  well  pleased  to  note  the  zeal  of  Victor  in  vindicating  the 
constitutional  rights  of  the  South.  And  he  noted  with  equal 
satisfaction  that  his  sister  had  taken  a  decided  liking  to 
Pauline  Waldhorst,  and  that  she  had  adopted  just  the  most 
effectual  course  in  her  behavior  toward  the  Auf  dem  Busch 
family. 

The  political  exposition  of  Professor  Rauhenfels  had  taken  a 
load  off  of  Victor's  mind.  His  duty  now  lay  plainly  before 
him :    Obedience    to    the  law  of  the  land,   unswerving  fealty 

(431) 


432  THE  BEBEU8  DAUGHTEB. 

to  the  cou.stitutioii,  whatever  might  lie  his  eonvietion  as  to  its 
morality  from  the  standpoint  of  his  private  conscience.  How 
happy  the  coincidence  of  duty  with  inclination  !  He  was  now 
in  ])erfect  accord  with  the  Mays, — the  father,  the  son,  and  — 
how  his  heart  leaped  to  think  it !  —  the  daughter.  Nellie  had 
been  very  gracious  to  him  at  his  uncle's  house.  She  had  given 
him  a  bouquet  with  a  smile  that  was  brighter  than  the  flowers, 
and  had  begged  him  to  accept  her  gift —  for  old  acquaintance' 
sake.  A  firm  friendship  seemed  forming  between  her  and  his 
sister  Pauline.  And  beside  all  this,  he  was  to  meet  her  at  the 
capital,  under  circumstances  enabling  him  to  approach  her 
more  nearly  upon  her  own  social  level.  She  had  promised  him 
her  first  dance  at  the  governor's  reception  ;  and  Victor  grate- 
fully remembered  the  persistency  with  which  his  sister  had 
coaxed  him  to  take  dancing  lessons  during  the  pi'eceding  win- 
ter. No  wonder,  then,  that  he  revelled  in  blissful  anticipation 
of  the  moments  when,  while  guiding  her  through  the  mazes  of 
the  waltz,  it  would  be  his  precious  privilege  to  hold  her  hand, 
ti)  hold  within  his  arm  that  divine  form,  —  forgetting  in  his 
rapture  all  about  Kalph  Payton  I 

The  meeting  of  the  General  Assembly  required  the  presence 
of  Victor  Waldhorst  at  the  State  capital.  He  met  there  a 
motley  crowd  of  all  sorts  of  people :  Not  to  mention  the  mem- 
Ijers  of  the  legislature,  of  both  houses,  there  were  aspirants  for 
the  United  States  Senate,  their  agents,  friends  and  understrap- 
pers. Candidates  for  the  various  clerkships  in  either  House  of 
the  Assembly,  their  friends  and  backers.  Applicants  for 
smaller  places,  such  as  door-keepers,  sergeants-at-arms,  fold- 
ers, pages,  and  what  not.  Mr.  Becker  was  there,  to  Victor's 
disgust,  who  had  vainly  hoped  to  keep  him  at  home  by  repre- 
senting to  him  the  necessity  of  looking  after  the  interests  of  the 
Beohacliter  during  the  absence  of  its  regular  editor.  But  Mr. 
Becker  was  convinced  that  the  paper  would  be  best  subserved 
by  securing  the  appointment  as  State  printer,  and  his  chances 
for  this  would  be  improved  ]\v  his  own  presence  at  the  cai)ital, 


''THE  DEMOS  KEATEO  PIUNCIPLE.'"  433 

with  his  friends,  to  explain  to  the  members  how  the  welfare  of 
the  State  would  be  greatly  enhanced  l)y  his  appointment. 
Numerous  other  patriots  were  there,  ready  to  serve  the  country 
by  accepting  place  in  whatever  capacity  they  should  be  called 
on.  Disinterested  statesmen,  also,  in  great  numbers,  ready  to 
lighten  the  labors  of  the  members  in  the  arduous  task  of  law- 
making, having  brought  with  them  carpet-bags  full  of  bills 
ready  drafted,  —  embryonic  laws  for  the  advantage  and  profit 
of  scheming  adventurers,  corporations,  rings  and  syndicates. 
Men  among  these  lobbyists  of  highest  ability,  whose  services 
commanded  a  higher  price  than  the  State  could  afford,  or  was 
wiUing  to  pay  its  officers  without  indirection:  Plausible  men, 
skilled  in  the  use  of  logic,  enabling  them  to  convince  skeptical 
legislators  of  the  wisdom  of  measures  of  hidden  import ;  orators 
of  rhetorical  powers  to  persuade  the  superficial  and  enthuse  the 
emotional ;  of  honeyed  phrases  to  entrap  the  vain  and  conceited 
with  gross  or  covert  flattery.  Others,  too  —  of  smaller  calibre, 
yet  able,  on  occasion,  to  eke  out  an  argument  with  glittering 
sophisms,  for  want  of  solid  reasons  ;  smaller  fry  of  smaller  pre- 
tensions (to  be  had,  therefore,  at  smaller  price)  who  retailed  the 
pettifoggers'  and  shysters'  tricks,  —  not  afraid  to  lie,  or  if  need 
were,  —  to  swear  to  a  lie,  in  the  real  or  imaginary  interest  of 
those  who  paid  them.  Not  to  forget  those,  who  were  enabled  to 
reinforce  their  eloquence  by  bribes  in  the  most  varied  shapes,  — 
seductive  smiles  of  wily  Cyprians,  dispensing  favors  at  the 
beck  of  those  fishing  for  big  game,  whose  plethoric  purses 
allow  them  the  use  of  such  costly  bait ;  promises  of  prefer- 
ment, influence,  patronage ;  by  the  furthering  of  schemes 
known  to  constitute  a  member's  hobby,  or  supposed  to  be  so ; 
and  the  more  simple,  but  a  little  hazardous  expedient  of  direct 
payment  of  money,  in  sums  proportioned  to  the  virtue  of  the 
members  to  be  bribed,  or  the  magnitude  of  the  job  to  be 
accomplished.  Thus  the  population  of  the  town  was  swelled 
by  a  numerous  lol)by,  termed,  in  legislative  slang,  the  Third 
House,  —  more  potent,  probably,  than  either  of  the  legitimate 
houses,  for  effective  legislation  in  special  directions. 


434  THE  BEBEVS  DAUGHTER. 

Professor  Rauhenfels  was  there.  IMueh  to  the  surprise  of 
Victor ;  for  the  professor  had  never  even  hinted  an  intention  to 
visit  the  capital.  It  was  a  surprise  too,  tliat  he  lodged  in  the 
house'  that  Colonel  May  had  selected  for  his  headquarters. 
Leslie  was  at  some  pains  to  exi)lain  to  Victor,  that  this  court- 
esy had  been  extended  to  the  professor,  because  he  had  been 
disappointed  in  obtaining  suitable  accommodations  elsewhere. 
But  greater,  far,  than  his  surprise,  was  Victor's  dehght  over 
the  professor's  i)resence  in  the  capital ;  for  he  anticipated  valu- 
able assistance  from  him  in  the  discharge  of  his  legislative 
duties,  and  Leslie  had  informed  him  that  he  would  remain  until 
the  senatorial  election  was  over. 

Less  unexpected  but  all  the  more  unwelcome  was  the  pres- 
ence of  Ralph  Payton.  To  be  sure,  they  had  not  offered  him 
lodgings  at  the  colonel's  headquarters,  as  they  had  done  for 
the  professor  ;  but  Victor  doubted  not  but  that,  as  the  colonel's 
successor  in  Congress  he  would  be  expected  to  be  very  active 
in  the  colonel's  canvass  for  the  Senate,  which  would  necessarily 
require  him  to  spend  much  of  his  time  in  the  company  of 
Colonel  May  and  his  family.  He  knew,  too,  that  Nellie  was 
quite  as  enthusiastic  in  her  father's  cause  as  her  brother,  and 
would  thus  be  thrown  much  in  Payton 's  company.  The  con- 
templation of  the  opportunities  that  would  thus  be  enjoyed  by 
his  rival  to  press  his  suit  for  Nellie's  hand  embittered  his  life, 
and  clouded  even  the  brightness  of  the  anticipated  enjoyment 
of  the  dance  that  Nellie  had  promised  him  at  the  governor's 
reception. 

It  was  well  for  Victor  that  the  0})ening  of  the  legislative 
session  just  then  distracted  him  from  the  morbid  fancies  tliat 
disturbed  his  mental  equilibrium.  His  lirst  experience  as  a 
legislator  impressed  him  profoundly.  The  presiding  officer 
happened  to  be  an  able  iiarliamentarian,  of  stately  presence 
and  dignilied  deportment.  His  voice  possessed  the  rare  com- 
bination of  musical  sweetness  with  resonant  power,  so  that  it 
reached  without  effort  or  shrillness,  to  the  remotest  parts  of 
the  chamber,  commanding  attention  although  the  members,  in 


''THE  DEMOS  KRATEO    PBINGIPLE.'"  435 

tui'buk'nt  mood,  ong'aged  in  noise  and  confusion.  Victor 
would  never  forget  the  thrill  of  solemnity,  —  akin  to  awe  — 
that  electrified  him  on  first  hearing  the  speaker  address  him 
as  one  of  the  representatives  of  the  sovereign  people. 

To  his  vivid  imagination  the  speaker  appeared  the  eml)od- 
ied  spirit  of  the  State  constitution,  giving  voice  to  the  will 
of  the  people  in  their  sovereign  majesty, — while  he  himself, 
in  casting  his  vote,  felt  that  the  people  were  speaking  their  will 
through  his  mouth.  It  was.  a  sublime  moment  to  the  young 
legislator. 

His  glowing  enthusiasm  was  toned  down  somewhat  by  the 
shower  of  motions  that  followed  the  passage  of  the  appropria- 
tion bill.  It  was  moved  and  resolved,  that  the  sergeant-at- 
arms  supply  each  member,  officer  and  employee  of  the  House 
with  one  hundred  three-cent  postage  stamps,  and  a  like  num- 
ber of  two-cent  stamps,  to  be  paid  for  out  of  the  contingent 
fund  of  the  House.  Stationery,  in  liberal  quantity,  was  voted 
to  each  member  and  officer,  including  clerks  of  committees  and 
pages.  Clerks  were  allowed  to  each  standing  committee,  with 
per  diem  and  mileage  equal  to  that  of  the  members.  Quite  a 
breezy  debate  sprang  up  on  the  motion,  numerously  seconded, 
to  authorize  the  sergeant-at-arms  to  order,  for  the  use  of  each 
member,  during  the  session,  three  newsjjapers  (named  in  the 
resolution),  to  be  paid  for  out  of  the  contingent  fund.  Numer- 
ous amendments  were  offered,  substituting  the  names  of  other 
papers.  To  Victor's  disgust,  Mr.  Becker  approached,  de- 
manding of  him  in  all  seriousness,  to  suggest  the  naming  of 
the  Beobarhter  as  one  of  the  papers  to  be  ordered.  Of  course, 
lie  indignantly  refused  :  but  his  indignation  turned  to  disgust 
on  hearing  a  member  from  one  of  the  interior  counties  making 
the  same  demand  for  an  insignificant  little  weekly  of  his 
county,  and  a  dozen  or  more  similar  motions  from  all  sides  of 
the  House.  Victor  wondered  whetiier  he  was  dreaming,  or 
whether  the  House  was  taking  leave  of  its  senses. 

A  similar  grab-game  came  off  in  relation  to  the  governor's 
message.     Motions  to  print  it,  "  with  the  accompanying  docu- 


436  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

nients  "  in  fabulous  numbers  —  five  thousand,  ten,  fifteen, 
twenty,  fifty  thousand  —  chased  each  other  in  swift  succession. 
Again  Mr.  Becker  approached  Victor,  "suggesting,  in  energetic 
whispers,  that  Victor  move  the  printing  of  ten  thousand  copies 
of  the  message  —  or  say,  since  it  was  just  as  easy  to  carry, 
twenty-five  thousand  —  with  the  accompanying  documents  in 
the  German  language.  "  The  Deobachter  will  get  the  printing 
just  as  sure  as  you  ask  for  it,"  Mr.  Becker  urged,  "  and  the 
translation  will  be  a  fat  job  for  you,  or  for  some  of  your 
friends,  if  you  are  too  proud  to  do  it  yourself."  But  the 
obtuse  editor  failed  to  see  the  good  thing  within  his  reach,  and 
Mr.  Becker's  little  scheme  fell  through.  And  again  Victor's 
sense  of  honesty,  as.  well  as  decency,  was  shocked,  by 
the  passage  of  a  resolution  authorizing  the  printing  of  ten 
thousand  copies  of  the  message  and  accompanying  documents 
in  the  German  language,  by  the  State  Printer ;  and  again  he 
owned  to  himself  that  his  chief  was  not  far  wrong,  when,  with 
a  reproachful  look,  he  grumbled:  "We  might  have  secured 
that  plum  to  ourselves,  if  you  had  only  consented." 

The  inauguration  of  the  governor-elect,  which  took  place  in 
the  presence  of  both  branches  of  the  legislature,  assembled 
for  this  purpose  in  the  hall  of  the  House  of  Representatives, 
was  witnessed  by  as  many  of  the  temporary  and  permanent 
residents  of  the  capital  as  the  spacious  chamber  could  hold. 
A  number  of  seats,  elevated  above  the  level  of  the  floor,  so  as 
to  command  a  fair  outlook  over  all  the  chamber,  had  been 
reserved  for  the  ladies,  a  bright  bevy  of  whom,  in  elegant  cos- 
tume, were  assembling  in  the  lobl)y,  affording,  in  the  bright 
colors  of  their  robes  and  gaudy  headdresses,  a  cheerful  con- 
trast to  the  soberly  clad  visitors  of  the  male  sex.  Many  an 
eager  glance  strayed  in  the  direction  of  their  division  of  the 
lobby,  from  the  seats  of  members,  —  and  not  exclusively  from 
the  rustics  representing  interior  districts.  For  the  capital  had 
turned  out  an  array  of  beauty  challenging  the  admiration  of  the 
most  fastidious  critics.  Victor's  eyes,  too,  were  bent  in  this 
direction,   with    a  wistful,   expectant   look.     If  any  one  had 


''THE   DEMOS  KRATEO   PIIINCIPLE."  437 

watched  him  at  this  time,  it  might  have  puzzled  the  observer 
to  aeeount  for  the  swift  changes  of  expression  chasing  each 
other  over  Victor's  face.  Eager  expectancy,  vanishing  for  an 
instant  as  Raljih  Fayton  stalked  into  the  chamber,  beneath  the 
shadow  of  sharp  disappointment.  This  cloud  passed  away  as 
soon  as  he  saw  that  Payton  was  alone ;  a  look  of  pleasant 
anticipation  took  its  place  when  Leslie  May  appeared  at  the 
door,  changing  into  an  uneasy  apprehension  as  the  colonel  fol- 
lowed, also  alone.  But  a  tlash  of  exultant  joy  illumined  his 
whole  countenance  as  Nellie  entered,  escorted  by  Professor 
Rauhenfels.  She  took  her  seat  with  quiet  dignity  and  looked 
about  her  with  the  air  of  a  queen  graciously  accepting  the 
homage  that  lay  in  the  admiring  glances  she  attracted  from  all 
sides.  As  her  eyes  encountered  those  of  Victor,  she  recognized 
him  with  a  gracious  nod  and  pleasant  smile,  eliciting  from  him 
a  vivid  blush  and  answering  bow. 

The  maneuver  did  not,  apparently,  escape  notice,  for  his 
seat-neighbor  to  the  right  inquired  of  him,  ''  Do  you  know  the 
lady  who  has  just  taken  her  seat  in  the  lobby?  " 

"  I  do,"  Victor  answered  proudly.  "  I  have  known  her 
from  her  childhood." 

"  Could  you  manage  to  give  me  an  introduction?  "  asked  his 
neighbor  to  the  left. 

"  With  the  greatest  pleasure,"  said  Victor,  glad  to  find  so 
convenient  an  opportunity  for  conversation  with  the  .young 
lady.  "She  is  the  daughter  of  Colonel  May,  —  one  of  the 
candidates,  you  know,  for  the  United  States  Senate.  She 
will,  no  doubt,  be  highly  pleased  to  make  your  acquaint- 
ance." 

"  And  will  you  do  the  like  favor  for  me?  "  asked  the  gen- 
tleman who  had  first  spoken. 

"  It  will  give  me  great  pleasure  to  do  so,"  said  Victor,  ris- 
ing. "  If  you  have  no  objection,  gentlemen,  we  will  call  on 
the  young  lady  at  once." 

But  just  as  they  were  about  leaving  their  seats,  Professor 
Rauhenfels  stepped  up  to  Victor,  saying,  with  an  air  of  mock 


438  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

pomposity,  "  I  am  commissioned  by  her  ladyship,  Miss 
Eleonova  May,  to  summon  you  into  her  presence  that  you  may 
there  give  an  account  of  yourself  and  your  doings  since  your 
arrival  at  the  capital.  And  hereof  you  are  in  no  wise  to  fail, 
at  your  peril." 

"It  behooves  her  ladyship's  loyal  servitor  to  obey  with 
alacrity,"  said  Victor,  playfully  imitating  the  professor's 
solemn  voice.  "  You  will  pardon  me,  gentlemen,  for  a  few 
moments?"  he  added,  turning  to  his  colleagues.  "I  will 
return  as  soon  as  her  ladyship  has  granted  me  absolution  for 
my  offense,  whatever  that  may  be.  But  before  I  go,  let  me 
introduce  you  to  my  friend.  Professor  Rauhenfels."  And 
after  mentioning  the  names  of  the  two  members,  he  left  them 
together  to  talk  over  the  topic  uppermost,  just  now,  in  the 
minds  of  most  of  the  members  of  the  legislature,  —  the  senato- 
rial election. 

Nellie  received  Victor  with  a  roguish  pout.  "  Is  this  the 
way  you  treat  your  friends?  "  she  said,  shaking  her  finger  at 
him.  "  Here  you  have  been  more  than  two  days  in  the  city, 
and  have  never  called  on  me.  And  I  really  believe  that  you 
would  not  even  now  have  deemed  it  worth  your  Avhile  to  walk 
the  distance  from  your  seat  to  this  lobby,  if  I  had  not  sent 
your  old  master  after  you  with  strict  injunction  to  bring  you 
before  me,  dead  or  alive."  The  pout  melted  into  a  gracious 
smile  as  she  shook  hands  with  him  and  i)ointed  to  a  seat  by  her 
side,  which  the  professor  had  vacated. 

"  You  see  that  the  professor,  Avho  has  proved  a  kind  master 
indeed,  had  no  trouble  to  fetch  me  ;  for  here  I  am,  and  very 
much  alive  at  that,"  said  Victor,  with  beaming  face.  "  But 
there  was  no  occasion  for  the  embassy  ;  I  had  already  started 
to  pay  you  my  compliments  and  inquire  after  your  health, 
when  your  message  reached  me." 

"  Truly?     Then  I  am  sorry  that  I  sent  away  the  professor." 

"  I  hope,  not  sorry,  —  " 

"  Coming  to  think  of  it,  no.  You  must  keep  that  seat 
awhile,  and    point   out    some    of  the    lions    here.     Who,    for 


"THE   DEMOS   KBATEO   PRINCIPLE.''  439 

iustauce,  is  that  gcntk'iuuii  with  whom  the  professor  is  tulkiiig 
so  busily,  and  that  other  one,  listeuiiig  so  intently?  " 

"The  three  of  us  occupy  adjoining  seats  in  the  House," 
Victor  informed  lier.  "  He  on  the  right  is  Mr.  George 
Wasliington  Colly,  of  Pulaski ;  the  other,  Mr.  Lafayette 
Jackson  Morrow,  of  Newton." 

"Do  you  know  anything  about  them?  Of  what  party  are 
they?" 

"Oh,  they  are  democrats  to  the  core,  both  of  them.  Mr. 
Colly  is,  so  he  tells  me,  a  country  merchant —  " 

"  Married?  "  Nellie  interrupted. 

"He  has  not  informed  me;  but  I  judge  that  he  is 
single." 

' '  Where  does  he  room  ? ' ' 

"At  the  City  Hotel—  " 

' '  Where  you  also  put  up  ?  ' ' 

"  Exactly." 

"How  is  he  on  the  senatorial  question?  Is  he  safe  for 
pa  ?  ' ' 

"  I  fear  not,"  Victor  answered  soberly.  "  He  is  an  enthu- 
siastic admirer  of  our  present  senator,  and  I  have  found  it 
impossible  to  shake  his  loyalty  to  him." 

"  So!  "mused  Nellie,  with  her  eyes  on  the  group  engaged 
in  earnest  couTersation.  "  The  professor  seems  to  hold  his 
attention.     And  how  about  the  other?  " 

"  I  have  hopes  of  gaining  over  Mr.  Morrow,"  said  Victor; 
"  although  he,  too,  has  expressed  a  decided  preference  for 
General  Hart." 

"  Indeed !  "  exclaimed  Nellie  thoughtfully.  "  Why  do  you 
believe,  that  you  can  win  over  Mr.  Morrow?  " 

"  Oh,  because  he  is  a  very  fair-minded  man,  who  seems  to  be 
feeling  his  way  cautiously,"  Victor  answered  confidently.  "  I 
can  argue  with  a  man  like  him  :  and  there  is  little  danger  that 
Colonel  INIay  will  fail  to  command  the  sup[)ort  of  any  man  open 
to  reason." 

"  Thank  you,"  said  Nellie,  rewarding  the  young  man's  trib- 


440  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

ute  to  her  father  with  a  gracious  smile.  "  Can  you  tell  me 
whether  either  of  them  came  uuder  instructions  from  their 
constituents  how  to  vote  ? ' ' 

Victor  did  not  know. 

"Then  will  you  be  so  good,"  she  continued,  "to  hunt  up 
brother  Leslie  —  he  is  over  there  talking  to  the  president  of 
the  Senate  —  and  get  me  the  information  from  him  ?  He  has 
a  list  of  all  the  counties  that  have  instructed,  and  for  whom. 
And  would  you  mind  stepping  up  to  the  professor  as  you  go, 
and  get  him  to  introduce  these  gentlemen?  " 

"  Pardon  me,"  replied  Victor,  the  "  gentlemen  lioth  have  my 
promise  to  introduce  them  to  you.  Indeed,  the  professor  in- 
terrupted us  as  I  was  in  the  act  of  bringing  them  here.  May 
I  do  so  now? 

"  By  all  means,"  said  Nellie,  apparently  much  pleased. 
' '  Bring  them  at  once  !  ' ' 

As  he  was  leaving  her,  she  called  him  back,  adding  in  a 
whisper,  "  if  they  are  still  here  when  you  return  with  the  in- 
formation about  the  instruction,  just  give  it  me  by  a  nod  or 
shake  of  the  head." 

The  introduction  was  speedily  accomplished,  and  Victor 
sought  out  Leslie.  When  he  returned,  he  found  Mr.  Colly 
seated  in  the  chair  beside  Miss  May,  rising,  however,  to  make 
room  for  Victor,  while  Mr.  Morrow  was  standing  in  front  of 
the  lady,  deep  in  conversation  with  her.  When  Victor  ap- 
peared, she  accosted  him  with  eager  face. 

"  Just  imagine,  Mr.  Waldhorst,"  she  said,  excitedly,  as  if 
she  were  communicating  the  most  joyful  news,  "  I  have  discov- 
ered a  relative  in  Mr.  Morrow.  It  turns  out  that  his  grand- 
father was  mama's  own  cousin." 

Just  then  the  gavel  of  the  president  of  the  Senate,  who  was 
presiding  over  the  joint  session  together  with  the  speaker  of 
the  House  of  Representatives,  called  the  meeting  to  order,  and 
Mr.  Colly,  as  well  as  Mr.  Morrow,  hurried  off  to  their  seats. 
As  they  took  their  leave  of  Miss  May,  she  said  to  the  latter,  in 
beseeching  voice,  "  Be  A^ery  sure  to  call  on  mama,  as  soon  as 


''THE  DEMOS  KRATEO   rBINCITLE:'  441 

ever  you  liiul  the  time,  iiud  do  uot  I'tiil  to  bring  your  Irieud  Mr. 
Colly,  with  you." 

Which  Mr.  Morrow  gladly  promised. 

The  ceremony  of  the  inauguration  had  begun.  The  retiring 
governor  had  introduced  his  successor  to  the  audience  ;  the 
oath  of  office  was  administered  l\v  the  chief  justice  of  the 
su})reme  court,  and  the  new  governor  was  delivering  his 
inaugural.  Victor,  still  standing  by  Nellie's  side,  was  debating 
with  himself  whether  propriety  would  permit  him  to  occupy 
the  chair  next  to  hers,  when  the  appearance  of  Professor  Rau- 
henfels  settled  the  question  for  him.  As  he  bowed  himself 
away,  he  heard  the  professor  say  to  Xellie,  that  Senator  Essex, 
of  Randolph,  desired  an  introduction  ;  to  which  the  young  lady 
nodded  a  gracious  assent. 

The  governor  spoke  well.  Victor  was  soon  deeply  inter- 
ested in  his  speech.  So,  it  seemed,  was  the  whole  audience  ; 
for  profound  silence  prevailed  throughout  the  hall,  densely 
crowded  as  it  was.  Victor  noted,  not  without  serious  misgiv- 
ings, the  defiant  attitude  assumed  by  the  speaker  toward  the 
general  government.  An  involuntary  glance  toward  Nellie 
and  the  professor  showed  him  that  both  of  them  were  also 
listening  with  rapt  attention, — one  of  them  with  evident 
gratification,  the  other  with  knit  brow. 

At  the  conclusion  of  the  address,  there  was  clapping  of 
hands,  stamping  of  feet,  and  rattling  of  canes,  as  well  as  loud 
shouts  of  applause,  followed  by  a  lively  buzzing  and  humming 
of  voices.  Every  one  seemed  to  have  something  to  say  about 
the  course  of  action  pointed  out  for  the  State  by  the  governor's 
address.  Opinions,  however,  were  clearly  not  unanimous, 
although  the  governor's  partisans  seemed  to  predominate. 

The  hammer  of  the  presiding  officer  fell  after  the  declaration 
that  the  meeting  was  adjourned  ;  but  the  masses  were  loth  to 
quit  the  hall.  Victor  naturally  bent  his  eyes  in  the  direction 
of  Nellie's  seat.  He  beheld  her  the  center  of  a  numerous 
group  of  admirers,  of  whom  some  had  evidently  just  been, 
while  others  were  waiting   to  be,  introduced  ;  for  there    was 


442  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

Leslie,  talking  pleasantly  to  those  al)oiit  him,  and  there  was 
Ralph  Pay  ton,  regarding  the  young  lady,  the  cynosure  of  all 
eyes,  with  a  complacent  air  of  proprietorship.  Nellie  herself, 
though  her  eyes  sparkled  with  animation,  was  cool  and  col- 
lected, and  nodded  graciously  as  Pay  ton  presented  this,  or 
Leslie  that  gentleman,  having  a  bright  smile  and  a  pleasant 
word  for  each.  It  put  Victor,  as  he  was  slowly  moving  toward 
the  group,  in  mind  of  a  sovereign  lady,  deigning  to  accept  the 
homage  of  her  loyal  courtiers. 

A  hush  seemed  suddenly  to  have  fallen  upon  them.  All 
eyes  turned  in  the  direction  from  which  Victor  was  approach- 
ing. The  gentlemen  fell  back  on  either  side,  thus  opening  an 
avenue  of  approach  toward  the  young  lady.  Looking  around 
for  the  cause  of  this  commotion,  Victor  beheld,  close  behind 
him.  Colonel  May,  who  was  walking  with  deliberate  step  and 
proud  bearing  toward  his  daughter,  accompanied  by  General 
Hart,  United  States  senator,  candidate  for  re-election,  and 
thus  the  rival  of  Colonel  May.  Victor  had  never  seen  a  man 
of  more  imposing  appearance  than  Senator  Hart.  Tall  and  of 
magnificent  stature,  proudly  erect  in  bearing,  of  majestic, 
commanding  physiognomy,  he  presented  a  strong  contrast  to 
Colonel  May.  The  first  impression  of  which  Victor  became 
conscious,  was  that  of  awe,  followed  by  a  chilling  sense  of  in- 
feriority, which  instinctively  put  him  on  his  guard,  as  if  appre- 
hensive of  tyrannical  abuse  of  the  colossal  will-power  evidenced 
by  that  massive  forehead.  It  afforded  him  quite  welcome  re- 
lief to  turn  from  the  icy  features  of  General  Hart  to  the  genial 
face  of  Colonel  May,  illumined  by  the  irresistible  smile  that 
always  warmed  Victor's  heart  on  beholding  it. 

The  two  gentlemen  stood  before  Miss  May. 

"  My  daughter,"  said  the  colonel,  "  General  Hart  has  done 
you  and  me  the  distinguished  honor  of  requesting  an  introduc- 
tion.    General  Hart,  my  daughter,  Eleonora." 

The  venerable  senator  bowed  with  courtly  grace.  "  I  am 
indebted,"  he  said,  while  taking  the  chair  by  Nellie's  side, 
"  to  my  honorable  adversary  for  this  act  of  courtesy.     For  it 


The  veuenible  seiiutor  bowed  with  courtly  grace. 


''THE  DEMOS  KRATEO  FRINCIPLE.''  443 

is  indeed  a  pleasure  to  become  acquainted  witli  you."  His 
voice,  ricli,  deep  and  melodious,  possessed  a  singular  fascina- 
tion. As  he  spoke,  his  eyes  rested  on  the  bright  young  face 
before  him  with  an  intensity  that  deepened  the  carmine  on  her 
cheeks. 

.  "  Sir,  you  are  most  kind,"  she  said,  "  Let  me  assure  you 
that  I,  for  my  part,  am  deeply  impressed  with  the  honor  that 
you  are  conferring  on  me  —  on  papa,  I  mean." 

"Tut,  tut!  Don't  mention  it!  "  he  replied,  with  gracious 
condescension.  "  Your  father  is  an  aspirant  for  the  high  office 
now  held  by  me :  and  on  this  floor,  on  which  Ave  both  appear 
as  candidates  soliciting  favor  at  the  hands  of  the  representa- 
tives of  the  Demos,  we  are  equals.  And  you  were  right  in 
ascribing,  as  you  involuntarily  did,  to  me,  the  desire  of  honor- 
ing you.  For  I  accord  all  honor  to  a  daughter  who  bravely 
does  battle  in  her  father's  cause." 

Again  the  color  deepened  on  Miss  May's  cheeks.  But  there 
was  a  sparkle  of  mischief  in  her  eyes  as  she  said:  "Now, 
Senator,  your  gallantry  overwhelms  me.  You  surely  do  not 
take  me  for  a  politician?  " 

"  If  I  did,  young  lady,  you  need  not  be  ashamed —  " 

"  No,"  she  interrupted  him.  '^  But  if  I  were  a  politician,  I 
ought  to  be  doing  battle  in  my  country's,  not  my  father's, 
cause." 

"  Ah,  my  dear  Miss  May,"  the  old  senator  continued,  after 
another  searching  glance  into  her  face,  "yours  is  an  exalted 
o])inion  of  politicians.  It  were  well  for  our  beloved  country, 
if  they  deserved  the  high  compliment  which  your  words  imply. 
For  our  government  is  based  upon  the  principle  Demos  Krateo. 
But  they  do  not.  The  average  politician  thinks  of  country 
last,  and  least,  if  at  all." 

"I  hope,  Senator,  that  you  exaggerate!  "  exclaimed  the 
yoiing  lady. 

"I  wish  I  did,"  the  senator  replied:  "or  that  I  could 
truthfully  Vtelieve  1  did."  Tiie  tinge  of  sadness  with  which  he 
had    spoken    these  words,  disappeared,  as  he    added,  almost 


444  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

playfully,  ''  But  does  it  uot  occur  to  you,  that  if  you  believe 
your  father  to  be  in  the  right,  as  you  surely  do  —  " 

"You  judge  me  truly,  Senator!"  the  lady  promptly 
assented.     "  I  surely  do." 

" — that  in  serving  your  father,  you  are  serving  your 
country?  For  at  your  age  one  does  not  doubt  the  final  tri- 
umph of  right  over  wrong."  Looking  around  at  the  group 
surrounding  them,  he  continued,  "Yes,  yes;  I  suspect  that 
you  have  been  making  sad  havoc  of  my  prospects  for  re- 
election among  my  younger  friends!  "  with  a  slight  accent  on 
the  latter  adjective. 

"Ah,  Senator,"  came  with  a  frank  smile  from  the  young 
beauty,  "I  suspect  that  you  permit  your  proverbial  courtesy 
to  my  sex  to  shape  your  statements,  rather  than  regard  for 
strict  accuracy,  whereby  you  would  humble  me.  You  overrate 
both  my  patriotism  and  my  filial  devotion.  For  —  just 
imagine  my  indolence  —  1  have  not  asked  one  of  these  gen- 
tlemen, though  opportunity  had  offered,  to  vote  for  papa,  or 
even  against  you . ' ' 

Colonel  May  chuckled.  "  You  see,"  he  said  to  General 
Hart,  "  what  a  poor  hand  she  is  at  electioneering." 

But  the  general  shook  his  head.  A  faint  smile  stole  into  his 
austere  countenance,  not  distinctly  visible  as  such,  but  lighting 
up  his  features  into  a  pleasing  exj^ression.  "  Qui  s' excuse, 
s' accuse!"  he  said  as  if  in  answer  to  the  colonel's  remark. 
Then  to  the  lady:  "I  did  not  accuse  you  of  having  asked 
these  or  any  gentlemen  to  vote  for  your  excellent  papa.  I  dare 
say  that  your  electioneering  is  of  a  much  more  subtle  charac- 
ter, than  a  mere  clumsy,  direct  begging  for  votes  would  be. 
I  could  wish,  for  my  sake,  that  your  influence  were  limited  to 
that.  But  a  glance  from  your  bright  eyes,  a  smile  from  your 
ruby  lips,  are  weapons  more  dangerous  to  my  cause  than 
political  harangue  or  precatory  prattle." 

"  Political  harangue,"  said  Nellie,  with  some  animation,  "  is 
as  distasteful  to  me,  I  suppose,  as  it  is  to  most  ladies  ;  and 
my  precatory  prattle,  as  you  are  pleased  to  style  it,  is,  I  will 


''THE   DEMOS  KB  ATE  0   PBINCIPLE.'"  445 

vouch,  of  no  greater  force  than  a  girl's  gossip  elsewhere.  But 
I  hope,  that  our  Southern  statesmen  and  legislators  are  made 
of  sterner  i^tuff,  than  could  be  moulded  by  a  woman's  whim." 
Indicating  witli  a  sweeping  gesture  of  the  hand  the  group  of 
men  around  her,  she  added  proudly:  "  Of  all  these  gentlemen 
not  one,  I  am  sure,  would  betray  his  party,  or  become  untrue 
to   his  conviction,  for  my  sake,  or  for  the  sake  of  my  father." 

"Nor  for  my  sake,  let  us  hope,"  added  General  Hart,  the 
severity  of  his  features  relaxing  into  a  pronounced  smile, 
"  unless  he  can  do  so  conscientiously;  and  for  a  little  strain 
upon  his  conscience,  I  promise  him  absolution."  Then,  the 
smile  fading  out  of  his  face,  he  continued  :  "  You  have  spoken 
bravely  and  well,  young  lady,  and  like  a  consummate  poli- 
tician, though  you  disclaim  being  one.  But  men  have  before 
now  betrayed  party  and  country,  lured  on  to  recklessness  by  a 
woman's  smile  not  more  fascinating  than  yours  can  be.  The 
women  of  the  South  are  enthusiastic,  —  their  iutluence  greater, 
l)erhaps,  than  that  of  their  brothers  and  lovers.  If  ever  that 
terrible  scourge  of  humanity,  civil  war,  engendered  by  rebellion 
or  secession,  should  devastate  our  fair  land  —  which  the 
Almighty  in  His  infinite  mercy,  may  forefend  —  no  small  share 
of  the  responsibility  will  fall  on  the  women  of  the  South." 

"  And  of  the  glory,  if  God  vindicate  the  right!  "  exclaimed 
Nellie,  not  defiantly,  but  as  if  in  self-defense.  But  the  words 
sent  a  cold  chill  to  Victor's  heart,  nevertheless. 

The  senator  bowed,  as  if  he  had  nothing  to  say  in  reply,  and 
rose  from  his  chair.  Nellie  followed  his  example.  "  Colonel," 
he  said  to  his  competitor,  "  let  me  repeat,  that  I  appreciate 
your  courtesy.  And  you,  young  lady,  will  you  pardon  me  any 
words  distasteful  to  you  that  I  may  have  spoken?  " 

"  Oh,  General,  there  is  nothing  to  pardon,"  she  replied 
promptly. 

"  Then  give  me  your  hand,"  he  said,  extending  his  own. 

"  With  all  my  heart,"  she  responded  cordially. 

"  Nay,"  he  said,  smiling,  "  if  that  be  still  at  your  disposal, 
I  must  leave   it  for  you  to  bestow  upon  some  more  fortunate 


446  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

mortal."  He  kept  her  hand  a  trille  longer,  in  his  own,  than 
was  necessary  for  the  conventional  shake  of  new  acquaintances 
at  parting,  while  she  retorted  with  a  gay  little  laugh : 

"  Just  at  present,  sir,  my  heart  is  wholly  in  my  father's 
cause,  which,  as  you  have  taught  me,  is  my  country's  cause  ; 
wherefore,  on  your  authority,  I  am  a  patriot,  notwithstanding 
my  Southern  nativity." 

"  And  proclivity,"  the  venerable  senator  added.  "  I  am 
sure  that  you  mean  well,  and  wish,  though  I  hardly  dare  hope, 
that  you  may  think  the  same  of  me." 

There  was  a  mutual  bow,  a  majestic  wave  of  the  hand  toward 
the  gentlemen  around,  and  the  senator,  escorted  by  Colonel 
May,  walked  slowly  away. 

A  buzz  of  lively  conversation  arose  on  the  part  of  those  who 
remained,  though  Nellie  herself  was,  perhaps,  a  shade  more 
thoughtful  than  usual.  So  at  least  thought  Victor,  who  was 
watching  her  with  keen  interest.  He  pondered,  uneasily,  over 
the  words  that  had  fallen  from  the  lips  of  the  venerable  states- 
man, who  was  Colonel  May's  rival  for  the  suffrages  of  the 
legislature.  Ralj:)]!  Payton  was  extravagant  in  laudation  of 
the  keen  retorts  given  by  Nellie  to  the  audacious  insult  of 
Southern  ladies  by  that  "  insufferably  conceited  old  senator." 
But  instead  of  rewarding  him  for  his  fulsome  compliments, 
Nellie  turned  eagerly  toward  Professor  Rauhenfels,  who  was 
approaching  with  Senator  Essex,  asking  him  what  he  thought 
of  Senator  Hart. 

"  He  is  a  grand  old  man,"  rephed  the  professor,  "  to  defeat 
whom  will  redound  greatly  to  the  fame  of  your  father." 

"  And  will  he  defeat  him,  do  you  think?  "  she  asked  with 
an  eagerness  unusual  to  her. 

"  As  sure  as  Colonel  May  does  not  defeat  himself,"  was  the 
answer. 


XXIX. 
THE   FIAT  OF   KING  CAUCUS. 

, III  HE  inauguration  ball  at  the  governor's  mansion,  pre- 
*^-  ceded  by  the  governor's  reception,  was  a  swell  affair ; 
so  the  denizens  of  the  capital  delighted  to  boast. 
Invitations  had  been  issued  on  a  lavish  scale  ;  no  lady  between 
fifteen  and  iifty  had  been  overlooked.  Few  of  those  so  favored 
failed  to  avail  themselves  of  the  governor's  hospitality.  A 
tacit  understanding  among  the  people  of  the  capital  had  grown 
up  to  make  the  sojourn  among  them  of  the  members  of  the 
legislature,  most  of  whom  were  compelled  to  remain  away 
from  home  all  winter,  as  pleasant  as  possible,  by  enabling  them 
to  become  acquainted  with  the  inhabitants,  their  wives,  and 
daughters.  To  this  end  it  had  grown  into  a  custom  to  supple- 
ment the  biennial  inauguration  reception  of  newly  elected 
governors  with  an  inauguration  ball,  and  a  laudable  emulation 
among  the  fair  ones  to  favorably  imjjress  the  guests  of  the 
city  induced  them  to  adorn  themselves  with  all  the  finery  they 
owned,  or  could  hire  or  borrow.  So  there  w^as  on  the  present 
occasion,  as  usual,  a  brilliant  assemblage  of  beauty  and  fashion 
collected  in  the  spacious  apartments  of  the  gubernatorial 
mansion. 

Victor's  ambitious  aspiration  had  been  realized  :  he  was  the 
escort  of  Nellie  May  to  the  reception  and  l)all.  It  was  on  his 
"arm  that  she  leaned  when  her  name,  along  with  that  of  the 
Honorable  Victor  AValdhorst,  was  mentioned  to,  and  repeated 
by,  the  governor,  with  the  stereotype  phrases  of  welcome.  It 
was  at  his  side  that  she  promenaded  through  the  various  halls 
and  chambers  of  the  mansion  that  were  thrown  open  on  this 
occasion.  It  was  in  her  presence  that  Victor  w'as  accosted  by 
numerous    gentlemen    claiming    acquaintance    with    him.      At 

(447) 


448  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

every  turn,  or  step  almost,  some  representative  or  senator 
nodded  to  him  familiarly  and  extended  his  hand  for  a  friendly 
shake.  It  was  surprising,  (most  of  all  to  Victor  himself),  to 
how  many  gentlemen  he  had  become  known  during  the  brief 
period  of  his  legislative  career.  But  few  of  them  were  known 
to  him  personally ;  but  they  all  had  a  pleasant  way  of  men- 
tioning their  names,  and  joking  him  upon  his  forgetting  theirs, 
by  reason  of  his  devotion  to  his  public  duties.  Gratifying  as 
was  this  proof  of  his  popularity  in  presence  of  Miss  May,  it 
became  annoying  as  Victor  found  that  they  naturally  stopped 
long  enough  to  make  it  necessary  for  him  to  introduce  the  lady 
on  his  arm.  She  herself  seemed  greatly  to  enjoy  these  intro- 
ductions ;  her  face  glowed  with  animation ;  her  lips  were 
wreathed  in  the  most  fascinating  smiles,  and  her  eyes  twinkled 
with  fun  and  humor,  as  she  replied  to  the  small  talk  retailed 
to  her  by  the  gentlemen  introduced,  with  bright  and  witty  say- 
ings, ever  original,  pointed  and  appropriate.  Even  Victor, 
who  had  alwaj^s  admired  her  for  her  gay  vivacity,  marveled 
at  her  inexhaustible  fund  of  sprightliness  and  humor. 

While  yet  the  seemingly  endless  presentations  to  the  gov- 
ernor and  shaking  of  hands  was  going  on,  the  fine  band,  im- 
ported for  the  occasion  from  the  metropolis,  struck  up  a 
polonaise.  Such  of  the  visitors  as  felt  inclined  to  dance 
repaired  to  the  great  hall  used  as  the  ballroom  to  which  as 
many  couples  only  were  admitted  as  would  comfoi'tabl}^  fill  it. 
The  principal  feature  of  the  polonaise  consisted  of  a  figure,  in 
which  each  dancer  changed  his  partner  every  few  seconds, 
until,  every  lady  having  paired  off  with  each  gentleman,  the 
original  couples  were  again  brought  together.  At  this  point, 
the  music  glided  into  one  of  Strauss'  enchanting  waltzes,  so 
irresistible  to  youthful  feet  in  their  dance-compelling  rhythm. 
Victor  and  Nellie  stepped  into  line  at  once ;  her  right  hand 
naturally  slipped  into  his  left,  while  his  right  arm  encircled  her 
waist.  And  they  were  carried  away  with  the  gay  multitude  of 
waltzing  humanity. 


THE  FIAT   OF  KING    CAUCUS.  449 

Carried  away  —  Victor  at  least  —  by  the  witching  strains  of 
music ;  transported  with  the  joyous  consciousness  of  holding 
Nellie  in  his  embrace ;  thrilled  with  ecstatic  delight  by  the 
touch  of  the  divinely  beautiful  form  he  held  close  to  his  heart. 
Nellie  danced  like  a  fairy.  Her  nimble  feet  accented  the 
musical  rhythm  as  truly  as  did  the  leader's  baton,  so  that  Victor 
found  it  easy  to  keep  time  with  her.  And  thus  the  two  glided 
gracefully  through  the  gp-ations  of  the  waltz,  abandoning 
themselves  to  the  delightful  exhilaration  of  the  poesy  of  motion. 
Once  Victor  yielded  to  the  temptation  to  look  iuto  his  partner's 
eyes.  When  he  met  hers,  she  smiled  and  whispered  a  compli- 
ment to  his  accomplished  dancing.  "  I  did  not  expect  it  of 
you,"  she  added.  From  any  other  lips,  these  words  might 
have  annoyed  him ;  coming  from  Nellie,  he  took  them  as 
gracious  recognition,  and  they  would  have  quickened  his  pulse 
and  heightened  his  joy,  if  that  had  been  possible.  And  on 
they  tip-toed,  — as  if  soaring  through  space,  scarcely  touching 
the  polished  floor,  —  moving,  not  with  conscious  volition,  but 
swayed  by  the  rhythmical  harmony  of  the  tuneful  orchestra. 
He  guided  her  skillfully  through  the  surging  crowd  of  awkward 
dancers  without  colliding ;  yet  he  saw  nothing  but  her.  The 
outside  world  was  forgotten.  The  brilliantly  illumined  hall, 
with  its  festive  multitude  of  gay  humanity,  had  no  existence  for 
him,  as  he  floated  on,  alone  with  Nellie,  literally  intoxicated 
with  the  bliss  of  holding  Nellie's  hand,  of  holding  Nellie  herself 
in  his  arm. 

When  the  music  ceased,  Victor's  waltz  with  Nellie  had  come 
to  an  end.  All  too  soon ;  and  Victor  surmised,  that  the 
daughter  of  the  prominent  candidate  for  the  United  States 
Senate  would  be  sought  by  too  many  gentlemen,  —  whether  for 
her  own  sake,  as  the  "  bright  particular  star  "  of  the  evening, 
or  as  a  compliment  to  her  father  —  to  allow  her  to  accord  more 
than  one  dance  to  any  one  of  them.  His  apprehension  in  this 
respect  was  confirmed  as  he  led  the  way  to  the  buffet,  where  he 
proposed  to  capture  an  ice  or  a  sherbet  for  his  partner ;  they 
were  intercepted  by  numbers  of  supplicants  for  her  hand  in  a 

29 


450  THE  BEBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

dauce,  none  of  whom  Miss  May  felt  at  liberty  to  refuse,  for 
each  of  them  was  the  formidable  possessor  of  a  vote  at  the 
impending  election.  But  she  staggered  Victor  by  whispering 
softly :  "I  have  never  enjoyed  a  dance  so  much  in  all  my  life. 
I  wish  you  would  find  out  for  me  whether  there  is  to  be  an- 
other waltz  during  the  evening ;  and  if  so,  be  sure  to  take  rae 
for  your  partner.  I  shall  make  it  a  point  to  reserve  the  waltz 
for  you." 

There  was  not  time  to  say  more ;  nor  did  Victor  make 
answer  in  words :  but  his  eyes  spoke  a  language  eloquent 
enough  to  assure  Nellie  that  he  would  waltz  with  no  other 
partner. 

It  had  been  written  in  the  stars,  that  there  should  be  no 
more  waltzing  that  night  at  the  governor's  mansion.  The 
master  of  ceremonies  turned  a  deaf  ear  to  Victor's  ardent 
pleading  for  just  one  more  waltz  ;  he  gave  it  as  his  conviction, 
that  of  fifty  persons  present  hardly  one  would  enjoy  a  round 
dance.  So  Victor  had  to  content  himself  with  living  over 
again  in  memory  the  rapturous  moments  gone  by.  His  exalta- 
tion was  such  that  he  was  in  no  mood  even  to  quarrel  with  the 
master  of  ceremonies  for  denying  him  their  repetition.  Like 
the  Moor  of  Venice,  he  might  have  sighed 

"  My  soul  hath  her  content  so  absolute, 
That  not  another  comfort  like  to  this 
Succeeds  in  unknown  fate." 

His  joy  abated  not,  though  Nellie's  smiles  thenceforth  were 
lavished  all  on  the  politicians,  who  claimed  her  society  in  right 
of  introduction  by  her  father,  or  brother,  or  even  by  Professor 
Rauhenfels,  or  himself.  Until  the  time  came  when  the  festivi- 
ties closed,  and  he  claimed  his  privilege  of  escorting  her  home, 
he  feasted  his  eyes  upon  her  from  afar,  following  her  every 
motion  with  eager  gaze,  so  far  as  permissible  without  attracting 
attention. 

The  walk  to  Nellie's  lodging  —  all  too  short  to  permit  of 
much  conversation,  —  afforded  him  one  more  copious  draught 


THE   FIAT   OF   KING    CAUCUS.  451 

from  the  beaker  of  bliss  which  the  gods  theiuselves  might  have 
envied  him.  'Just  before  taking  leave  of  him,  in  front  of  the 
entrance  to  her  residence,  she  turned  toward  him  with  bright 
face,  saying,  in  a  voice  of  playful  banter,  "  You  have  proved  a 
devoted  cavalier  to  me.  Will  you  remember  to  be  my  brave 
and  loyal  knight  to-morrow  ?  "     - 

' '  To-morrow  ?  ' ' 

' '  Aye !  You  have  not  forgotten  the  grand  tournament  to 
come  off  to-morrow  —  to-day  rather  —  in  the  capitol,  have 
you  ?  ' ' 

"You  mean  the  caucus!"  he  exclaimed  with  animation. 
"  Be  assured,  Miss  Nellie,  that  no  chivalrous  knight  ever 
championed  lady  fair  more  loyally,  than  I  shall  remain  true  to 
your  colors!  Happy  I,  that  in  serving  my  country,  I  may  be 
serving  my  friends  !  " 

"  Then  I  shall  think  of  you  as  my  cavalier  '  sans  peur  et  sans 
reproche  !  '     Good-night!" 

' '  Good-night !  ' '  said  Victor ;  and  after  cordially  shaking- 
hands,  they  parted. 

The  caucus  for  the  nomination  of  the  candidate  upon  whom 
the  democrats  would  unite  as  their  choice  for  the  Senate  of  the 
United  States  turned  out  a  lively  gathering  of  the  Democratic 
members  of  both  houses  of  the  General  Assembly.  They 
constituted  an  overwhelming  majority  of  the  legislature  in  joint 
session,  so  that  it  seemed  a  hopeless  undertaking  for  the 
republicans  to  put  up  a  candidate  in  opposition.  The  know- 
nothings,  who  had  never  shown  great  strength  in  this  State, 
outside  of  the  large  cities,  were  practically  unrepresented. 
Hence  the  nomination  bj^  the  Democratic  caucus  was  looked 
upon  as  equivalent  to  the  election  ;  and  although  there  were 
substantially  but  two  candidates  in  the  field,  the  friends  of 
both  were  very  zealous,  and  party  feeling  ran  high. 

General  Hart  possessed  an  advantage  over  Colonel  Maj-  in 
the  prestige  arising  out  of  his  experience  as  the  Nestor  of  the 
Senate ;  for  although  Colonel  May  had  served  several  terms  in 


452  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTEB. 

the  lower  house  of  Congress,  and  was  looked  up  to  as  one  of  its 
most  influential  members,  the  general  had  represented  his 
State  in  the  Senate  ever  since  its  admission  into  the  Union, 
and  was  recognized  at  home  as  the  highly  successful  champion 
of  its  interests  in  the  national  legislature.  He  enjoyed  the 
reputation  of  being  an  assiduous  worker,  studying  closely  and 
thoroughly  every  subject  that  came  before  the  Senate  to 
prepare  himself  for  the  debate  thereon  and  thus  acquired 
powerful  influence  in  that  body,  which  he  brought  to  bear  on 
every  question  affecting  the  welfare  of  his  State.  And  his 
standing  in  the  Senate  naturally  gave  him  great  power  at  home, 
so  that  for  many  years  he  had  substantially  dictated  the  policy 
of  the  Democratic  party  of  the  State.  It  would  thus  appear 
that  his  chances  of  success  ought  to  be  much  greater  than 
those  of  Colonel  May. 

But  the  very  power  wielded  by  General  Hart  had  made  him 
many  enemies,  and  thus  became  an  element  of  weakness.  He 
was  not  of  a  conciliatory  disposition,  but  proud,  and  overbear- 
ing. His  egotism,  but  for  his  excessive  pride,  might  have 
passed  for  self-conceit,  and  had  become  proverbial.  While  the 
integrity  of  his  character,  his  sincere  devotion  to  the  true  in- 
terests of  the  people,  and  the  firmness  with  which  he  resisted 
all  encroachments  on  the  inviolability  of  the  constitution 
secured  to  him  the  enthusiastic  admiration  of  the  masses,  who 
knew  him  only  as  their  stout  champion  in  the  Senate,  —  his 
austerity  had  estranged  many  of  those  with  whom  he  came  into 
closer  contact,  so  that  in  the  course  of  time  a  faction  had 
grown  up  of  bitter  personal  enemies,  implacable  in  their  hatred 
of  the  great  senator. 

Colonel  May,  on  the  other  hand,  was  a  man  of  great  per- 
sonal magnetism.  Though  a  strict  partisan,  firm  as  a  rock  in 
his  adherence  to  the  policy  adopted  by  his  party,  yet  his  ardor 
never  betrayed  him  into  bitterness,  or  personal  offensiveness. 
Aside  from  his  political  conviction  and  the  line  of  duty  con- 
ditioned by  principle,  he  knew  no  party  lines ;  treating  all, 
whether  adherents  to  his  own  party  or  opponents,  with  equal 


THE  FIAT  OF  KING   CAUCUS.  453 

courtesy  and  amiable  good-nature.  He  thus  attained  a  degree 
of  popularity  utterly  lacking  in  the  renown  of  his  more  famous 
rival,  which  went  far  to  equalize  their  chances  before  the 
caucus. 

But  there  was  another  element  entering  into  the  present  polit- 
ical campaign  that  still  more  leveled  the  advantage  that  per- 
sonal prestige  might  have  given  to  the  one  or  the  other  of  the 
aspirants.  Political  feeling  ran  so  high  in  consequence  of 
recent  events,  that  the  personality  of  the  candidates  dwindled 
into  insigniticance  before  the  stirring  questions  that  awaited  the 
action  of  Congress.  The  old  party  lines  themselves  were  be- 
coming obscured  by  the  overshadowing  issues  springing  up 
between  the  Federal  and  the  State  governments,  or  rather 
among  the  States  themselves,  as  inclining  to  the  one  or  other  . 
of  the  extreme  sectional  views.  For  some  of  the  Southern 
States,  —  South  Carolina  in  the  lead  —  had  verified  their 
threats  of  attempting  to  break  loose  from  the  Union.  Sym- 
pathies among  the  democrats  were  greatly  divided.  The  gov- 
ernor of  their  own  State  had  openly  espoused  the  cause  of 
the  seceded  States,  and  urged  upon  the  General  Assembly  to 
give  aid  and  comfort  to  the  oppressed  South,  even  if  averse 
to  immediate  secession.  A  coimnissiouer  from  one  of  the 
seceded  States  had  demanded  a  hearing,  to  lay  liefore  the 
authorities  a  plan  for  concert  of  action  against  the  encroach- 
ments of  the  Federal  government  on  the  rights  of  the  sov- 
ereign States,  and  the  governor  had  sent  a  special  mes- 
sage to  the  General  Assembly,  urging  them  to  invite  the 
commissioner  to  address  them  in  joint  session.  The  General 
Assembly  had  not  yet  acted  on  this  message.  A  pre- 
monition of  the  violence  of  the  storm  to  be  expected  on  its 
discussion  excited  the  caucus,  in  consequence  of  a  resolution 
moved  by  a  member  to  pledge  the  democrats  in  support  of  the 
governor's  recommendation,  which  threw  open  the  whole  field 
of  discussion  on  this  agitating  subject. 

General  Hart  was  known  as  an  uncompromising  opponent  to 
any  agitation  on  the  subject  of  slavery,  and  hence  of  every 


454  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTEB. 

measure  resorted  to  by  the  South  for  the  protectiou  of  its 
iuterests  in  this  direction.  His  followers  were,  self -evidently, 
opposed  to  the  course  recommended  by  the  governor.  Colonel 
May,  although  a  strict  constructionist,  resting  the  rights  of 
the  South  on  the  rigid  adherence  to  the  constitution,  was  driven 
to  assume  the  leadership  of  the  partisans  of  the  extreme 
Southerners,  who,  of  course,  favored  the  reception  of  the 
commissioner.  After  a  stormy  debate  lasting  several  hours, 
the  vote  resulted  in  a  small  majority  for  the  motion,  and  the 
caucus  adjourned,  without  transacting  any  other  business,  to 
await  the  action  of  the  legislature,  and  the  addi'ess  of  the 
Southern  commissioner. 

Victor  was  greatly  troubled  by  the  course  the  caucus  had 
taken.  He  had  not  participated  in  the  debate,  although  he 
was  decidedly  averse  to  the  reception  of  the  commissioner  by 
the  legislature.  He  was  eager  to  meet  his  friend  Rauheufels, 
to  talk  over  with  him  the  political  situation,  which,  he  feared, 
was  beginning  to  assume  a  critical  aspect,  and  pondered  how 
he  could  make  him  understand  the  circumstances  without  vio- 
lating his  imjilied  pledge  of  secrecy  touching  the  doings  of  the 
caucus  in  secret  session.  Expecting  to  find  Rauhenfels  at  the 
headquarters  of  Colonel  May,  he  directed  his  steps  thither,  but 
found  the  door  locked.  Surprised  at  this  unusual  thing,  he 
was  about  to  leave  w^heu  the  door  opened  and  Leslie  appeared, 
welcoming  him  with  a  cordiality  quite  unusual  in  him.  After 
again  locking  the  door,  Leslie  conducted  him  into  an  inner 
room,  where  he  found  Colonel  May  and  his  daughter  Nellie, 
Professor  Rauhenfels  and  Ralph  Payton  closeted  together. 

"  Your  coming  is  very  opportune,"  said  the  colonel,  shak- 
ing hands  with  Victor.  "  I  am  informed,  that  you  had  a  lively 
time  of  it  in  the  caucus  this  afternoon,  and  that  you  adjourned 
without  doing  anything,  except  to  make  trouble  for  the  can- 
didates." 

"  How  trouble  for  the  candidates?  "  inquired  Victor. 

"  Don't  pretend  to  be  so  innocent,"  exclaimed  Leslie,  some- 
what brusquely.     "  No  one  knows  better  than  you  do  how  the 


THE  FIAT   OF  KING    CAUCUS.  455 

caiunis  has  complicated  matters  for  father.  Or  say,"  he  added 
regarding  Victor  with  an  eager  searching  look,  "  does  it  not 
bother  you,  that  the  democrats  committed  themselves  to  side 
with  the  governor,  in  this  muddle?  Because,  you  know,  you 
voted  the  other  way  yourself." 

"  How  do  you  know  I  did?  "  asked  Victor  sternly. 

"Oh,  come,  Victor!"  said  Leslie,  laughing.  "As  if  I 
could  not  swear  how  you  would  vote  on  this  question  ?  But 
aside  from  that,  we  are  as  well  posted  as  you  are,  on  the  doings 
in  your  secret  conclave,  although  you  did  have  the  doors 
locked.  There  are  keyholes,  and  windows  and  transoms, — 
besides  leaky  brethren,  that  are  easily  pumped.  You  need 
not  flatter  yourself  that  you  kept  us  in  the  dark  about  the 
transactions  of  your  caucus." 

"  We  are  glad  that  you  came,"  said  the  colonel,  "  because 
our  friend,  the  professor,  insists  that  the  action  of  the  caucus 
has  been  very  unwise,  and  I  for  my  part  would  like  to  hear 
your  view  in  the  matter." 

' '  I  can  only  give  you  my  impression  as  to  the  resolution 
you  refer  to,"  said  Victor  in  a  low  voice,  as  if  desirous  to 
apologize  for  what  that  opinion  might  be.  "  I  deem  it  in  very 
bad  taste.  It  is  not  compatible  with  my  view  of  the  dignity 
of  a  legislative  body  to  listen  to  overtures  from  a  foreign 
State,  communicated  in  an  irregular  and  illegal  form.  But  I  do 
not  propose  to  judge  as  to  its  effect  upon  the  candidates." 

"  In  bad  taste,  do  you  say?  "  the  colonel  repeated  reflect- 
ively. "  Is  this  the  most  lenient  construction  that  3'ou  can 
put  on  that  resolution  ? ' ' 

"  I  should  rather  inquire  of  our  young  friend,  whether  that 
is  the  severest  light  in  which  he  views  it?  " 

It  was  Professor  Rauhenfels  Avho  spoke  thus,  a  sneering 
expression  accompanying  his  words. 

"  Yes,"  said  Victor  unhesitatingly.  "  As  yet  it  has  done  no 
further  harm  than  to  make  the  Democracy  of  our  State  appear 
in  a  false  position,  from  which  it  may,  and  no  doubt  will, 
readily  retrieve  itself." 


456  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

"  But  how  about  the  candidates  ?  "  Nelhe  spoke  up.  "  How 
do  you  think  it  will  affect  them  ?  ' ' 

Victor  made  answer  to  Nellie's  question  ;  but  in  doing  so  he 
looked  not  at  her,  but  at  the  colonel.  "  If  the  caucus  follows 
up  this  resolution  with  one  committing  the  party  to  secession, 
or  even  to  a  friendly  attitude  toward  the  seceded  States,  it  will 
make  the  situation  critical  for  them." 

"  General  Hart  is  opposed  to  secession,"  said  Nellie,  "  and 
if  such  a  resolution  receives  the  sanction  of  a  majority,  it  will 
put  him  in  the  minority ;  and  will  not  that  secure  papa's 
nomination?  " 

Again  Victor's  eyes  for  a  swift  moment  sought  those  of 
Colonel  May  before  he  fixed  them  on  the  eager  face  of  the 
maiden.  "  Would  your  father  accept  the  nomination  under 
such  circumstances?  "  he  asked,  betraying  as  much  anxiety  as 
Nellie  had  shown. 

"  What  a  question!  "  ejaculated  Ralph  Paytou. 

"  Why  of  course  ;  "  Nellie  exclaimed. 

But  the  eyes  of  all  present  in  the  room,  including  those  of 
Professor  Rauhenfels,  were  riveted  on  Victor's  face,  as  he  said, 
"  But  what,  in  such  case,  about  his  election?  " 

"The  nomination  means  the  election!  "  exclaimed  Pay  ton, 
confidently. 

"  Unless  there  be  treason  in  camp!  "  Leslie  added. 

"  Don't  you  think  so?  "  the  colonel  asked  quietly.  "  Our 
party  is  so  overwhelmingly  in  the  majority,  that  its  nominee  is 
sure  to  be  elected  unless  there  be  very  great  defection." 

"  Perhaps  that  is  so,"  said  Victor.  -'  But  then  the  nominee 
will  be  committed  to  the  doctrine  expressed  in  the  resolu- 
tion." 

"  Whicli  is  good  sound  Democratic  doctrine!  "  exclaimed 
Pay  ton  elatedly.     "  What  have  you  got  to  say  to  tliat?  " 

Again  Victor  was  the  cynosure  of  all  eyes,  as  he  replied 
looking  not  at  Pay  ton  but  at  the  colonel,  "  That  I  hope  it  is  a 
mistake.  For  if  this  were  Democracy,  I  fear  that  I  would  not 
be  counted  a  democrat." 


THE   FIAT  OF  KING    CAUCUS.  457 

"  Does  that  mean  that  you  would  lly  the  track  if  such  a 
resolution  were  adopted?  "  asked  Leslie,  rather  warmly. 

"  Are  you  going  to  set  yourself  up  as  authority  above  the 
caucus,  and  above  the  party?"  Pay  ton  inquired,  speaking 
with  a  vehemence  that  imparted  a  touch  of  insolence  to  his 
voice  and  manner. 

The  colonel  cast  a  frowning  glance  at  the  forward  young 
man,  and  then  turned  to  Victor.  "  I  would  not  like  to  put  it 
in  that  way,  Mr.  Waldhorst,"  he  said,  in  a  friendly  voice,  as 
if  desiring  to  apologize  for  Payton's  rudeness.  "  But  it  is 
really  important  for  me  to  know,  whether  I  can  count  on  your 
support  in  the  caucus  for  the  nomination,  and  in  the  legislature 
for  the  election,  if  the  party  should  fall  in  with  the  views  of 
the  governor.  You  will  therefore  pardon  our  solicitude  in  this 
matter,  and  believe  us,  that  no  rudeness  is  intended." 

"Why,  father,  it  is  surely  an  insult  to  Mr,  Waldhorst  to 
put  such  a  question  implying  doubt,"  said  Nellie,  with  an 
expression  of  such  perfect  truthfulness  in  her  face,  that  it  made 
Payton  wince.  "  Don't  you  know,  that  you  have  not  a  more 
loyal  and  staunch  supporter  in  the  world,  than  our  old  friend 
Victor?"  And  with  a  smile  that  went  straight  to  Victor's 
heart,  she  added,  "  Am  I  right,  Mr.  Waldhorst?  " 

"  God  knows.  Miss  May,  that  no  one  is  more  keenly  alive 
to  the  debt  of  gratitude  which  I  owe  to  Colonel  May,  than  I 
am,  and  that  there  is  no  man  on  earth  that  commands,  in  so 
high  a  degree,  my  unwavering  confidence,  my  love,  my 
adoration." 

"  Well,  I  am  very  proud  to  know  that,"  said  the  colonel, 
good-naturedly.  "  But  the  point  is,  just  now,  whether  I  can 
count  on  your  vote  ?  ' ' 

"He  is  quite  sure  of  that,  is  he  not,  Mr.  Waldhorst?" 
Nellie  said,  looking  at  the  young  man  with  eager  eyes. 

The  question  startled  Victor.  It  had  loomed  up  in  his  mind, 
this  same  question,  and  paralyzed  his  very  thought,  like  a 
hideous  monster  in  a  nightmare,  driving  him  to  this  very  place 
in  search  of  help  from   his  friend  Rauhenfels,  hoping  to  be 


458  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

taught  how  to  answer,  or  what  were  even  better,  how  to  not 
answer,  this  awful  question,  whether  it  were  possible  that  he 
should  A'ote  against  the  wisest,  truest,  best  of  men, — his 
generous  benefactor,  his  boyhood's  friend? 

As  if  in  response  to  Victor's  unuttered  appeal,  the  professor 
interposed.  "  The  point  of  inquiry,"  said  he,  speaking  in  a 
deep  voice  that  impressed  itself  upon  all  within  its  reach, 
"  would  rather  seem  to  be,  will  Colonel  May  make  it  impossi- 
ble for  him  to  do  so,  by  giving  the  lie  to  the  record  of  his  past 
life?  A  senatorship  is  no  trivial  affair.  It  is  important  to 
the  nation,  in  whose  council  he  proposes  to  lift  his  voice ;  im- 
portant to  the  individual  who  is  to  embody  the  divided  sover- 
eignty of  both  his  State  and  his  nation.  And  such  is  the 
quality  of  ambition,  that  it  warps  men's  judgment;  —  aye,  so 
fiercely  burn  its  fires  in  minds  of  towering  aspiration,  that  in 
the  strain  to  reach  one  single,  shining  goal  the  structure  of  a 
lifetiihe  sinks  in  ashes.  Is  Colonel  May  one  of  these?  That, 
to  my  view,  is  the  pertinent  question.  For  though  you  may 
hide  to  yourself,  for  a  while,  you  cannot  avoid  the  issue  attend- 
ant upon  your  becoming  the  candidate  of  a  faction  pledged  to 
subvert  the  government.  It  will  be  the  passing  of  the  Rubicon 
that  separates  the  illustrious  patriot  from  the  rebel  and  the  — 
traitor!  " 

Nellie,  stung  to  the  quick  by  the  closing  word  of  the  pro- 
fessor, turned  upon  him  with  a  fiush  of  indignation.  "Sir!  " 
she  exclaimed,  her  eyes  ablaze  with  anger,  while  yet  a  sneer  of 
contempt  curled  her  proud  hps,  "  you  are  insolent!  " 

LesHe  looked  at  Rauhenfels  with  a  frown,  but  said  nothing. 
Payton,  however,  assuming  a  menacing  attitude,  blustered 
out,  "How  dare  j^ou,  sir,  employ  such  language  to  Colonel 
May?" 

Rauhenfels  turned  toward  Payton.  But  if  he  intended  a 
sharp  answer  for  this  young  gentleman,  it  was  checked  by  a 
deprecating  wave  of  the  colonel's  hand. 

The  colonel  smiled  ;  a  smile,  the  sadness  of  which  betrayed 
to  Victor   that  the  professor's  words    had    wounded  him    as 


THE   FIAT   OF  KING    CAUCUS.  459 

deeply  as  they  had  Nellie,  bat  that  he  forebore  to  resent  the 
personal  attack.  "  You  use  a  strangely  harsh  word,  my 
friend,"  he  said,  somewhat  more  calmly  than  was  his  custom- 
ary speech,  "  and,  it  seems  to  me,  rather  inconsistently.  For 
the  legal  crime  of  treason  consists,  under  our  constitution,  in 
levying  war  against  the  United  States,  or  giving  aid  and  com- 
fort to  their  enemies.  You  surely  cannot  predicate  treason,  in 
this  sense,  of  mere  friendliness  to  the  South.  But  if  you  re- 
fer to  treason  in  its  general  sense,  —  that  of  attempting  to 
shake  off  the  yoke  of  tyrannical  government  —  then  the  word 
has  no  terror  for  me.  I  deem  it  a  flattery  to  be  classed  with 
such  men  as,  for  instance,  signed  the  Declaration  of  Inde- 
pendence." 

"  I  would  be  justified.  Colonel  May,"  the  professor  rejoined, 
his  manner  becoming  more  and  more  earnest  as  he  proceeded, 
"  to  accuse  you  of  quibbling,  but  for  the  fact  that  there  has 
been  nothing  but  quibbling  by  the  politicians,  on  both  sides  of 
the  question.  Argument  has  been  lost  sight  of:  groundless 
assertions  are  in  vogue.  You,  Colonel  May,  know  full  weU, 
that  secession  means  war ;  for  no  government  on  earth  can  idly 
tolerate  its  own  disruption.  And  if  in  that  war  you  are  found 
in  arms  against  your  government,  you  will  be  a  traitor,  in  the 
legal,  constitutional  sense ;  and  no  arrogation  of  the  patriotism 
that  has  canonized  the  Fathers  of  the  Revolution  will  protect 
you  against  the  punishment  due  a  traitor,  —  aye,  nor  even 
conciliate  your  conscience.  You  are  attempting  to  cheat 
yourself  into  the  belief  that  it  is  not  dishonorable  to  be  known 
as  a  rebel  and  a  traitor  to  a  tyrannical  government,  or  one  that 
you  choose  to  stigmatize  as  such.  Has  not  the  shudder  of 
your  daughter  at  the  bare  mention  of  such  a  possibility,  —  has 
not  the  resentful  insolence  of  this  young  dandy  here,  who 
deems  himself  called  on  to  champion  your  honor,  as  if  the 
mention  of  that  word  were  a  dire  insult,  taught  you  in  what 
estimation  the  traitor  is  held,  even  by  those  who  calmly  con- 
template treason  themselves  ?  ' ' 

"  Speaking   for    my    daughter,"  the  colonel  answered,  re- 


460  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTEB. 

garding  Nellie  with  a  sad,  yet  fond  smile,  "  I  would  bespeak 
for  her  the  consideration  due  to  the  inexperience  of  her  sex, 
and,  if  you  please,  to  the  nature,  hitherto,  of  her  surroundings. 
You  would  make  allowance  for  the  feelings  of  a  child  that  has 
been,  foolishly  perhaps,  indulged  by  her  parents,  and  by 
society,  and  who  is  not  quick  to  weigh  how  much  truth  there 
may  be  in  a  remark  that  to  her  unsophisticated  ear  is  degrading 
to  her  father," 

"  But  father,"  exclaimed  Nellie,  a  vivid  blush  suffusing  her 
cheek,  "  I  beg  of  you  to  remember  that  I  am  not  a  babe  !  And 
I  think  it  is  for  Mr.  Rauhenfels  to  apologize,  not  for  you." 

"  These  are  my  sentiments  exactly!  "  shouted  Mr.  Pay  ton. 
But  a  frowning  glance  from  Colonel  May  arrested  any  further 
words  of  approval  he  might  have  intended  for  Miss  May. 

"  My  child,"  he  then  said,  turning  to  the  indignant  maiden, 
"  Professor  Rauhenfels  was  right  to  call  our  attention  to  the 
consequences  that  may  attend  my  candidacy."  Then  turning 
to  the  professor,  he  continued,  "  I  myself  sincerely  trust  that 
your  apprehensions  are  too  gloomy.  I  cannot  bring  myself  to 
believe  that  the  people  of  this  country  are  so  lost  to  common 
sense  and  to  common  decency,  as  to  undertake  to  coerce  either 
South  Carolina  or  any  other  State  to  remain  in  the  Union,  after 
the  constitution  that  bound  them  has  been  violated.  It  is  not 
the  South,  —  it  is  the  North  that  has  broken  the  bond.  The 
seceded  States  have  but  technically  named  what  the  Federal 
government  had  in  reality  already  done.  I  strongly  hope,  — 
I  am  satisfied,  that  there  will  be  no  war ;  but  if  a  war  comes,  it 
will  be  provoked  by  the  North,  —  not  by  the  South." 

"  There,  Colonel  May,  lies  the  vice  of  your  position,"  the 
professor  responded.  "  I  wish  I  could  make  you  understand 
how  radically  wrong  you  are  in  your  assumption  of  facts,  and 
how  erroneous  your  deductions  if  even  your  premises  were 
correct.  It  is  not  true  that  the  North,  or  what  to  Southerners 
is  the  same,  the  Federal  government,  has  violated  the  constitu- 
tion. As  yet,  any  interference  with  the  constitutional  rights 
of  the  South,  or  of  the  States,  is  a  phantom  conjured  up  by 


THE   FIAT   OF  KING    CAUCUS.  461 

the  excited  imagination  of  hot-headed  Southern  politicians, 
who,  to  use  a  slang  phrase,  squeal  before  they  are  hurt.  What 
they  complain  of,  and  hold  out  to  the  Southern  people  as  a 
deadly  injury  to  their  interests,  namely,  the  forcible  abolition 
of  slavery,  is  as  yet  but  the  chimerical  scheme  of  a  fanatical 
faction.  But  do  you  not  see,  that  secession  is  the  one,  —  the 
only  possible  condition  under  which  these  fanatics  might  bring 
their  project  into  realization?  Reverence  for  the  constitution 
is,  to  this  day,  so  deeply  rooted  in  the  hes^rts  of  the  people, 
both  North  and  South,  that  they  will  tolerate  no  tampering 
with  it,  either  by  Northern  ar  by  Southern  fanatics.  Break  it, 
as  secession  must  do,  and  slavery  is  doomed.  For  it  has  no 
hold  on  the  majority  of  the  people,  save  as  it  is  guaranteed  by 
the  constitution.  In  the  war  that  must  follow  secession,  the 
forcible  emancipation  of  slaves  will  be  too  powerful  a  weapon 
against  the  South  to  be  neglected  by  the  Federal  government. 
There  will  be  nothing,  then,  to  save  this  fated  institution  from 
annihilation  ;  and  when  once  extinct,  it  will  be  no  more  forever, 
on  the  North  American  continent  at  least.  I  am  thoroughly 
sure,  Colonel,  that  the  immediate  abolition  of  slavery  is  im- 
possible in  this  country,  unless  the  way  be  paved  for  it  by  the 
attempt  to  destroy  the  national  government." 

"  Well,  my  young  friend,"  said  the  colonel  to  Victor,  who 
had  listened  to  the  discussion  with  the  keenest  interest,  ' '  you 
have  not  answered  my  question.  Supposing  that  the  caucus 
should  do  this  thing,  which  our  friend  Rauhenfels  is  pleased 
to  call  treasonable ;  and  suj^posing,  further,  that  I  should  be 
a  candidate  on  a  platform  friendly  to  the  seceding  States,  to 
the  extent,  let  us  assume,  of  pledging  the  government  to  non- 
interference ;  what  would  be  your  attitude  toward  me  in  the 
legislature  ?  " 

"  On  that  score  you  need  have  no  apprehension,"  said 
Leslie,  with  a  keen  glance  at  Victor,  who  had  not  Ijeeu  prompt 
with  his  answer.  "  Whatever  may  be  Mr.  Waldhorst's  pri- 
vate conviction  in  this  matter, — he  is  a  gentleman,  taking 
pride  in  the  most  scrupulous  faithfulness  to  his  promises." 


462  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTEE. 

"  Yes,"  said  Nellie,  proudly,  "  Victor  has  promised  to 
wear  my  colors  in  this  tournament,  and  I  know  him  to  be  a 
loyal  knight.  You  can  depend  upon  him,  at  least,  although 
he  has  not  answered  your  question  yet." 

"I  would  be  better  satisfied,"  Payton  threw  in,  "if  he 
would  pledge  himself  to  vote  for  Colonel  May.  If  he  is  sin- 
cere, he  will  not  object  to  do  so." 

"  He  is  pledged,"  Leslie  added,  still  regarding  Victor  with 
a  searching  gaze.  "  By  his  honor  as  a  man,  —  by  his  fealty 
as  a  democrat,  —  by  his  loyalty  as  a  citizen.  No  words  of  his 
can  add  to  the  sacredness  of  Ifis  obligation."  Turning  to 
Professor  Rauhenfels,  he  said:  "You  will  bear  testimony  to 
this." 

Before  the  professor  could  answer,  Nellie  again  spoke  up. 
"  Why  do  you  speak  of  testimony?  "  she  said.  "  I  pledge 
my  own  word,  that  Mr.  Waldhorst  is  true  to  his." 

"  Precisely,"  came  from  the  professor's  lips.  And  the  deep- 
ening of  the  curves  of  the  corners  of  his  mouth  gave  warning 
that  he  was  in  no  gentle  mood.  "  The  young  lady  no  doubt, 
correctly  estimates  Mr.  Waldhorst' s  character  for  probity  and 
honor.  But  if  she  accord  to  him  his  due  meed  of  common 
sense  as  well,  it  may  dawn  upon  her  mind,  as  it  should  sug- 
gest itself  to  the  mind  of  her  brother,  here,  that  to  enable  him 
to  keep  his  word.  Colonel  May  must  keep  his  also.  Waldhorst 
is  pledged,  as  Mr.  May  emphasizes,  by  his  honor  as  a  man,  by 
his  fealty  as  a  democrat,  by  his  loyalty  as  a  citizen  —  to 
what?  " 

"  To  vote  for  Colonel  May!  "  exclaimed  Leslie,  interrupting 
the  professor. 

"  To  vote  for  an  unflinching  Jeffersonian  democrat,"  shouted 
the  professor,  "  such  as  Waldhorst  is,  such  as  Colonel  May 
has  been  up  to  this  time ;  for  an  uncompromising  champion  of 
the  constitution  and  its  strict  construction,  such  as  Colonel 
May  has  put  himself  upon  the  record  during  his  congressional 
career,  —  the  shining  exemplar  whom  Waldhorst  has  patterned 
after ;  for  the  aspirant  to  a  seat  in  the  Senate  of  the  United 


THE   FIAT  OF  KING   CAUCUS.  463 

States,  who  has  often  taken,  and  proclaims  himself  ready  again 
to  take,  his  solemn  oath  to  support  the  constitution  of  the 
United  States.  To  this  he  stands  pledged  ;  and  like  Miss  May 
I  would  stake  my  own  word,  that  he  is  but  too  eager  to  redeem 
his  pledge.  What  a  sneaking,  cowardly  reijegade,  —  what  a 
perfidious,  dastardly  betrayer  of  the  trust  reposed  in  him 
would  he  become,  were  he  to  vote,  instead,  for  a  recusant 
apostate,  who,  if  not  ready  to  plunge  the  knife  into  the  heart 
of  the  country  that  has  honored  and  trusted  him,  yet  stands 
by,  refusing  to  strike  down  the  i^atricidal  arm  uplifted  for  the 
blow,  and  blandly  invokes  —  non-interference!  Yes,  Miss 
May,  you  may  rest  assured,  that  Victor  Waldhorst's  faith  is 
not  of  the  Punic  kind,  nor  of  the  quibbling  sort 

'  That  keeps  the  word  of  promise  to  the  ear. 
But  breaks  it  to  the  hope.' 

He  will  vote  for  the  true  democrat,  the  loyal  citizen,  the 
champion  of  the  constitution  for  whom  he  is  instructed  to 
vote ;  but  he  cannot  do  that  by  voting  for  the  nominee  of  a 
faction  that  avows  its  intention  to  stand  by  the  enemies  of  the 
Union." 

Leslie  May,  whose  face  had  been  reddening  during  the  pro- 
fessor's speech,  now  turned  upon  him  a  look  of  angry  con- 
tempt. "  What  kind  of  faith  would  you  call  that,  sir,"  he 
said,  with  cutting  sarcasm,  "  which  permits  you  to  accept  my 
father's  invitation  and  hospitality —  " 

"  Faith  did  you  say?  "  the  professor  interrupted,  regarding 
Leslie  with  a  look  of  genuine  surprise. 

"  I  said,"  Leslie  went  on,  "  what  kind  of  faith  is  that,  sir, 
that  permits  you  to  accept  my  father's  invitation  and  hospital- 
ity—" 

"  And  money!  "  the  professor  suggested,  again  interrupting. 
"  Don't  be  mealy-mouthed  about  it,  if  3'ou  wish  to  lay  bare 
my  sins,  which,  I  venture  to  guess,  is  your  object  in  asking 
the  questions." 

—  "  And  money,  since  you  yourself  insist  on  it,"  continued 


464  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

Leslie,  uuable  to  suppress  a  shadow  of  annoyauce  at  the  inter- 
ruption, "  with  the  unclerstaudiiig  that  you  would  devote  your 
time  to  assist  him  iu  the  canvass  ;  and  now  to  do  your  l^est  in 
coaxing  and  frightening  away  his  firmest  supporters?  " 

"  You  want  to  know,  what  kind  of  faith  permits  me  to  do 
that,  do  you?  "  said  Professor Rauhenf els,  his  features  bright- 
ening into  an  almost  humorous  expression.  "  I  will  tell  you, 
young  man.  It  is  the  kind  of  faith  which  one  gentleman  puts 
in  the  integrity  of  another.  A  kind  of  faith  to  which,  I  hope, 
you  are  no  stranger.  Tliat  kind  of  faith,  sir,  that  would  im- 
pel an  honest  man  to  pull  away  his  friend  from  the  brink  of  an 
abyss,  even  at  the  risk  of  being  considered  officious.  In  a 
word,  good  faith  in  the  highest,  truest,  fullest  sense." 

"Bosh!"  exclaimed  Leslie,  with  perceptible  impatience. 
"  You  are  dodging  the  question,  sir  ;  and  treating  us  to  grandil- 
oquent phrases.  The  point  is,  how  dare  jou.  betray  the  interests 
of  a  man  who  has  confided  in  your  honor,  and  whose  money 
you  have  taken  under  promise  of  furthering  his  interests?" 

"  So  I  did,"  remarked  the  professor.  "  I  took  his  money, 
and  I  honestly  tried  to  earn  it.  Let  us  see  how  we  stand : 
Colonel  May  did  me  the  honor  to  believe  me  —  at  your  own 
suggestion,  Mr.  May,  I  have  no  doubt — capable  of  doing 
him  some  service,  valuable  enough  (in  his  own  estimation, 
mark  I)  to  justify  him  in  making  me  the  offer  to  which  you 
allude.  Colonel  May  was,  according  to  my  sincere  conviction, 
the  best  representative  that  our  State  could  have  in  the  Senate. 
His  political  views,  under  the  existing  condition  of  things, 
were  mine.  To  further  his  prospects  of  election  was  my  own 
desire  and  duty ;  I  did  so  without  any  promise  or  pay,  to  the 
best  of  my  poor  ability,  as  you  well  know.  But  I  am  not  rich 
enough  to  quit  my  avocation  and  follow  Colonel  May  to  the 
capital  without  compensation.  And  as  your  father,  and,  I 
strongly  suspect,  yourself,  wished  me  to  be  here  during  the 
senatorial  campaign,  I  accepted  his  invitation,  his  hospitality, 
and  his  money,  in  the  interest,  I  am  sure,  of  the  country,  as 
well  as  of  ourselves." 


THE  FIAT  OF  KING   CAUCUS.  465 

"  But  —  "  Leslie  was  about  to  interrupt,  when  the  profes- 
sor silenced  him  by  an  imperative  gesture. 

"But,"  he  continued,  "  Colonel  May  has  to-day  intimated 
that  he  coutemjjlates  a  change  of  his  political  course.  This  is  a 
palpable  breach  of  the  contract  between  us.  I  consider  seces- 
sion as  treasonable  and  wickedly  absurd.  Neither  the  price 
that  your  father  has  paid  me,  nor  any  price  within  the  power 
of  man  to  pay,  could  induce  me  to  advocate  the  caudidacj^  of 
a  man  pledged  to  such  a  course.  And  now,  my  dear  young 
friend,  no  more  insinuations  of  bad  faith.  If  there  is  treach- 
ery in  the  camp,  you  know  where  to  look  for  it.  If  you  should 
ever  regain  your  composure  sufficiently  to  reflect  calmly  upon 
the  situation  of  our  friend  Waldhorst,  or  even  of  myself,  you 
will  understand,  that  just  now  your  father  has  no  sincerer, 
more  warml}'  devoted  friend  than  Waldhorst ;  and  that  no 
service  I  may  have  performed  for  Colonel  May  in  facilitating 
his  campaign  (and  I  am  sure,  that  both  he  and  yourself  believe 
it  to  be  considerable)  deserves  his  gratitude  more  fully,  than 
would  my  attempt  to  hold  him  back  from  the  plunge  he  is  con- 
templating, —  the  leap  into  the  abyss  that  will  make  him  a 
moral  suicide." 

Whether  Rauhenfels  had  more  to  say,  remains  unknown. 
For  Leslie,  whose  discretion  was  succumbing  to  his  impatience, 
interrupted  him  with  angry  words,  spoken  with  sneering  con- 
tempt. "  Keep  your  advice  for  such  as  have  patience  to  listen 
to  it,"  he  said.  "  We  did  not  hire  you  for  a  Mentor.  Neither 
are  you  father's  guardian,  whatever  may  be  your  authority 
over  that  boy  yonder,  who  seems  to  have  surrendered  what 
little  of  spirit  or  manhood  he  ever  possessed  to  his  lord  and 
master,  whose  nod  and  beck  he  obeys  with  the  submissiveness 
of  a  well- trained  spaniel." 

Victor  started,  as  though  he  had  received  a  heavy  blow. 
But  he  was  not  quick  at  retort,  and  before  he  had  uttered  a 
word,  Colonel  May  had  arisen  and  was  addressing  his  son  with 
uplifted  arm,  and  in  stern  and  commanding  tones  demanded 
peace.     Then,  turning  to  both  Victor  and  Rauhenfels  he  said : 

30 


466  THE  BE  BE  US  DAUOBTEtt. 

"  YiXY  be  it  from  me,  to  question  the  right  of  either  of  you, 
gentlemen,  to  your  own  opinion,  and  to  determine  your  own 
course  of  action.  Claiming  the  same  right  for  mj^self ,  I  must 
be  guided  by  ray  own  judgment.  I  cannot  lift  up  my  hand 
against  my  ow^n  State.  As  Decatur  spoke  of  his  country,  so 
would  I  say  of  ray  State :  Ma}'  she  always  be  in  the  right :  but 
my  State,  right  or  wrong !  Let  us  drop  a  discussion  that  can 
lead  to  no  result.  I  am  satisfied  that  my  young  friend  Wald- 
horst  will  not  give  me  his  vote  unless  we  succeed  in  defeat- 
ing the  resolution  of  sympathy  with  the  seceded  States.  To 
that  end  let  us  now  bend  our  energies." 

"  Amen  !  "  said  Professor  Rauhenfels. 

But  the  fiat  went  forth  from  the  caucus,  and  the  resolution 
was  adopted  by  both  branches  of  the  General  Assembly. 


XXX. 

CRUEL  CONSCIENCE   TRICKING   CUPID. 

'HE  caucus  resolution  had  sounded  the  knell  to  Victor's 
dearest  hopes.  It  sunk  a  chasm  between  him  and  the 
May  family  which  he  knew  he  could  not  overleap,  — 
a  chasm  as  broad  as  the  decree  of  Fate,  and  as  deep  as  his 
moral  conviction.  To  vote  against  Colonel  May  would,  he 
well  knew,  subject  him  to  Leslie's  sneering  scorn,  and  to 
Nellie's  anger  and  contempt.  And  the  caucus  resolution  had 
made  it  impossible  for  him  to  vote  for  Colonel  May. 

There  were  moments  when  the  arch-fiend,  taking  advantage 
of  his  anguish,  whispered  into  his  ear.  Why  not  join  the  domi- 
nant faction  of  the  party  ?  And  a  dazzling  light  pierced  the 
dismal  blackness  of  his  horizon  for  a  brief  moment,  revealing 
before  him  a  vision  of  supreme  bliss :  Nellie,  smiling  as  she 
had  smiled  when  last  alone  with  him,  Avhen  she  had  called  him 
her  brave  and  loyal  knight  —  holding  out,  as  it  seemed  to  him, 
her  hand,  to  seize  which  and  claim  for  his  own  he  need  but 
gratify  that  other  dearest  wish  of  his  heart,  to  serve  and  vote 
for  the  man  whom  he  loved  and  adored  above  all  others  in  the 
world!  But  like  the  darkness  rendered  more  intense  after  a 
lurid  flash  of  lightning,  so  the  brightness  of  this  vision  left  him 
wrapped  in  deeper  gloom,  when  his  manhood  reasserted  itself, 
and  put  the  Satanic  temptation  behind  him. 

For  it  must  not  be.  To  vote  for  Colonel  May,  as  pledged 
by  that  treasonable  caucus  resolution,  would  make  a  traitor  of 
himself:  Traitor  to  his  constituents,  to  his  country,  to  sacred 
Truth. 

He  had  burned  his  bridges  behind  him.  When  the  caucus 
had  committed  itself  to  the  doctrine  that  the  Federal  govern- 
ment was  powerless  under  the  constitution  to  prevent  its  own 

(467) 


468  THE   BEBEUS  BAUGHTEB. 

disintegration  by  the  secession  of  the  individual  States,  he  had 
given  notice,  in  moderate,  but  positive  words,  that  he  deemed 
further  participation  in  the  proceedings  of  the  caucus  imj^roper, 
because  incompatible  with  his  sense  of  duty  to  vote  for  a  man 
pledged,  as  its  nominee  would  be,  to  assist,  either  actively  or 
passively,  in  the  disruption  of  the  Union. 

Victor's  statement  caused  quite  an  uproar  in  the  caucus. 
There  was  no  lack  of  angry  protest  and  warning  prophesies  of 
evil  to  the  rash  apostate.  But  amid  the  din  of  excited  voices, 
Mr.  Lafayette  Jackson  Morrow,  Victor's  seat-neighbor  in  the 
House,  jumped  on  a  chair,  and  cried,  loud  enough  to  secure 
general  attention  : 

"  Fellow  Democrats!  All  of  you  who  believe,  as  I  do,  the 
real  a^^ostates  from  Democracy  to  be  the  majority  of  this 
caucus,  are  invited  to  meet  in  the  other  chamber,  to  consult  as 
to  further  steps  to  vindicate  the  integrity  of  the  Democratic 
party  in  the  senatorial  election !  ' '  Twenty-two  members 
left  the  chamber  at  once,  in  consequence  of  this  invitation, 
among  them  Victor  ;  and  others  followed  later  ;  and  before  even 
those  who  remained  had  finished  the  business  of  the  caucus  by 
the  nomination  of  Colonel  May,  as  their  candidate  for  the 
United  States  Senate,  the  bolters  had  organized,  2)assed  counter 
resolutions  denouncing  secession  and  expressive  of  the  loyalty 
of  the  Democratic  party  to  the  Federal  government ;  and  had 
nominated,  as  their  candidate.  General  Hart. 

The  contest  that  ensued  in  the  legislature,  among  the  three 
candidates  and  their  adherents,  was  fierce  and  bitter.  The  two 
factions  into  which  the  democrats  had  split,  made  war  on  one 
another  quite  as  stubbornly  as  on  the  republicans,  their  com- 
mon opponents.  These  had  nominated  a  candidate  as  a 
matter  of  party  organization,  and  as  a  protest  against  the 
principles  represented  by  the  democrats.  But  after  the  schism 
in  the  Democratic  camp  this  nomination  assumed  a  more  prac- 
tical significance.  There  was  not  so  much  disparity,  now, 
between  the  republicans  and  either  faction  of  the  democrats. 
And  since  it' required  an  absolute  majority  of  all  the  votes  to  elect. 


CRUEL    CONSCIENCE    TRICKING   CUPID.  469 

the  chances  for  success  were  about  even.  And  so  the  ballot- 
ing proceeded,  without  result.  A  second  ballot  was  ordered. 
Before  the  roll-call,  loud  and  passionate  speeches  were  indulged 
in,  eulogizing  the  respective  candidates  by  their  supporters,  and 
decrying  them  by  their  opponents,  without  affecting  the  ballot 
that  followed.  Again  and  again  the  roll  was  called  ;  and  again 
and  again  no  result  was  achieved.  The  joint  session  adjourned 
at  a  late  hour  to  renew  the  struggle  next  day.  The  deadlock 
thus  reached  was  the  topic  of  conversation  all  over  the  city, 
and  the  next  joint  session  was  looked  for  with  eager  interest  ;• 
but  it  brought  no  change  in  the  situation.  So  the  next,  and 
again  the  next,  —  the  only  difference  being  in  the  attendance 
of  the  lobby,  for  the  monotony  of  the  unavailing  voting  began 
to  wear  out  the  patience  of  even  professional  politicians. 

In  this  way  over  one  hundred  and  fifty  ballots  had  been 
taken,  with  slight  variation  in  the  vote.  A  few  gains  for  the 
one  or  the  other  of  the  candidates  raised  a  flutter  of  hope, 
now  and  then,  only  to  give  way  to  disappointment  in  the  result 
of  the  next  ballot.  The  lobbies  were  gradually  deserted  by 
the  general  public.  The  joint  session  felt  compelled,  at  last, 
to  make  a  rule  to  take  but  one  ballot  on  each  day,  so  as  to 
gain  time  to  attend  to  some  of  the  ordinary  business  of  legis- 
lation. These  daily  ballotings  were  had  in  a  perfunctory 
manner.  Argument  had  long  been  abandoned  ;  no  one  thought 
of  convincing  any  one  else  by  speech-making.  They  hurried 
through  the  formality  of  calling  the  roll  and  voting,  and  then 
adjourned  to  go  through  the  same  routine  on  the  next  day. 

Professor  Rauhenfels  had  left  the  capital  soon  after  the  con- 
sultation at  the  colonel's  headquarters  ;  but  the  colonel  him- 
self and  his  son  and  daughter  remained,  of  course  ;  so  did 
Pay  ton.  No  one  of  these  was  ever  absent  at  roll-call  in  the 
joint  session.  Victor  had  not  ventured  to  visit  or  speak  to  any 
of  them  ;  nor  had  any  of  them  approached  him  since  the  pro- 
fessor's departure.  But  his  thoughts  were  as  busy  with  them 
as  ever.  More  even  than  the  gloomy  outlook  in  the  political 
horizon  did  the  proximity  trouble  him  into  which  Miss  May 


470  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

and  Ralph  Paytou  were  daily  thrown  by  their  oommou  interest 
in  the  election.  Yet  he  saw  nothing  in  their  conduct  indicating 
a  closer  relationship  between  them,  that  was  not  fully  explained 
by  their  common  interest  in  the  absorbing  events  concerning 
her  father's  election. 

Meanwhile  the  deadlock  in  the  legislature  was  assuming  a 
serious  aspect.  The  session  had  already  lasted  longer  than 
the  period  usually  consumed  by  a  session,  and  not  one-half  of 
the  business  before  them  had  been  accomplished,  aside  from 
the  senatorial  question,  which  seemed  no  nearer  its  solution 
than  at  the  outset.  For  still  the  daily  roll-call  in  joint  session 
disclosed  the  obdurate  determination  of  each  of  the  several 
parties  to  stick  to  their  nominees  without  regard  to  conse- 
quences. Slight  fluctuations  in  the  votes  had  ceased  to  excite 
hope  or  fear,  because,  like  undulating  waves  on  a  sheet  of 
water,  they  were  powerless  to  affect  the  general  level,  and 
vanished  before  account  could  be  taken  of  them. 

Once,  indeed,  a  breeze  sprang  up  which  seemed  to  blow 
steadily  in  the  direction  of  Colonel  May.  He  had  gained  in 
votes  for  four  or  five  consecutive  ballots,  drawn  in  almost 
equal  proportions,  from  both  of  the  opposing  candidates. 
Victor  watched  with  the  keenest  interest,  what  effect  this  crumb 
of  comfort  was  producing  on  the  colonel's  friends.  Pay  ton 
seemed  much  excited,  hurrying  busily  from  one  to  another  of 
the  members.  Nellie  brightened  up  perceptibly.  Victor  de- 
tected her  once  or  twace  in  a  furtive  glance  at  himself,  and  saw 
her  turn  to  Leslie  in  eager  whispering.  Leslie  himself  remained 
cool  and  self-possessed,  as  did  the  colonel.  The  ballot  then 
in  process  resulted  in  bringing  a  new  accession  of  two  votes  in 
his  favor.  Victor  calculated,  that  if  there  were  further  voting 
that  day,  there  would  be  considerable  prospect  of  success  for 
Colonel  Ma}^  He  blushed,  when  he  caught  himself  secretly 
exulting  at  this  thought,  small  as  the  colonel's  advantage  was. 
But  the  joint  session  adjourned,  and  no  one  could  tell  what 
result  the  next  session  w^ould  bring. 

On  the  evening  of  the  same  day,  while  sitting  at  his  desk  in 


CBUEL    CONSCIENCE    TBICKING   CUPID.  471 

the  House  of  Representatives,  one  of  the  pages  notified  Victor 
that  his  presence  was  desired  in  one  of  the  committee  rooms. 
He  followed  the  page,  and  on  being  ushered  in,  stood  in  the 
presence  of  Leslie  and  his  sister.  So  unexpected  was  this  to 
Victor,  that  for  a  moment  he  was  unable  to  reply  to  the  warm 
greeting  extended  to  him  by  Leslie,  and  when  he  did  speak, 
his  voice  was  constrained,  and  his  manner  awkward.  But 
Leslie's  words  and  cordial  bearing  were  as  winning  as  they  had 
been  of  old.  "  I  have  come,"  he  said,  after  shaking  hands 
with  Victor,  "  to  apologize  for  my  rudeness  that  evening  when 
last  we  met.     You  forgive  me,  do  you  not?  " 

Victor's  heart  yearned  for  the  reconciliation  which  Leslie 
proffered.  But  the  insult  at  his  hands  had  stung  too  sharply 
to  be  easily  forgotten.  "  You  do  me  too  much  honor,  sir!  " 
he  said,  bowing  stiffly. 

"  Come,  come,  Victor!  "  said  Leslie,  in  his  most  insinuat- 
ing manner.  "  You  and  I  have  known  each  other  too  long  as 
friends,  to  permit  a  few  hasty  words  to  separate  us." 

"No  words  of  yours,  Leslie  Maj^  have  separated  us,"  he 
said,  a  tinge  of  sadness  audible  in  his  voice.  "  And  as  to 
apologizing,  it  is  not  necessary.  For,  cruel  as  was  your 
taunt,  I  can  fully  sympathize  with  you  in  your  anger,  and 
freely  forgive  what  you  said  in  the  smart  of  your  disappoint- 
ment." 

"  Yes,  Victor,  I  know  you  well  enough  to  understand  your 
great-hearted  generosity,  as  well  as  your  sincerity  in  this  mat- 
ter, as  in  all  matters.  So  let  us  say  no  more  about  it. —  May 
I  lock  the  door  ?  ' ' 

This  request  startled  Victor.  He  looked  at  Leslie,  then  at 
Nellie,  and  his  heart  beat  violently,  for  he  divined  that  the 
temptation  that  was  awaiting  him,  would  try  his  very  soul. 
Nellie  had  not  yet  spoken  but  her  eyes  rested  upon  his  face 
with  an  expectant  look,  so  trusting,  so  confiding,  as  to  shame 
the  resolute  determination  which  he  was  summoning  to  his  aid, 
in  the  instinctive  endeavor  to  fortify  himself  for  the  coming 
ordeal.     "  If  you  wish,  why  not?  "  he  answered  simply. 


472  THE  BEBEU8  DAUGHTER. 

"  Now,  since  your  evil  genius  has  quitted  you  for  the  time 
being,"  said  Leslie,  after  locking  the  door,  "  I  hope  to  find 
you  accessible  to  argument  and  common  sense.  Let  me  say, 
first  of  all,  that  my  bitter  words,  the  other  day,  were  meant 
not  so  much  for  you,  as  for  that  embodiment  of  mystical,  out- 
landish abstractions, — your  Professor  Rauhenfels,  who  has 
clouded  your  usually  clear  judgment  with  metaphysical  cob- 
webs that  prevent  you  from  seeing  things  as  they  are.  I 
confidently  hope  to  find  you,  now,  j'^our  old  reasonable  self." 

"I  will  try  at  least  to  deserve  your  kind  criticism,"  said 
Victor  soberly.  —  "  What  do  you  wish  to  say  to  me?  " 

"  Before  I  come  to  the  main  point,  let  me  also  say,  that  we 
are  not  here  with  the  consent  of  father,  much  less  at  his 
request.  It  was  Nellie,  here,  that  suggested  this  conference 
with  you.  She  has  such  confidence  in  your  good  sense,  and  in 
your  —  well,  in  your  loyalty  to  her  and  to  me,  as  the  friends 
of  your  boyhood,  — that  she  thought  you  would  permit  us  to 
remind  you  of  the  times  we  had  together  at  the  grammar  class, 
and  at  the  barbecue,  and  how  bravely  you  defended  the 
'  Governor,'  as  I  used  to  call  him,  against  any  doubts  of  his 
being  the  purest  and  most  generous  man  living —  " 

' '  And  would  so  defend  him  to-day !  ' '  Victor  exclaimed 
warmly. 

"Don't  I  know  it?"  said  Nellie  triumphantly.  "Victor 
has  promised  to  wear  my  colors  in  the  senatorial  tournament. 
You  will  not  forget  that,  Mr.  Waldhorst?  " 

"Oh,  Miss  Nellie  — " 

"  But  I  told  her,"  Leslie  interrupted,  "  that  neither  your 
friendship  for  her,  nor  for  me,  nor  yet  for  even  father,  would 
be  able  to  swerve  you  one  inch  from  the  path  that  duty  points 
out  to  you." 

"  I  hope  that  I  may  be  able  to  deserve  your  respect,  at 
least,"  said  Victor  with  downcast  eyes. 

"  And  so  I  am  going  to  appeal  to  your  strong  common 
sense,"  Leslie  went  on.  "  Putting  aside,  now,  all  considera- 
tions for  the  relations  existing  between  us,  as  acquaintances  or 


CBUEL    CONSCIENCE    TBICKING   CUPID.  473 

friends,  I  submit  to  you  as  a  democrat,  that  it  is  in  your  power 
to  do  the  party  a  great  service ;  to  save  it,  I  may  say,  from 
defeat." 

' '  How  do  you  mean  ?  ' ' 

"  As  matters  stand  to-day,  the  question  of  election  lies  be- 
tween father  and  the  republican  candidate.  General  Hart  is 
practically  out  of  the  race.  Your  vote  for  father,  Victor, 
would,  with  the  following  it  will  have,  secure  his  election  at 
the  next  ballot." 

"  Just  think  of  it,  Victor,"  said  Nellie,  looking  eagerly  into 
the  face  of  the  young  man,  "  it  lies  in  your  power  to  elect  pa 
to  the  United  States  Senate !  Do  you  remember  how  proud  it 
made  you  to  be  told  by  him  that  you  had  greatly  helped  him 
to  be  elected  to  Congress  ?  How  deeply  he  will  feel  indebted 
to  you,  if  now  you  give  him  the  senatorship !  And  how  the 
munificence  of  such  a  gift  from  you  would  endear  you  to  brother 
Leslie  and  —  to  me  !  ' ' 

Endear  him  to  her !  What  a  precious  guerdon  to  secure ! 
Could  an;/  price  be  too  high  for  that  ?  He  turned  pale  ;  beads 
of  perspiration  bedewed  his  forehead.  All  the  kingdoms  of 
the  world,  and  the  glory  of  them,  would  fail  to  lure  him,  — 
Avould  he  bend  the  knee  to  the  temptation  in  the  shape  of  an 
angel  of  light?  But  while  yet  regarding  Nellie's  eager  face, 
the  image  of  Ralph  Payton  suddenly  occurred  to  him,  throw- 
ing a  shadow  over  the  bewildering  suggestiveness  of  her  smile. 
SloAvly  he  turned  his  eyes  toward  Leslie,  saying:  "  You  are 
mistaken.     I  have  no  following,  such  as  you  suppose." 

But  Leslie  answered  with  unusual  patience,  "  Not  I,  Victor, 
but  you,  are  mistaken  in  this  matter.  It  is  your  excessive 
modesty  that  prevents  you  from  seeing  your  power.  But  let 
that  rest.  Apart  from  the  question  of  your  following,  does  it 
not  occur  to  you  that  you  have  a  duty  to  perform  as  a 
patriot,  —  as  a  lover  of  that  party  on  which  rests  the  hope  of 
our  country  ?  Ought  you  not  to  so  vote  as  to  help  break  the 
deadlock  paralyzing  the  legislature  ?  The  time  of  the  mem- 
bers is  being  fruitlessly  sacrificed  by  this  unavailing  balloting  ; 


474  THE  BEBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

the  money  of  the  peoijle  wantonly  squandered,  the  welfare  of 
the  commonwealth  put  in  jeopardy  by  this  silly  foolhardiness. 
It  is  obvious  that  if  the  members  persist  in  their  wayward 
caprice,  no  result  can  ever  be  reached.  Common  sense,  then, 
plainly  demands  a  yielding  somewhere.  By  whom?  Clearly 
by  him  who  understands  how  foolish  and  wicked  it  is  to  persist 
against  reason  and  hope.  Did  you  not  once  tell  me  that,  ac- 
cording to  one  of  your  German  proverbs,  '  He  is  the  wiser 
who  knows  how  to  yield  ?  '  " 

Leslie  was  unusually  earnest  in  his  manner.  Victor  smiled, 
with  a  smile  that  betrayed  the  agony  of  his  soul.  "  Do  you 
not  see,"  he  answered,  soberly,  slowly,  "  that  on  your  show- 
ing mulish  obstinacy  would  prevail  over  the  yielding  wise  man  ?  ' ' 

"  But  if  it  be  rational  to  yield,  will  not  the  triunn)h  of  the 
obstinate  fool  accomplish  the  wise  man's  purpose?  "  persisted 
Leslie.  "  It  seems  to  me,  that  even  Rauheufels  could  not  find 
fault  with  such  a  statement." 

"Perhaps  not;  and  perhaps  you  are  right,  —  always  pro- 
viding that  the  effect  of  the  fool's  obstinacy  serves  the  wise 
man's  purpose.  But  let  us  not  continue  a  discussion  which 
can  lead  to  no  satisfactory  result.  I  cannot  vote  for  your 
father,  so  long  as  he  does  not  disavow  that  resolution  of  the 
caucus,  even  if  it  were  true,  and  made  plain  to  my  comprehen- 
sion, that  my  vote  would  elect  him." 

It  cost  Victor  a  mighty  effort  to  say  these  words.  He  wiped 
the  perspiration  from  his  brow. 

Leslie  grew  red  in  the  face. 

"Can  nothing  move  you?"  he  said,  after  a  momentary 
pause.  "  Nothing  that  I  have  said?  Nothing  that  Nellie  has 
said?  " 

"  Nothing." 

"Is  it  true,  then,  that  you  have  sold  yourself,  body  and 
soul,  to  this  double-faced  friend,  this  sneering  Mephistoj^heles, 
who,  while  eating  my  father's  bread,  poisons  the  mind  of  his 
most  ardent  friend  against  him  ?  For  I  happen  to  know,  that 
it  is  only  at  his  behest  that  you  oppose  our  interest." 


CRUEL    CONSCIENCE    TRICKING    CUPID.  475 

"You  are  wrong,  Leslie;  Mr.  Rauhenfels  has,  himself, 
disproved  your  accusation." 

"Wrong!  "  Leslie  repeated,  in  louder  voice.  "Was  all 
your  regard,  then,  —  all  the  devotion  and  reverence  that  you 
so  constantly  and  ostentatiously  paraded  for  Colonel  May, 
mere  cant  and  hypocrisy?  Do  you  mean  to  tell  me,  that  you 
lied,  when  you  promised  to  vote  for  him,  —  lied  when  you 
pledged  yourself  in  primary  meeting,  in  the  party  convention, 
and  again  in  accepting  the  votes  of  the  people,  as  a  democrat? 
Out  upon  such  cowardly  treachery!  " 

"  Oh,  Leslie,"  said  Victor  after  a  brief  pause,  in  which  he 
regarded  his  adversary  with  a  steady  gaze,  "you  ought  to 
know  that  you  stab  me  to  the  heart  with  your  cruelly  unjust 
words, — to  the  heart  that  has  given  up  all  to  preserve  its 
honor." 

' '  Fie  on  such  honor !  The  honor  of  an  assassin  that  has 
knifed  his  truest  friend  I  " 

"  That  he  is !  "  exclaimed  Victor,  interrupting.  "  As  such 
I  have  well-nigh  worshiped  him." 

"  With  the  devil's  worship!  "  Leslie  cried.  "  While  bask- 
ing in  the  sunshine  of  his  favor,  you  fawned  and  cringed,  and 
spared  not  plentiful  protestations  of  devotion  to  his  person  and 
his  cause,  in  order  the  more  surely  to  betray  them  both." 

Nellie  had  been  listening  intently.  A  frown  now  gathered 
on  her  face.     She  uttered  the  single  word  :   "  Ingrate  !  " 

It  stung  Victor  more  sharply  than  Leslie's  cutting  invective. 
"  Oh,  Miss  May,"  he  pleaded  earnestly,  "  do  not  you  mis- 
judge me  —  " 

"  Address  yourself  to  me,  sir!  "  Leslie  sternly  interrupted 
him. 

"  Sir,  it  is  your  sister  of  whom  I  crave  pardon  for  an  act  that 
in  the  doing  inflicts  agony  on  me  a  hundred  times  more  bitter 
than  any  disappointment  it  may  bring  to  either  of  j^ou." 

"  The  twinge  of  conscience  you  may  feel  is  anything  but  an 
excuse,  sir!  " 

"  Nor  do   I  seek  excuse,"  Victor  continued.     "  Pray,  do 


476  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

not  misconstrue  the  torture  I  suffer  into  repentance  of  my 
course.  It  is  my  cruel  fate  that  in  the  performance  of  my 
duty  I  must  forfeit  your  friendship.  But  I  am  not  ashamed 
of  my  deed . ' ' 

'.'  I  dare  say,"  Leslie  interjected,  "  that  you  take  pride  in 
your  emancipation  from  the  restraints  imposed  by  honor, 
gratitude  and  good-faith." 

"  Leslie  May,"  said  Victor,  straightening  up  and  regarding 
the  brother  with  a  defiant  frown,  "  restrain  your  licentious 
tongue!  Tempt  me  not  too  far!  I  have  borne  your  taunts, 
your  sneers  and  your  insults  and  remembering  what  once  we 
were  to  each  other,  forbore  the  fitting  answer.  But  when  you 
say,  that  I  prostituted  my  honor —  " 

"  Well?  "  sneered  Leslie,  as  Victor  briefly  paused. 

"  You  lie!  " 

Victor  spoke  the  word  boldly,  l)ut  without  passion. 

Leslie  raised  his  clenched  list,  but  dropped  it,  as  Nellie 
softly  touched  his  arm.  The  two  men  eyed  each  Other  for  a 
moment,  then  Leslie,  with  a  bitter,  satirical  smile,  turned  to 
his  sister.  "  Can  you  unriddle  me  this  riddle,  —  honor?  Here 
stands  a  man  (for  such,  no  doubt,  he  deems  himself)  convicted 
of  perjury,  of  having  basely  betrayed  friend,  party,  — the  most 
sacred  trust  confided  in  him  by  his  country,  —  and  noAV  poses 
for  injured  innocence,  unblushingly  proclaiming  his  untar- 
nished —  honor !  Bah !  Such  honor  might  Judas  Iscariot 
claim,  when  he  had  earned  his  thirty  pieces  of  silver." 

There  was  a  slight  pause  before  Victor  answered.  Then, 
regarding  his  former  friend  with  a  steady  eye,  he  said  :  "  Your 
words  are  keen-edged  daggers,  Leslie  May.  But  they  afford 
me  this  comfort,  that  they  lighten  much  a  burden  on  my 
heart,  —  the  burden  of  gratitude  to  you  ;  for  you  have  this  day 
so  heavily  freighted  the  counter-scale,  that  the  account  between 
us  is  more  nearly  balanced.  You  will  understand,  some  day, 
that  I  may  have  something  to  forgive,  as  well  as  my  bene- 
factors." 

Nellie  now   spoke  up,  "Oh,"  she  said,  imitating,  perhaps 


CBUEL    CONSCIENCE    TRICKING   CUPID.  477 

unconsciously,  the  sarcastic  tone  of  her  brother,  "you  have 
something  to  forgive  us,  have  you?  Now,  I  am  really  curious 
to  know  what  that  can  be.  Is  it,  that  when  you  came  to 
Brookfield,  an  awkward,  unmannered  lad,  you  found  a  cordial 
welcome  in  our  family?  Is  it,  that  papa  gave  you  free  access 
to  his  library,  teaching  you  what  books  to  read,  and  how  to 
understand  them  ?  Or  that  his  children  received  you  in  their 
midst,  as  though  you  had  been  one  of  them,  and  through  their 
patronage  secured  to  you  admission  to  the  most  select  cu'cles 
of  Brookfield  society?  Or  is  it,  that  papa  initiated  you  into 
the  intricacies  of  politics  and  statesmanship,  honoring  you  with 
his  confidence,  withholding  no  secrets  from  you,  as  if  you  were 
his  own,  beloved  child?  Are  these  the  things  that  you  are 
going  to  forgive  us  ?  " 

Victor  made  a  gesture  as  if,  overcome  by  her  reproaches,  he 
would  speak,  but  Nellie  continued  : 

"  Or  do  you  mean  to  forgive  us,  that  we  have  been  betrayed 
and  undone  by  one  whom  we  fondly  trusted,  to  whom  we  fur- 
nished the  very  means  and  weapons  with  which  he  is  now 
assailing  his  benefactor?  "  Then  dropping  her  sarcastic  tone, 
she  added  with  genuine  pathos,  "  Tell  me,  sir,  what  is  it,  that 
you  are  going  to  forgive  us  ?  ' ' 

Victor  stood  erect,  pale,  but  more  proudly  than  he  had  ever 
stood  before  Miss  May,  as  he  answered:  "  You,  Miss  May,  I 
have  nothing  to  forgive  but  the  cruel  injustice  of  your  words 
just  now.  And  I  beg  you  in  turn,  to  pardon  what  I  say,  not 
in  idle  boast,  but  because  the  torture  you  inflict  upon  me 
wrenches  the  words  from  my  quivering  lips  :  To  keep  unsullied 
mine  own  honor,  I  have  yielded  up  the  promise  of  heavenly 
bliss  on  earth,  and  now  confront  a  dreary  joyless  future." 

Leslie  put  on  his  sarcastic  sneer  and  opened  his  lips  for  a 
reply  ;  but  Victor  anticipated  him. 

"  As  for  you,  sir,"  he  said,  turning  to  the  brother,  "  we 
are  quit.  You  have  this  day  taken  payment  in  full  for  all  the 
bounties  you  so  lavishly  conferred  upon  me.  You  have  set  a 
price  upon  that  which  I  held  priceless,  —  your  friendship.     If 


478  THE   EEBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

honor  has  been  forfeited  in  the  relations  between  us,  be  sure, 
sir,  that  the  loss  has  not  fallen  to  me.  It  is  not  I  that  have 
betrayed  a  trust." 

"Do  you  hear  that,  Nellie?"  was  the  brother's  retort. 
' '  Next  he  will  recite  to  us  an  inventory  of  our  own  short- 
comings toward  him !  Such  is  the  logic  taught  him  by  his 
lord  and  master,  that  Mephistophelian  trickster,  to  whom  he 
has  bartered  his  soul.  Come,  Nellie  ;  let  us  go.  We  have 
done  with  Mr.  Waldhorst." 

As  they  started  to  go,  Victor  turned  to  the  lady,  saying, 
' '  Would  you  vouchsafe  me  hearing  for  one  word  more  ? ' ' 

•'  To  my  sister?  "  asked  Leslie. 

"  Such  is  my  desire,  if  she  will  kindly  permit." 

"  Shall  I  remain?  "  he  inquired  of  bis  sister. 

"  I  almost  fear  to  be  alone  with  him,"  whispered  Nellie. 
"  His  face  is  portentous  of  a  weighty  purpose." 

"  Then  I  shall  remain,"  Leslie  replied. 

"  And  yet,"  she  mused,  "  what  have  I  to  fear?  If  he  be- 
come too  bold  of  speech  or  manner,  I  shall  know  how  to  bring 
him  to  senses.  Go,  Leslie  ;  I  would  fain  learn  what  it  is  that 
he  has  to  say  to  me  in  person." 

"  All  right,  Nellie  ;  but  I  shall  remain  within  earshot  of  your 
call,  if  you  should  want  me." 

Leslie  left  the  room.  The  young  lady  regarded  Victor 
with  an  expectant  look. 

"  Well,  sir,"  she  said,  "  I  am  ready  to  hear." 

"  I  thank  you  for  this  act  of  kindness,"  he  said,  speaking 
with  a  tenderness  he  could  not  master,  in  spite  of  his  mighty 
effort  at  composure.  "  There  were  happier  days.  Miss  May, 
when  it  was  my  proudest  boast  that  in  your  goodness  you  pei'- 
mitted  me  to  think  of  you  as  a  friend.  My  foolish  heart,  mis- 
led by  your  sweet  graciousness,  indulged  in  blissful  dreams  of 
yet  a  dearer  name  for  you  —  " 

"Presumptuous  youth!"  the  lady  interrupted  proudly. 
"How  dared  you  infer  the  slightest  encouragement  on  my 
part  of  such  folly?  " 


CRUEL    CONSCIENCE    TRICKING   CUPID.  479 

"Oh,"  said  Victor,  witli  a  bitter  smile,  "I  know,  now, 
that  it  was  not  intentional  on  your  part.  It  was  but  my  doting 
heart,  so  eager  to  hug  the  fond  illusion,  that  nourished  my 
aspiration.  No  Parsee  ever  worshiped  with  devotion  deejjer 
the  bright  Luminary  of  Day,  than  I  my  life's  glorious  Sun. 
I  beg  you,  in  extenuation  of  my  fault,  to  retlect  that  in  my  in- 
fatuation I  prized  a  smile  from  your  lips  far  higher  than  any 
woman's  beauty  in  the  world." 

"•  Tell  me,"  she  asked  with  unbending  hauteur,  "  to  which 
of  any  words  of  mine  do  you  attribute  such  incitement?  " 

"  Oh,  not  to  any  words,"  he  replied  sadly.  "  All  that  you 
said  to  me,  as  I  now  recall  it,  a  sister  might  have  spoken  to  a 
brother.  Not  icJiat  you  said,  but  hoio  you  said  it,  was  the 
Siren's  song  that  lured  me  to  my  destinj-.  You  but  recall  the 
words,  —  not  the  voice,  whose  melodious  cadences  thrilled  my 
ear  with  ecstatic  joy.  You  but  recall  the  words,  —  not  the 
sparkling  e^^e,  that  eloquently  proclaimed  what  the  beggar 
speech  was  impotent  to  utter.  You  but  recall  the  word,  —  not 
the  warm  breath  that  uttered  it.  You  but  remember  that  I 
held  your  hand ,  —  not  how  that  touch  sent  an  electric  thrill 
through  my  veins  that  like  a  magic  spark  set  my  very  heart 
aglow." 

Nellie  listened  with  rapt  attention.  In  spite  of  herself,  her 
haughty  mien  relaxed. 

"  My  glorious  paradise,  like  some  resplendent,  sun-painted 
image  in  the  clouds,  has  vanished  into  somber  gloom,"  Victor 
continued.  "  The  bright  ideal,  that  but  now  refulgently  lit 
up  my  pathway,  is  intercepted  by  destiny's  mighty  arm, 
snatching  from  me  my  soul's  crowning  desire.  Should  ever, 
in  the  future,  your  thoughts  recur  to  me,  then,  Nellie  May, 
think  of  me  as  one,  whose  love  for  you,  was  so  unbounded  and 
unselfish,  that  he  elected  rather  to  be  worthy  of  you,  than  to 
possess  you  unworthily." 

The  lady  gazed  on  him  in  wonder. 

But  Victor  continued:  "My  path  in  the  future  will  be 
rugged  and  thorny;  j^et  I  shall  pursue  it.      I  shall  even  bear 


480  THE  EEBEUS  DAUGHTEB. 

the  loss  of  your  father's  love,  of  your  brother's  esteem, — 
heart- woven  friends  though  they  were.  And  I  will  not  chide 
memory  when  it  taunts  me  with  ingratitude  ;  for  I  am  patient, 
and  God,  in  his  infinite  mercy,  will  grant  me  further  strength. 
But  Oh,  Eleonora,  who  will  save  me  from  despair,  when  some 
foul  fiend,  in  an  unguarded  hour,  shall  take  advantage  of  my 
weakness,  mocking  my  aching  heart  with  jeering  taunt:  How 
cruel  conscience  tricked  it  of  its  due!  " 

"  Victor!  "  exclaimed  the  lady,  in  a  tone  blending  entreaty 
and  wonder,  as  he  slowly  left  her  presence. 

He  paid  no  heed. 

Leslie  returned,  and  asked:  "  What  did  the  knave  want  of 
you  ?  ' ' 

"  He  is  no  knave,  Leslie!  "  exclaimed  Nellie  gazing  at  the 
door  through  which  Victor  had  disappeared. 

''  What  do  you  mean?  "  asked  Leslie,  as  they  were  leaving 
the  room. 

"  He  is  a  man." 


PART  THIRD: 
DEMOCRACY   RUN    WILD. 


XXXI. 

A    CATALEPTIC    GOVERNMENT. 

HE  interval  between  the  election  of  President  Lincoln 
and  his  inauguration  witnessed  the  anomalous  spectacle 
of  a  government  professing  itself  incompetent,  as  being 
unauthorized  by  the  terms  of  its  organization,  to  assert  and 
vindicate  its  own  existence.  The  monster  Secession,  a  many- 
headed  hydra,  assailed  the  Union,  striking  its  venomous  fangs 
into  the  vitals  of  the  ReiDublic.  From  one  after  another  of  the 
sulking  States  came  the  audacious  announcement,  that  it  had 
severed  the  bond  between  it  and  the  Federal  Republic,  thereby 
resuming  its  sovereignty  as  an  independent  State.  In  words  of 
haughty  bravado  the  Federal  government  was  cautioned 
against  exercising  any  authority  within  the  borders  of  the 
newly  proclaimed  sovereignty.  While  yet  sitting  in  the  halls 
of  Congress  at  Washington,  participating  in  its  deliberations 
concerning  the  new  condition  of  things,  Southern  senators 
were  planning  a  new  Union,  hurrying  its  organization  as  a 
'  political  fact  —  a  fait  accompli  —  with  the  avowed  purpose  of 
rallying  outright  secessionists,  stimulating  the  masses,  and 
coercing  recalcitrants  and  phlegmatics.  Loud  and  boisterous 
preparations  were  going  on  for  the  creation  of  the  new  republic, 
with  slavery  for  its  cornerstone,  to  rival  and  eclipse  the  old 
Union  in  power  and  prosperity,  its  individual  States  cemented 
by  the  guaranty  of  peaceful  disruption  at  the  pleasure  of  any 
of  its  sovereign  members.  By  way  of  casting  an  anchor  to 
windward,  the  arms  and   ammunition  of  the  Federal  govern- 

31  (481) 


482  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTEB. 

ment  were  transferred  to  Southern  arsenals,  forts  and  barracks, 
and  taken  possession  of  by  the  insurgents,  together  with  the 
forts  and  arsenals  themselves.  The  Secretary  of  War,  while 
yet  retaining  his  place  in  the  cabinet  as  the  President's  ad- 
viser, earned  for  himself  the  plaudits  of  the  South  —  the  South- 
ern press  being  naively  outspoken  in  the  matter,  — by  his  zeal 
in  this  behalf.  "  We  are  much  obliged  to  the  Secretary  of 
War,"  says  one  of  their  papers,  "  for  the  foresight  he  has  dis- 
played in  disarming  the  North  and  equipping  the  South  for 
this  emergency.  The  Springfield  contribution  alone  would  arm 
all  the  militiamen  of  Alabama  and  Mississippi." 

And  all  this  without  eliciting  a  single  response  from  the  gov- 
ernment assailed.  Fearful,  indeed,  must  be  the  predicament 
of  a  chief  executive,  who,  knowing  it  to  be  his  duty  to  execute 
the  laws,  feels  his  inability  to  do  so.  Abhorring  civil  war,  he 
sees  it  coming,  —  knows  that  unless  it  be  met  with  energy  and 
determination  at  the  outset,  it  will  devastate  the  country  North 
and  South  ;  yet  stirs  not  a  finger  nor  raises  an  arm  to  throttle 
the  infantine  monster.  He  demonstrates  with  logic  unanswer- 
able that  secession  is  a  political  absurdity,  consistent  only 
with  the  theory  that  the  Union  is  held  together  by  a  rope  of 
sand.  Knowing  that  under  the  constitution  the  withdrawal  of 
a  State  from  the  Union  is  a  mere  nullity,  he  is  yet  unable  to 
say  what  shall  be  the  relation  between  a  State  that  claims  to 
have  seceded,  and  the  government  which  claims  that  it  has 
not  seceded,  because  the  States  have  no  such  power.  To 
coerce  a  State  to  remain  in  the  Union,  is,  so  his  constitutional 
adviser,  the  Attorney -general,  informs  him,  making  war  on  such* 
State  ;  and  it  were  rank  usurpation  in  a  mere  executive  officer 
to  declare  war  on  a  State  of  the  Union.  So  he  will  leave  it 
to  Congress  to  decide,  whether  the  law  can  be  so  amended 
under  the  constitution,  as  to  enable  the  government  to  assert 
and  vindicate  its  integrity  against  discontented  rebels. 

Meanwhile  the  arm  of  the  government  is  palsied  ;  its  head 
in  a  state  of  dazed  bewilderment ;  the  cabinet  divided,  —  some 
members    advising   energetic    resistance    to  the  contumacious 


A    CATALEPTIC   GOVERNMENT.  483 

rebels  ;  others  coquetting  with  them .  The  .Secretary  of  State 
throws  up  his  coimuissiou  in  patriotic  anger,  because  the  Presi- 
dent declines  to  reinforce  the  poorly  garrisoned  forts  in  Charles- 
ton harbor.  The  Secretary  of  War  (he  to  whom  the  South 
is  indebted  for  the  arms  with  which  it  proposes  to  resist  any 
attempt  of  the  government  to  defend  its  property)  having 
accomplished  "much  in  the  way  of  crippling  the  old  Union,  now 
relieves  the  cabinet  of  his  presence,  —  ostensibly,  because  the 
President  declines  to  withdraw  the  garrison  from  Charleston 
harbor.  The  Secretary  of  the  Treasury  tenders  his  resignation, 
deeming  his  position  incompatible  with  his  duty  to  his  own 
State  ;  his  successor  does  the  same,  because  the  President  has  not 
stopped  the  collection  of  the  customs  at  the  port  of  Charleston, 
while  the  Secretary  of  the  Interior  will  presently  resign,  "  be- 
cause he  has  heard  that  troops  have  been  ordered  to  Charleston. ' ' 
Congress  is  in  no  better  predicament.  The  republicans, 
indeed,  are  a  unit,  knowing  distinctly  what  they  mean  to 
accomplish.  But  the  democrats  are  in  a  panic, — demoral- 
ized, to  say  the  least.  Crittenden,  for  his  part,  has  not  lost 
faith  in  the  virtue  of  compromise :  he  hopes  to  lure  the  hot- 
headed Southrons  back  into  the  Union  by  so  amending  the 
Federal  constitution  as  to  secure  to  them  all  the  territories 
South  of  the  Missouri  Compromise  line.  But  Congress  is 
stubborn,  and  will  not  hear  of  it ;  even  the  members  from  the 
Cotton  States  flout  at  the  offer.  In  vain  does  the  President 
urge,  with  what  influence  he  can  bring  to  bear,  the  adoption  of 
this  compromise,  as  the  only  possible  means  of  averting  the 
threatened  disintegration  of  the  United  States.  In  vain  do 
petitions,  memorials  and  addresses  pour  in  from  all  parts  of 
the  North,  twenty-two  thousand  strong  from  Massachusetts 
alone,  including  the  Mayor  and  members  of  the  Board  of  Alder- 
men and  the  Common  Council  of  the  Citj'  of  Boston ,  pray ing  for 
the  adoption  of  the  Crittenden  Compromise.  The  Senate  will 
not  so  much  as  listen  to  the  bill,  much  less  vote  on  it,  save  in 
the  shape  in  which  a  republican  senator  derisively  puts  it,  —  by 
moving  to  substitute  for  it  the  platform  of  the  republican  party. 


484  THE  BEBEVS  DAUGIITEB. 

Virginia,  proud  in  the  days  gone  by  of  the  sobriquet  accorded 
to  her  of  "  Mother  of  Presidents,"  is  slow  to  catch  the  South- 
ern fever  of  secession,  shuddering  perhaps,  over  the  prospect 
of  being  made  the  theater  of  fratricidal  war  that  must  ensue, 
should  the  old  government  wake  up  to  a  sense  of  its  power. 
But  she  is  prompt  to  denounce  coercion  as  an  insult  to  the 
dignity  of  a  sovereign  State,  and  emphatic  in  demanding  that 
the  Federal  government  shall  maintain  the  statu  quo;  but  turns 
a  deaf  ear,  nevertheless,  to  the  Commissioners  from  Mississippi 
and  Alabama,  who  would  persuade  her  to  take  a  leading  part 
in  the  formation  of  the  new  Union.  Instead,  she  invites  the 
several  States  to  send  Commissioners  to  Washington,  to  essay 
the  saving  of  the  Union  by  a  solemn  Peace  Convention.  Though 
Crittenden  has  failed  —  signall}^  —  to  impress  upon  Congress 
the  wisdom  of  mutual  concessions  by  the  belligerent  sections  of 
the  country,  yet  may  there  not  be  some  virtue  in  the  admoni- 
tions of  a  solemn  Peace  Convention,  meeting  under  the  auspices 
of  grand  old  Virginia?  Peace-loving  citizens,  frantic  with 
apprehension  of  dire  civil  war,  breathe  more  freely  at  thought 
of  the  oil  that  a  solemn  Peace  Convention  may  pour  on  the 
troubled  waters,  blessing  the  hopeful  Commissioners  that 
assemble  at  the  national  capitol,  to  the  number  of  one  hundred 
and  three-aud-thirty,  representing  more  than  one-half  of  the 
self-styled  sovereign  States,  and  fervently  pray  that  the  God 
of  Peace  may  speed  their  patriotic  purpose.  Herculean, 
indeed,  is  the  task  set  before  them:  No  less  a  one  than  to  pre- 
vail on  Congress  to  so  amend  the  constitution  as  to  induce  the 
Southern  States  to  remain  in,  and  those  of  the  Cotton  States 
that  had  already  seceded,  to  return  to,  the  Union.  Courageous 
men,  they ;  of  a  hopeful  turn  of  mind,  to  undertake  to  con- 
vince a  Congress  that  means  not  to  be  convinced ;  or  else 
statesmen  of  the  calibre  that  have  faith  in  the  magic  of  com- 
promise in  spite  of  the  Crittenden  experience,  and  who  cannot 
understand  how  any  one  will  persist  in  his  own  opinion,  if 
offered  a  sufficient  consideration  to  change  it.  Patriotic  citi- 
zens they  were,  willing  to  go  great  lengths  in  sacrificing  their 


A    CATALEPTIC    GOVEBNMENT.  485 

convictions,  if  peace  can  be  had  in  exchange.  It  becomes 
manifest,  soon,  that  the  convention  has  been  called  at  too  late 
a  day.  For  events  have  moulded  ojjinions  into  full-grown 
prejudices  during  the  last  few  months,  —  prejudices  ranged  on 
geographical  lines,  invisible  as  such  to  the  sections  themselves, 
though  too  palpable,  unfortunately,  each  to  the  other.  They 
will  have  a  committee  to  report,  —  not  later  than  the  day  after 
to-morrow  (for  time  is  very  precious,  the  thirty-sixth  Congress 
having  but  four  weeks  longer  to  exist)  —  what  the  convention 
may  deem  "  right,  necessary  and  proper  to  restore  harmony 
and  preserve  the  Union."  Which  committee  wrangles  for  a 
week  or  ten  days  to  find  a  formula  suitable  to  theii*  own  views, 
and  then  report  to  the  convention,  which  will  wrangle  for  other 
ten  days  among  themselves,  to  find  that  they  cannot  unite  a 
majority  of  the  States  represented  upon  the  proposition  they 
wish  to  lay  before  Congress.  What  can  Congress  do  with  a 
project  that  does  not  even  command  the  assent  of  the  conven- 
tion itself  (having  received  the  votes  of  only  nine  of  the  nine- 
teen States,  —  three  withholding  their  votes  at  all,  seven  voting 
nay),  now,  having  but  four  days  left  within  which  it  can  do 
at  all?  One  thing  plainly  appears,  — it  is  not  in  the  mood  to 
appreciate  the  wisdom  of  the  convention  as  embodied  in  their 
patriotic  report.  The  Senate,  in  courtesy,  has  it  referred  to  a 
select  committee  but  will  never  directly  vote  upon  it ;  the  House 
will  not  even  permit  its  speaker  to  lay  it  before  them.  For 
Congress  itself  is  in  no  better  plight:  it,  too,  wrestles  in  vain 
with  the  insoluble  problem,  how  to  find  a  formula  that  will 
satisfy  an  excited,  frantic,  clamorous  people.  Peace,  it  would 
seem  from  the  fate  of  the  Peace  Convention,  and  of  the  Crit- 
tenden Compromise,  as  well  as  of  the  deadlock  of  the  parties 
in  Congress,  is  not  to  be  had  for  any  price  short  of  war,  or  of 
the  nation's  death  by  inanition. 

The  eyes  of  the  nation,  therefore,  turn  with  anxious  expect- 
ancy to  the  President-elect.  Fears  of  violence  entertained  on 
the  occasion  of  counting  the  electoral  vote,  prove   to  be  un- 


486  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

founded.  Muttered  threats,  that  the  new  President  shall  not 
reach  the  seat  of  government  alive,  induce  tha  venerable 
General-in-Chief  of  the  United  States  army,  who  is  not  so 
tender  of  the.  constitutional  rights  of  the  enemies  of  his  gov- 
ernment as  is  the  President,  to  make  such  military  arrange- 
ments as  shall  cool  the  ardor  of  mobocratically  inclined  assas- 
sins, should  such  infest  the  crowd  of  spectators  at  the  inaugura- 
tion. Cannon  planted  at  both  ends  of  Pennsylvania  avenue, 
armed  cavalry  lining  every  curbstone  along  the  line  of  march 
of  the  procession,  are  sufficient  to  convince  the  boldest  ruffian, 
that  rioters  would  make  but  poor  headway,  though  there  were 
many  in  the  immense  throng  minded  that  way.  And  so  the 
President-elect,  who  has  safely  reached  Washington  despite 
the  conspiracy  to  assassinate  him  on  his  way  through  Balti- 
more, is  installed.  The  venerable  Chief  Justice  of  the  United 
States,  — he,  whose  celebrated  decision  of  Scott  vs.  Sandford 
so  thoroughly  vindicated  the  constitutionality  of  slavery,  and 
demonstrated  the  impotence  of  Congress  to  interfere  with 
it — administered  the  oath  of  office.  "Whose  black  robes, 
attenuated  figure  and  cadaverous  countenance,"  sa3^s  an  eye- 
witness to  the  ceremony,  "  reminded  one  of  a  galvanized 
corpse." 

Never  before,  perhaps,  had  inauguration  ceremony  been 
so  impressive.  At  the  eastern  front  of  the  capitol,  upon  a 
platform  built  out  from  the  steps  of  the  portico,  are  seated 
such  of  the  senators  and  representatives  as  have  remained  at 
Washington  ;  the  diplomatic  corps,  the  judges  of  the  Supreme 
courtj  and  the  higher  officers  of  the  army  and  navy.  Close 
by  the  gaunt  form  of  the  President-elect,  stands  the  retiring 
President,  —  tall,  dignilied,  reserved;  deeply  grieved,  —  so 
the  attentive  observer  notes,  —  at  the  part  his  party  and  posi- 
tion have  compelled  him  to  play  in  a  national  drama  w^hich  is 
now  approaching  a  crisis.  Douglas,  too,  is  there,  leaning  for- 
ward to  catch  every  word  of  the  inaugural  addi'ess,  nodding 
emphatically  at  those  passages  that  most  please  him,  holding, 
the  while,  the  President's  new  silk  hat,     Another  senator  is 


A    GATALEPTIC   GOVERNMENT.  487 

there,  also  ;  from  Texas,  he,  staudiug  against  the  doorway  of 
the  capitol, 'looking  down  with  folded  arms  and  Mephistophe- 
lian  contempt  at  the  crowd  and  the  ceremony.  To  him,  —  so 
his  supercilious  mien  would  indicate  —  the  Southern  Confed- 
eracy is  .already  an  accomplished  fact.  He  shall  live  to  see  it 
the  saddest  of  lictions. 


And  now,  that  a  new  president  stands  at  the  helm  of  the 
ship  of  State,  the  nation  turns  its  eyes  toward  him  in  painful 
suspense,  asking  itself,  What  will  he  do? 

Victor  Waldhorst,  the  editor  of  a  metropolitan  newspaper 
and  member  of  a  legislature  with  which  he  is  not  in  sympathy, 
is  deeply  anxious.  The  assurances  given  by  the  President  in 
his  inaugural,  do  not  satisfy  him.  They  are  full  of  promises 
to  the  South.  He  reiterates  the  assertions  made  by  him  before, 
that  he  will  not,  directly  or  indirectly,  interfere  with  the  insti- 
tution of  slavery  in  the  States  where  it  exists.  He  quotes  the 
fourth  resolution  of  the  republican  platform,  which  he  accepts 
as  a  law  binding  upon  his  party  and  him,  and  to  Avhich  he  will 
firmly  adhere,  holding  inviolate  the  right  of  each  State  to  con- 
trol its  domestic  institutions  according  to  its  own  judgment 
exclusively,  and  denouncing  the  lawless  invasion  by  armed 
force  of  the  soil  of  any  State  as  among  the  gravest  of  crimes. 
He  has  no  objection  to  a  constitutional  amendment  classing 
slavery  as  one  of  the  institutions  so  protected,  believing,  as  he 
asserts,  that  such  is  implied  by  the  existing  constitution.  He 
deprecates  secession  ;  grows  pathetic  over  ' '  the  mystic  chords 
of  memory,  stretching  from  every  battle-field  and  patriotic 
grave  to  every  living  heart  and  hearth-stone,  all  over  the  broad 
land,"  which,  he  predicts,  "will  yet  swell  the  chorus  of  the 
Union,  when  again  touched,  as  surely  they  will  be,  by  the 
better  angels  of  our  nature." 

But  he  cannot  doubt  the  right  of  the  people  to  rid  them- 
selves of  a   government  of   which  they  have  grown  weary, 

their  constitutional  right  to  amend,  or  their  revolutionary  right 


488  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

to  overthrow  it.  Such  being  the  program  of  the  new  Presi- 
dent, what  comfort  brings  it  to  the  heart  of  a  Union-loving 
patriot  ? 

To  Victor  Waldhorst  the  outlook  appears  gloomy  enough. 
To  be  sure  to  him  the  darkness  of  the  prospect  is  deepened  by 
his  own  sorrow  ;  for  he  has  suffered  disappointment  and  sore 
grief.  The  bright  sun  that  had  illumined  his  future  with  a 
halo  of  glory  is  eclipsed  by  the  black  cloud  of  adversity.  So 
his  usually  buoyant  mind  is  now  attuned  to  sinister  forebodings. 
He  sees  in  the  President's  inaugural  an  unwillingness  to  deal 
with  secessionists  as  with  traitors,  or  to  invade  the  soil  of  any 
State  #ith  armed  force.  Is  this  to  be  the  end?  Victor  finds 
but  too  much  ground  to  fear  so.  For,  propitious  as  had  been 
the  attitude  of  the  late  President  toward  the  rebellious  States, — 
permitting  them  to  possess  themselves  of  the  forts  and  arsenals, 
of  the  arms  and  ammunition  of  the  Federal  government,  —  the 
present  executive  seems  hardly  more  active  in  foiling  their 
purpose.  Under  his  administration  the  military  officers  of  the 
United  States,  graduates  from  West  Point,  where  i\xej  had 
been  educated  at  the  nation's  expense,  are  permitted  to  resign 
from  the  United  States  army,  avowing  theu-  purpose  of  offer- 
ing their  swords  and  what  of  military  proficiency  is  theirs,  to 
the  new  confederacy,  until  more  than  one-half  of  them,  includ- 
ing the  most  talented,  gallant  and  brave,  have  gone,  —  resigned 
or  deserted,  —  carrying,  in  some  instances,  entire  companies  — 
even  regiments  —  of  the  regular  army  with  them,  into  the 
service  of  the  seceded  States. 

Victor  Waldhorst  reflects  with  a  heavy  heart  that  the  South 
is  fortifying  itself  with  an  energy  and  an  enthusiasm  that  car- 
ries along  the  undecided  and  wavering  with  irresistible  impetus, 
promising  to  involve  the  border  States,  and  to  swell  the  South- 
ern Confederacy  to  such  power,  as  will  enable  it  to  successfully 
defy  the  old  government,  should  it  ever  awake  from  its 
lethargy.  No  wonder  to  him,  that  Southern  Commissioners 
solicit  "  an  unofficial  interview  "  with  the  Secretary  of  State, 
to  talk  over  the  matters  in  difference  between  the  ' '  two  gov- 


A    CATALEPTIC   GOVERNMENT.  489 

ernments,"  which,  however,  the  secretary  declines.  Nor  is  it 
surprising,  that  on  the  next  clay  these  gentlemen  send  a  sealed 
communication  to  the  secretary,  in  their  official  capacity,  de- 
manding the  appointment  of  an  early  day  on  which  they  may 
lay  before  the  President  their  credentials  as  accredited  agents 
of  the  Confederate  government,  "  to  negotiate  for  a  speedy 
adjustment  of  all  questions  growing  out  of  the  political  separa- 
tion of  the  seven  States  that  had  formed  a  government  of  their 
own." 

Yet  there  is  a  grain  of  comfort  in  the  reply  of  the  secretary, 
who  "  has  no  authority,  nor  is  he  at  liberty,  to  recognize  them 
as  diplomatic  agents,"  and  informs  them  that  his  "  official 
duties  "  do  not  at  all  embrace  domestic  questions,  nor  ques- 
tions arising  between  the  several  States  and  the  Federal  gov- 
ernment, but  are  confined  to  the  conducting  of  the  foreign 
affairs  of  the  country.  Plainly,  Mr.  Seward  believes  in  no 
Confederate  government,  as  yet.  He  has  not  yet  lost  faith  in 
his  prophesy  that  "  all  trouble  will  be  over  in  three  months." 

There  is  a  gleam  of  hope  too,  in  the  thorough  accord  that 
exists  between  the  President  and  his  cabinet.  The  Secretary 
of  War  is  mindful  of  the  start  which  the  South  is  daily  gaining 
by  its  aggressive  course,  and  is  deeply  apprehensive  that  the 
Confederate  government  may,  by  its  very  audacity  and  boast- 
fulness,  achieve  recognition  from  the  powers  abroad  and  the 
people  at  home,  as  an  independent  de /ctc^o  government.  But 
he  is  mindful,  too,  of  the  superior  power  and  resources  of  the 
North,  which,  in  a  prolonged  war,  are  sure  to  win. 

Is  there,  then,  to  be  war? 

Virginia  is  deeply  anxious  to  know.  She  has  called  her 
people  together  in  a  convention,  and  they  resolve  "  that  the 
uncertainty  wMch  prevails  in  the  public  mind  as  to  the  policy 
which  the  Federal  executive  intends  to  pursue  toward  the 
seceded  States  is  extremely  injurious  to  the  industrial  and 
commercial  interests  of  the  country,  tends  to  keep  up  excite- 
ment which  is  unfavorable  to  the  adjustment  of  the  public 
peace."     So  they  will  send  a  committee  to  the  President  of  the 


490  THE  EEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

United  States,  to  find  out  what  he  is  going  to  do  al^out  it. 
And  Victor  finds  in  the  answer  of  the  President  another  gleam 
of  encouragement.  Oracular  enough  is  this  answer.  He  will 
"hold,  occupy  and  possess"  the  property  and  places, — 
meaning  the  military  posts  —  of  the  government,  in  its  posses- 
sion when  it  came  into  his  hands  ;  and  if  it  be  true  that,  with 
the  purpose  of  driving  out  the  United  States  authorities  from 
these  places,  an  unprovoked  assault  has  been  made  on  Fort 
Sumter,  he  will  hold  himself  at  liberty  to  repossess,  if  he  can, 
like  places  taken  before  he  assumed  the  government.  In  such 
event  he  will,  too,  perhaps,  cause  the  United  States  mails  to  be 
withdrawn  from  all  the  States  which  claim  to  have  seceded. 
He  believes  that  the  commencement  of  war  against  the  govern- 
ment would  justify^  "  possibly  demand  "  — such  a  measure. 
Whatever  else  he  will  do,  he  will  not  attempt  to  collect  the 
duties  and  imposts  by  an  armed  invasion  of  any  part  of  the 
country ;  though  he  will,  to  the  best  of  his  ability,  repel  force 
by  force. 

Such  is  the  answer  which  the  President  makes  to  the  envoys 
from  Virginia.  Comfort  enough  it  ought  to  bring  to  Virginia, 
if  she  be  honest  in  her  desire  for  peace.  She  knows  now  that 
there  will  be  no  war  unless  the  South  force  it  on.  To  so  much 
the  President  stands  committed.  But  let  Virginia,  and  her 
sister  border  States  that  have  not  yet  taken  the  plunge  into 
secession,  note  this,  also:  that  he  means,  to  the  best  of  his 
ability,  to  repel  force  by  force. 

Very  different  is  the  effect  which  this  answer,  taken  in  con- 
nection with  the  President's  inaugural  speech  and  the  attitude 
assumed  by  him  since  that  time,  makes  upon  different  indi- 
viduals, and  on  different  sections  of  the  country.  Victor 
Waldhorst,  for  instance,  is  the  victim  of  emotions  contending 
in  his  breast:  Fear,  that  the  nation  may  not  truly  estimate  the 
price  which  it  is  willing  to  pay  for  peace ;  Hope  that  the  Presi- 
dent has  come  to  understand  that  forbearance  has  ceased  to  be 
a  virtue. 

Miss  Nellie  May,  too,  hovers  between  alternate  fits  of  de- 


A    CATALEPTIC   GOVERNMENT.  491 

pressiou  aud  buoyaucy.  Her  father  has  been  elected  to  the 
Uuited  States  Senate  —  a  fact  in  the  newness  of  which  she 
abundantly  rejoices,  as  the  consummation  of  her  proud  ambi- 
tion. But  her  father  does  not  believe  that  the  State  which 
has  elected  him  to  the  Senate  of  the  United  States,  ought  to 
secede ;  and  he  has  an  abiding  faith,  that  the  seceded  States, 
if  let  alone,  will  presently  resume  their  old  places  in  the  Union, 
under  guaranties  which  shall  remove,  for  all  time,  the  danger 
to  its  peculiar  property.  And  Nellie  has  such  faith  in  the 
statesmanship  of  her  father,  that  she  dreams  of  still  higher 
honors  that  a  grateful  South  will  heap  upon  him,  should  he 
succeed,  as  she  knows  he  is  going  to,  in  his  patriotic  ambition 
to  reunite  the  States  ujoon  a  foundation  more  solid  than  ever. 
But  Nellie  is  fully  convinced,  too,  of  the  immense  superiority 
of  the  chivalrous  fighting  material  possessed  by  the  South,  as 
contrasted  with  the  mercenary,  calculating  Yankees,  and 
longed  for  just  a  battle  or  two,  to  enable  her  knightly  South- 
rons to  cover  themselves  with  glory.  And  she  is  sorely  afraid 
that  the  rascally  politicians,  both  North  and  South,  will  dicker 
aud  chaffer  about  terms,  and  the  Yankees,  she  knows,  are 
going  to  outwit  her  generous,  gallant  countrymen,  and  to  cheat 
them  out  of  the  golden  opportunity  to  show  their  spirit  aud 
prowess.  For  it  has  been  dinned  into  her  ear  until  to  her  it 
has  become  gospel  truth,  that  the  North  will  not  fight. 

Ralph  Payton,  for  his  part,  is  eager  for  the  fray.  He  is  one 
of  the  "  Knightly  Southrons"  of  whom  Miss  May  is  proud. 
And  he  is  going  to  cover  himself  with  glory,  and  bask  in  the 
sunny  smiles  of  patriotic  Southern  maidens,  who  shall  look 
upon  him  as  their  deliverer,  or  at  least  as  one  of  their  deliverers 
(for  he  is  not  so  vain  as  to  undertake  the  job  all  alone)  from 
the  yoke  of  the  detested  oppressors.  The  reward  in  store  for 
him  is  none  the  less  alluring,  though  the  patriotic  Southern 
maidens  are  embodied  to  him  in  the  person  of  Miss  Nellie  May. 
Miss  May,  indeed,  is  largely  responsible  for  the  enthusiasm 
that  is  upon  him.  He  understands,  as  plainly  as  if  Miss  May 
had  told  him  so  (though  she  had  not  by  any  words  of  hers) 


492  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

that  his  suit  for  her  heart  and  hand  would  prosper  poorly  if 
she  could  uot  look  upon  him  as  a  hero,  such  as,  in  her  glow- 
ing imagination,  every  Southern  gentleman  must  be.  Yes, 
Ralph  Payton  was  eager,  —  most  eager  when  in  the  company 
of  Miss  May  —  that  there  shall  be  war  —  not  a  protracted, 
devastating  war,  ])ut  just  an  engagement  or  two,  to  impress 
upon  the  dull  North  how  terribly  in  earnest  the  South  can  be 
when  standing  up  for  her  rights,  and  to  demonstrate  to  patri- 
otic women  of  the  South  the  superiority  of  their  countrymen 
over  miserable  Northern  mud-sills. 

The  politicians  of  the  border  States  are  in  a  high  fever  of  ex- 
citement. They  discuss  eagerly,  angrily,  fiercely,  whether  to 
join  the  Southern  Confederacy,  or  make  terms,  such  as  they 
can  now  dictate  i^retty  much  as  they  please,  with  the  old  gov- 
ernment. For  the  tradition  that  the  North  will  not  fight  has 
reached  others,  beside  Nellie  May  and  Ralph  Payton,  and  the 
events  of  the  last  few  months  have  tended  to  encourage, 
rather  than  to  refute,  such  a  belief.  It  is  now  a  glorious 
time  for  the  magniloquent  Gascons,  who  fight  in  anticipation 
with  a  valor  that  shall  challenge  the  admiration  of  mankind.. 
They  will  die  in  the  last  ditch,  rather  than  submit  to  Northern 
tyranny,  they  boast ;  and  though  thei/  may  not  be  in  earnest 
about  it,  yet  their  gallant  countrymen  shall  literally  fulfill  the 
tragic  prophesy.  —  Hot-headed  Southern  orators  lash  them- 
selves into  a  frenzy  of  wrathful  indignation  over  the  tyranny 
of  a  President  who  talks  about  repelling  force  by  force,  and 
who  claims  for  the  Federal  government  the  forts,  arsenals  and 
navy  yards  in  the  seceded  States,  which  they  would  like  to 
keep  for  themselves,  the  more  effectually  to  wipe  out  the 
tyrannical  old  Union.  Sharp  is  the  warfare  between  the 
friends  of  the  Union  and  the  friends  of  secession,  and  doubt- 
ful the  issue.  Secession  leaders  see  the  necessity  of  still 
greater  sectional  excitement.  So  they  will  essay  what  virtue 
thei'e  is  in  the  shedding  of  blood.  "Strike  a  blow!  "  says 
one  of  the  agitators.  "  The  very  moment  blood  is  shed,  old 
Virginia   will    malve  common    cause   with    her    sisters  of   the 


A    CATALEPTIC    GOVERNMENT. 


493 


South."  —  "  Unless  you  sprinkle  blood  in  the  face  of  the  people 
of  Alabama,"  shouts  another,  "  she  will  be  back  in  the  old' 
Union  in  less  than  ten  days." 

And  so  it  was  deliberately  resolved  to  "  strike  a  blow," 
and  to  "  sprinkle  blood  "  in  the  face  of  the  people  of  the 
South.  And  South  Carolina,  having  been  in  the  lead  in  the 
matter  of  secession,  feels  it  incumbent  upon  her  to  take  the 
lead  in  the  bloody  Avork  also ;  and  she  orders  General  Beaure- 
gard to  open  fire  on  Fort  Sumter. 


XXXII. 

THE    TORPOR    BROKEN. 

^HATEVER  of  glory,  or  otherwise,  there  be  in  having 
struck  the  first  blow  at  the  old  government,  has 
been  achieved  by,  and  will  forevermore  belong  to. 
South  Carolina,  Not  so  plain  is  the  record  as  to  the  indi- 
vidual that  may  be  entitled  to  the  distinction  of  having  fired  the 
first  gun  in  the  bombardment  of  Fort  Sumter.  It  will  remain 
a  subject  of  contention  for  many  years  ;  as  much  as  a  third 
of  a  century  will  pass  away  before  an  officer,  high  in  command, 
once,  of  the  Southern  forces,  shall  make  careful  inquiry  among 
the  survivors  of  that  battery  stationed  on  Gumming' s  Point, 
and  settle  the  question  forever,  by  certificate  over  his  own  sign 
manual.  Whoever  the  man  will  be,  he  cannot  receive  the 
token  without  vividly  recalling  the  sublime  scene,  —  when,  at 
the  word  of  command  issued  in  a  voice  of  hardly  suppressed 
agitation,  he  touches  off  the  gun:  With  a  flash  and  a  boom 
the  frowning  engine  of  destruction  spits  forth  its  deadly  charge 
into  the  early  dawn  of  the  April  morning :  With  lightning 
eagerness  the  whizzing,  shrieking  messenger  of  defiance  seeks 
out  the  devoted  little  garrison  on  yonder  island,  —  marking  its 
pathway  from  Morris  Island  to  Fort  Sumter  with  a  profusion 
of  angry  sparks,  in  a  graceful  curve,  whose  beauty  fascinates, 
even  in  that  moment  of  sujireme  significance,  the  gaze  of  the 
excited  soldiers,  until  the  explosion  of  the  shell,  visible  for 
some  seconds  before  it  is  heard,  rouses  them  to  a  recognition 
of  the  grim  work  before  them. 

That  fiery  streak  traced  by  the  burning  fuse  has  been  seen, 

even  before  the  report  of  the  gun  has  reached  their  ears,  by 

the  twenty  or  more  thousand  excited  Southrons  gathered   at 

Charleston   Harbor,  who  greet  the  explosion  of  the  shell  with 

(494) 


THE    TORPOR    BROKEN:  495 

triumphant  exultation,  and  again  and  again  renew  their  frantic 
demonstrations,  as  battery  after  battery  opens  on  Sumter, 
pouring  an  incessant  shower  of  bombs  and  balls  on  the  doomed 
fort,  Jfrom  Sullivan's  Island,  from  Fort  Moultrie,  Cumming's 
Point  and  from  floating  batteries. 

As  yet  there  is  no  response.  In  gloomy  silence,  its  shadowy 
outlines  dimly  visible  to  the  unarmed  eye.  Fort  Sumter  gives 
no  token  of  being  garrisoned  or  armed.  What  does  it  mean? 
The  masses  at  Charleston  Harbor  wonder  and  speculate.  It 
occurs  to  them  that  Major  Anderson  is  a  Southerner,  hailing 
from  the  gallant  State  of  Kentucky,  and  may  not  wish  to  make 
war  upon  his  countrymen.  Yes  ;  some  one  remembers  that  his 
wife,  too,  is,  from  the  South,  the  major  having  married  her  in 
Georgia,  where  her  folks  still  reside. 

Grey  morning  peeps  over  the  Eastern  horizon,  and  presently 
proclaims,  with  rosy  blushes,  the  advent  of  a  day  that  -will 
impress  itself  on  the  memory  of  Americans,  both  North  and 
South.  The  fort  is  vividly  outlined,  now,  against  the  morn- 
ing sky,  and  the  grim  artillerists  have  given  their  guns  the 
accurate  bearing  upon  it.  Fearful  is  the  havoc  wrought  by 
ball  and  bomb  :  a  heavy  piece  of  artillery  is  seen  to  topple  from 
its  bed  ill  the  uppermost  tier  of  the  armament,  and  fall  crash- 
ing on  the  rampart  below,  while  the  bursting  of  shells  within 
the  very  gates  of  the  fort  attest  the  gunners'  skill.  The  sullen 
silence  of  Sumter  continues.  It  is  commented  on  by  the  bom- 
barding forces.  It  gives  rise  to  animated  discussions  among 
the  eager  spectators  at  Charleston  Harbor.  There  is  jubilant 
exultation  there:  Major  Anderson  will  not  fight.  Jeering 
taunts  are  flung  at  all  of  those  who  persist  in  the  silly  notion 
that  the  North  are  going  to  fight  at  all.  The  I-told-you-so 
faction  is  clearly  in  the  ascendant.  Still,  there  are  those  too, 
who  shake  their  heads,  as  if  to  say :  Wait !  the  end  is  not  yet. 
And  others,  who  bow  their  heads  in  shame  and  deep  sorrow, 
to  see  the  flag  there,  plainly  visible  now  in  the  broad  daylight, 
floating  above  that  fort,  defied  and  derided,  and  not  a  hand 
raised  in  its  defense,  —  not  a  shot  fired  to  avenge  the  insult! 


496  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

How  often  they  have  suug,  with  patriotic  pride  and  swelling 
heart  that 

"  The  Star-spangled  Banner  in  triumph  shall  wave, 
O'er  the  land  of  the  Free  and  the  home  of  the  Brave !  " 

But  speculation  suddenly  takes  a  different  tack  when,  at  the 
hour  of  7 :  30,  a  puff  of  smoke  is  seen  to  arise  from  the  walls 
of  the  fort,  a  ball  comes  whizzing  and  ploughing  into  the  water 
so  near  to  the  shore  of  Morris  Island  as  to  dash  the  briny 
spray  at  the  very  feet  of  the  gunners,  and  a  sullen  roar  is 
heard  to  thunder  forth  the  proud  defiance  of  Major  Anderson. 
At  last !  An  iuvoluutary  start,  as  if  heaving  a  sigh  of  relief, 
betrays  how  eagerly  the  men  welcome  the  gTim  challenge.  For 
they  are  brave  soldiers,  these  i50utheru  hot-heads,  and  it  is  an 
odious  thing  to  war  with  an  enemy  that  does  not  strike  back. 
They  fire  now  with  increased  rapidity ;  and  the  point  of  dis- 
cussion has  come  to  be,  how  long  will  the  little  garrison  hold 
out? 

Not  many  days,  so  much  they  may  rely  on.»  Perhaps  not 
'many  hours j-  Befoi-e  the  morning  is  over,  every  piece  of  the 
upper  tier  of  guns  has  been  dismounted,  demolished  or  dis- 
abled, as  the  eager  watchers  at  Charleston  Harbor  note  with 
wild  enthusiasm.  In  the  afternoon  the  fort  Is  battered  with 
red-hot  cannon-balls  that  do  fearful  execution  setting  fire  to 
the  combustible  outbuildings.  Half  of  Major  Anderson's 
force  is  required  to  put  out  the  fires ;  the  other  half  keep  up 
a  faint  show  of  resistance.  At  nightfall  the  firing  from  the 
fort  ceases  entirely,  giving  rise  to  the  erroneous  rumor,  that  it 
has  surrendered,  —  contradicted,  next  morning,  by  a  renewal 
of  the  perfunctory  cannonading  from  the  fort. 

At  nine  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  the  second  day  the 
barracks  are  again  on  fire,  and  most  of  the  garrison  are 
needed  to  combat  the  fiames,  so  that  the  guns  can  be  served 
but  feebly.  Presently  it  is  found  necessary  to  sink  the  store 
of  powder  and  M^hat  of  loaded  shells  remained,  lest  they  take 
fire    and    blow    up  the  fort  together  with  the  garrison.     Yet 


THE    TORPOR   BROKEN.  497 

Major  Anderson  keej^s  the  Stars  and  Stripes  flying  proudly 
over  the  cripjiled  fort,  holdiuo-  out  to  the  very  last  minute  in 
which  his  government  might  send  reinforcement. 

He  waits  in  vain. 

It  is  now  that  Colonel  Wigfall  (late  senator  from  Texas,  he 
who  stood  watching  with  contemptuous  mien  the  inauguration 
of  President  Lincoln,  but  now  of  the  Confederate  army)  is 
moved  with  admiration  of  the  gallantry  displayed  by  the 
intrepid  defenders  of  the  fort ;  and  he  undertakes  to  treat  with 
them,  —  unauthorized,  it  appears  later,  by  the  Confederate 
general.  Gaining  admission  under  a  flag  of  truce,  he  is 
received  by  Major  Anderson,  whose  dirt-begrimed,  smoke- 
blackened  face  he  is  hardly  able  to  distinguish  from  the  soot- 
covered  cannoneers  surrounding  him.  The  terms  he  offers 
are  generous,  —  honorable  alike  to  the  victors  and  the  van- 
quished,—  attesting  as  well  the  magnanimity  of  the  one  as 
the  undaunted  bravery  of  the  other.  General  Beauregard  is, 
at  first,  inclined  to  disavow  the  unauthorized  treaty  of  Colonel 
Wigfall,  as  exceeding  in  liberality  the  recognition  due  to  a 
defeated,  though  gallant,  foe.  But  finally,  after  much  hesita- 
tion, he  confirms  the  terms.  The  garrison,  with  side-arms 
and  baggage,  are  to  march  out,  with  colors  flying,  drums 
beating,  fifes  playing,  and  at  their  departure  to  fire  a  salute  to 
the  flag  waving  over  the  smoking  ruins  of  Fort  Sumter,  that 
shall  wave  there  no  more  until  four  years  of  desolating  war 
shall  have  swept  over  the  land. 

The  bombardment  has  been  terrific  and  incessant  for  some 
four-and- thirty  hours.  More  than  twelve  hundred  solid  balls 
and  shells  had  struck  the  fort  on  the  first  day ;  yet  not  a  single 
life  was  lost,  either  on  that  day  or  on  the  next,  on  either  side. 
But,  though  bloodless  in  immediate  effect,  that  bombardment 
has  roused  the  Demon  of  War.  It  broke  the  torpor  in  which 
the  government  had  been  enthralled.  Its  echo,  reverberating 
throughout  the  land,  quickens  the  nation's  heart-beat,  awakens 
the  phlegmatic  from  their  indifference  and  the  lethargic  from 
their  apathy.     President  Lincoln  appeals  to  the  war-power  of 

32 


498  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

the  nation  ;  he  calls  for  seveuty-five  thousand  militia-meu  "  to 
suppress  unlawful  combinations  for  resisting  the  law,"  and 
convenes  Congress  in  extra  session  for  the  Fourth  of  July. 
The  people  respond  to  this  call  in  a  burst  of  patriotic  enthusi- 
asni:  instead  of  seventy-five  thousand,  three  or  four  times  that 
number  of  volunteers  offer  their  services,  while  cajjitalists  and 
bankers  tender,  unsolicited,  the  necessary  means  to  carry  on 
effective  warfare.  Congress,  too,  will  not  be  backward  in 
voting  men  and  supplies  largely  in  excess  of  what  the  President 
deems  necessary  "  to  make  the  conflict  short  and  decisive." 

Nor  is  the  South  less  wrought  up.  Its  women  especially, 
are  in  downright  earnest,  stirring  up  public  sentiment  to  fever- 
heat,  inciting  a  sjjirit  of  chivalry  in  the  brave,  driving  even  the 
pusillanimous  into  the  ranks,  in  response  to  the  call  for  one 
hundred  and  fifty  thousand  volunteers,  with  which  Jefferson 
Davis  has  overtrumped  President  Lincoln.  There  is  talk,  too, 
of  issuing  letters  of  marque  to  invite  enterprising  privateers  to 
destroy  the  shipping  interests  of  the  North  ;  to  which  the  Fed- 
eral President  opposes  the  threat  that  they  shall  be  treated  as 
pirates. 

Two  of  the  border  States  respond  to  the  proclamation  of 
President  Lincoln  by  promptly  seceding  from  the  Union  and 
joining  the  Confederacy.  The  legislature,  of  which  Victor 
Waldhorst  is  an  unsympathetic  member,  having  already  pro- 
vided for  a  convention  to  pass  an  ordinance  of  secession,  which, 
when  in  session,  this  body  had  flatly  refused  to  do,  now  under- 
takes to  accomplish  this  purpose  by  direct  legislation.  The 
governor  is  in  perfect  accord  with  them.  He  has  sent  a  dis- 
patch to  President  Lincoln,  informing  him  that  his  requisition 
is  "illegal,  unconstitutional,  revolutionary,  inhuman,  diaboli- 
cal, and  cannot  be  complied  with."  Such  audacity  pleases 
the  General  Assembly  and  convinces  them  of  the  governor's 
sincere  intention  to  "  take  the  State  out  of  the  Union."  So 
they  enact  a  number  of  laAvs  to  that  end,  —  arming  the  gov- 
erncn-  with  practically  unlimited  power,  annexing  the  death 
l)enaltv  to  conviction  of  horse-stealing,  and  of  enticing  slaves 


THE   TORPOB  BROKEN.  499 

to  run  away  from  their  masters.  Since  the  most  determined 
opposition  to  secession  is  shown  in  the  larger  cities,  the  power 
over  the  police  force  is  taken  away  from  the  metropolis  and 
its  authorities  entirely,  and  lodged  in  a  board  of  commissioners 
appointed  by  and  solely  responsible  to  the  governor.  A  new 
militia  law  is  passed,  requiring  the  enrollment  of  every  able- 
bodied  male  between  the  ages  of  eighteen  and  forty-five,  to  be 
commanded  by  officers  appointed  by  the  governor.  The  State 
treasury  is  not  in  a  plethoric  condition ;  so  the  legislature 
provides  for  the  necessary  expenses  to  organize  and  equip  the 
new  State  militia  by  apj^lying  to  this  purpose  the  money  that 
had  been  appropriated  for  the  public  schools  and  the  mainte- 
nance of  the  Asylums  for  the  Insane  and  the  Blind.  Such  and 
similar  are  the  means  resoi'ted  to  by  the  State  authorities  to 
accomplish  the  severance  of  the  State  from  the  Union,  after  the 
convention  elected  by  the  people  had  emphatically  refused  to 
pronounce  for  secession.  The  Confederate  Congress  appropri- 
ates a  million  of  dollars  ' '  to  aid  them  in  the  effort  to  main- 
tain .  .  .  the  constitutional  liberty,  which  it  is  the  purpose  of 
the  Confederate  States  in  the  existing  war  to  vindicate." 

Victor  Waldhorst  is  struck  with  amazement  at  what  he  deems 
the  unwarranted  usurpation  of  power  by  the  legislature.  He, 
together  with  a  small  number  of  his  colleagues  from  the  metro- 
polis, had  remained  at  his  post  of  duty,  protesting  against  the 
ruthless  violation  of  the  constitution,  until  the  tyrannical  ma- 
jority, impatient  of  even  the  slight  restraint  imposed  upon  their 
high-handed  doings  by  being  reminded  of  their  lawlessness, 
silenced  all  opposition  by  the  application  of  the  gag-rule. 
Convinced,  at  last,  that  his  presence  at  the  capital  was  of  no 
possible  utility,  under  existing  circumstances,  he  seriously  de- 
bated with  himself  the  question,  whether  duty  required  of  him 
to  join  one  of  the  volunteer  companies  forming,  in  the  larger 
cities  all  over  the  State,  for  the  defense  of  the  Union. 

The  qxiestion  was  a  momentous  one  for  the  young  legislator. 
Aside  from  the  danger,  which  Victor  certaiul}'  did  not  under- 
rate, and  the  personal  discomforts  and  hardships  involved  in 


500  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

the  life  of  a  soldier,  of  Avhich  he  eutertaiued  a  perhaps  exag- 
gerated opinion,  there  was  still  greater  terror  for  him  in  the 
thought,  that  having  once  enlisted  he  would  cease  to  be  master 
over  himself  or  his  actions  and  be  subjected  to  the  absolute 
disijosition  of  his  superior  ollicers,  —  whether  tyrant,  coward, 
or  hare-brained  dare-devil.  Nothing  but  the  clearest  convic- 
tion of  paramount  duty  would  ever  induce  him  to  subject  him- 
self voluntarily  to  such  bondage.  He  reflected,  that  he  might 
render  more  efficient  service  by  resuming  his  post  as  editor 
of  the  Beohd elite r,  than  by  carrying  a  muslcet ;  but  his  con- 
science nagged  and  pricked  him  with  the  unceasing  prompting 
to  sacrifice  his  ease,  and  if  need  be,  his  life  and  liberty  to  the 
cause  of  his  country. 

While  in  this  state  of  anxious  doubt  a  letter  reached  him  from 
the  metropolis,  which  i)ut  an  end  to  his  hesitation  and  defi- 
nitely determined  his  course  of  action. 

If  I  have  not  mistaken  your  calibre,  —  wrote  his  friend,  Pro- 
fessor Rauhenfels, — you  are  just  now  the  right  man  in  the  wrong 
place.  What  are  you  doing  up  there  —  what  ca»  you  do, — 
among  a  body  of  nincompoops,  who  imagine,  in  their  phrenetic 
zeal,  that  they  are  carrying  the  State  on  their  shoulders 
straightway  into  Jeff  Davis'  camp?  You  know  from  Cicero, 
don't  you,  that  '■'■silent  leges  inter  arma,"  and  if  you  didn't 
get  the  information  from  the  old  Roman,  why  I  suppose  that, 
having  cut  3'our  eye-teeth  by  this  time,  you  have  discovered  as 
much  for  yourself.  So  what  good  is  there  in  law-making  wiien 
the  tocsin  of  war  resounds  throughout  the  land  ?  And  what 
is  perhaps  more  to  the  point,  of  what  use  are  you,  just  now, 
among  a  set  of  madmen?  Do  you  propose  to  undertake  with 
better  success,  what,  according  to  Schiller,  the  gods  them- 
selves have  given  up  as  a  bad  job,  —  to  contend  against 
stupidity  ? 

—  I,  my  young  friend,  have  swapped  off  my  Hegel  for  a 
copy  of  Hardee's  Infantry  Tactics.  Go  you  and  exchange 
the  pen  for  a  sword  ;  the  sword  is  mightier   than  the  pen,  if 


THE    TOItPOR   BROKEN.  501 

you  know  what  to  do  with  it.  Uncle  Sam  will  soon  need  all 
the  brawny  arms  he  ean  get.  Above  all  things,  however,  he 
will  want  brains  for  the  armies.  Contribute  your  mite.  Begin 
by  offering  your  arm  to  carry  a  musket.  Study  tactics ; 
practice  discipline  ;  learn  to  command  ;  promotion  will  be  sure 
and  swift.  Look  at  me  :  four  weeks  ago  I  was  a  high  jn-ivate 
in  the  rear  rank  ;  to-day  I  wear  an  eagle  on  my  shoulder 
straps,  in  recognition  of  my  services  in  checkmating  our  fire- 
eating  governor.  Shall  I  tell  you  how  that  was  accomplished 
by  the  use  of  a  little  brains  ? 

Well,  you  see,  among  my  acquaintances  is  an  old  class-mate, 
Jean  Jacques  by  name,  who  is  as  hotheaded  a  partisan  as  any 
they  can  have  in  the  rebel  ranks,  —  only  he  is  on  our  side  of 
this  quarrel.  He  asked  me  one  day  what  I  thought  of  the 
militia  encampment,  which  the  governor  had  located  just  out- 
side of  our  city.     "  Do  you  know  what  it  means?  "  he  added. 

"  Yes,"  I  answered.  "  It  means  a  recruiting  depot  for 
Jeff  Davis'  army." 

"  Camp  of  Instruction,  the  governor  calls  it,"  says  he. 
"  Instruction  in  Infantry  Tactics." 

"  A  transparent  make-believe,"  saj-s  I,  "  the  real  object  is 
to  entice  young  Hotspurs  into  the  Confederate  army." 

"Well  said.  Professor,"  says  he.  "So  much  is  pretty 
plain  to  a  man  up  a  tree.  But  what  I'm  driving  at,  is.  Why 
is  the  camp  located  right  here,  close  to  the  city?  " 

Then  I  began  to  smell  a  goodly  sized  mice.  "  Uncle  Sam 
has  an  arsenal  here,"  says  I. 

"  I  should  smile,"  says  he,  with  a  sly  wink.  "  With  a  hun- 
di"ed  and  fifty  thousand  stand  of  arms  stored  in  it,  and  am- 
munition accordingly,  and  such." 

"  Which  the  rebels  are  sorely  hankering  after,"  says  I. 
"  For  the  double  purpose  of  arming  themselves,  and  unarmino- 
the  Federal  volunteers." 

"Ah,"  says  he,  "the  governor  is  a  sly  fox.  But  some 
people  can  look  through  a  millstone,  when  it  has  a  hole  in  it, 
as  far  as  he.     Now  what  bothers  me  is,  that  Uncle  Sam  is  per- 


502  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

fectly  well  aware  of  the  meaning  of  this  clumsy  move  on  the 
military  chess-board,  and  might  just  as  easily  turn  it  to  his 
own  advantage  ;  but  doesn't  stir  a  finger." 

"But,"  says  I,  "you  are  a  member  of  the  safety  com- 
mittee appointed  by  the  President  with  full  power  to  act  in 
just  such  emergencies."  (I  don't  know  whether  you  are 
aware  of  the  existence  of  this  committee ;  it  is  composed  of 
seven  reliable  and  determined  Union  men,  two  of  whom  are 
personal  friends  of  mine.  The  commander  of  the  troops  at 
the  arsenal  is  among  them ;  and  they  have  the  unlimited 
authority  over  all  the  military  in  this  department.) 

"  There  are  seven  of  us,"  says  he,  with  a  bitter  smile,  "  and 
the  proverbial  safety  in  a  multitude  of  counsel  is,  in  our  case, 
the  safety  of  the  enemy.  The  committee  is  divided.  Captain 
Lowe,  Colonel  Pith  and  myself  are  agreed  that  the  camp  should 
be  bagged  at  once,  before  the  mischief  is  fully  hatched.  But 
the  two  lawyers  of  the  committee  say  that  it  would  be  clearly 
unlawful  to  interfere  with  the  perfectly  legal  and  legitimate 
exercise  of  the  governor's  function  in  organizing  a  camp  of 
instruction  of  the  militia  of  the  State." 

"  That  is  so,"  says  I ;   "  but  it  is  a  mere  pretense." 

"  Or  course,"  he  assented,  "  and  it  makes  me  mad  to  see 
how  our  wiseacres  are  letting  the  rebels  get  the  better  of  us, 
with   their    ej^es  open,  too.     There's   a  safety  committee  for 


you 


T  " 


"  Don't  they  propose  to  do  anything  at  all?  "  I  asked  him. 

"Oh  yes!"  he  replied  with  a  bitter  laugh.  "  They  are 
going  to  get  a  writ  from  the  circuit  court  of  the  United 
States,  —  injunction,  or  prohibition,  or  something,  I  dare  say 
they  don't  rightly  know  what  themselves  —  to  stop  the  rebels 
from  taking  the  arsenal !  That's  the  kind  of  fighting  that  suits 
the  lawyers.  I  wonder  why  they  don't  get  a  writ  of  injunction 
against  Jeff  Davis  and  his  Confederacy  at  once  ?  There's  as 
much  chance  of  its  being  obeyed,  as  there  is  that  our  foxy 
governor  will  keep  his  hands  off  the  arsenal,  when  he's  ready 
to  take  it." 


THE    TOJRPOR   BBOKEN.  503 

"  But  there  are  Mr.  Colt,  and  Mr.  Houel,"  said  I.  '•  What 
do  they  say  al)Out  it?  " 

"  Oh,"  exdaiincd  Jeau  Jacques  wrathfuUy,  "  they  are  so 
d — d  conservative,  that  they  side  with  the  lawyers." 

The  two  last  named  gentlemen  I  know  well.  Seeing  the 
danger  of  our  situation  at  once,  I  determined  to  show  it  to 
these  friends,  being  fully  aware  that  I  could  make  them  imder- 
stand,  even  if  the  lawyers  should  prove  invincible  in  their 
cast-iron  conservatism.  With  the  arsenal  in  possession  of  the 
governor's  partisans,  and  the  police  force  under  his  control, 
the  city  would  be  absolutely  at  the  mercy  of  the  secessionists, 
which  would  seal  the  fate  of  the  State.  What  effect  that,  giving 
them  the  command  of  the  Mississippi  river,  .might  have  on  the 
Ihlal  issue  of  the  Union  cause,  is  fearful  to  contemplate.  So  I 
determined  to  act  promptly,  and  my  plan  was  formed  on  the  sjjot. 

"Your  Committee  of  Safety,"  says  I,  to  my  friend  Jean 
Jacques,  "is  posted,  I  suppose,  as  to  the  military  force  that 
might  be  brought  to  bear  against  the  camp  ? ' ' 

"Perfectly,"  he  answered.  "I  tended  to  that  myself. 
There  ai'e  the  two  companies  of  regulars  under  command  of 
Captain  Lowe,  that  are  now  garrisoning  the  arsenal ;  four 
regiments  of  volunteers,  mostly  Germans,  of  which  one  is 
commanded  by  Colonel  Pith,  one  by  Colonel  Scheffel,  includ- 
ing the  corps  called  Liitzow's  Jaeger,  which  has  been  drilling 
all  the  Spring,  and  two  other  regiments,  including  your  own, 
fully  armed  and  equipped,  among  them  four  batteries  of 
artillery  under  command  of  experienced  officers  that  have 
served  in  Europe.  Then  there  are  four  full  regiments  of  home- 
guards,  that  have  been  sworn  into  service  to  protect  the  city. 
All  these  have  been  under  instruction  in  the  manual  of  arms 
and  the  elementary  principles  of  forming  into  ranks,  moving  in 
bodies,  marching,  etc." 

"  Are  the  regiments  complete  in  numbers?  "  I  asked. 

"There  are  upward  of  eight  thousand  men  in  all,"  he  in- 
formed me.  "But  none  of  them  are  veterans,  to  be  sure, 
except  some  of  the  ollicers." 


504  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

Says  I,  "is  there  any  danger  that  these  home-guards  will 
take  fright  and  fire  at  their  own  men  in  case  of  a  scrimmage?  " 

He  laughed.  "  There  is  no  telling  what  raw  recruits  will  do 
in  case  of  a  scare." 

It  is  but  fair  to  him  to  say,  that  he  seconded  my  plan  very 
effectually.  To  his  prompt  and  energetic  action  under  my 
direction,  much  of  the  signal  success  that  crowned  it  is  due. 
If  the  Union  is  to  be  saved,  —  and  I  have  an  abiding  faith  in 
its  future  —  you  may  ascribe  a  large  slice  of  the  merit  to  his 
activity.  How  the  coup  was  l)rouglit  about,  is  best  described 
perhaps,  in  a  report  of  my  friend  Jean  Jacques,  made  to  me  a 
day  or  two  after  the  conversation  detailed,  and  of  which  I 
send  you  a  copy : . 

"  Acting  on  your  suggestion,  I  had  no  difficulty  in  persuad- 
ing Captain  Lowe  to  visit  with  me,  in  disguise.  Camp  Jefferson. 
Our  masks  were  perfect.  The  captain  looked  irresistilily  droll 
as  a  portly  negro  wench,  carrying  a  basket  full  of  doughnuts 
and  ginger  cakes,  while  I  shoved  a  little  haud-eart  with  an  ice- 
cream freezer  imbedded  in  a  tub  full  of  ice.  I  had  shaved  off 
my  mustache  for  the  occasion,  tanned  my  face  with  a  cosmetic 
wash  to  the  color  of  a  bright  mulatto,  put  on  a  flat  nose  and  a 
kinky  wig,  and  passed  as  the  son  of  the  cake-vender.  The 
false-face  of  the  captain  fitted  him  to  perfection  ;  and  though 
he  is  a  Connecticut  Yankee,  he  counterfeited  the  broad  dialect 
of  a  Southern  negro  so  closely  that  no  one  would  have  sus- 
pected his  nativity.  In  this  disguise  we  visited  every  part  of 
the  camp.  Our  only  trouble  was  that  we  were  kept  busier 
soiling  our  cakes  and  ice  cream  than  we  liked,  for  it  interfered 
with  our  opportunities  of  observing  what  was  going  on  and 
listening  to  the  conversation  of  the  soldiers  and  oflScers. 

"  It  was  a  lovely  May  afternoon  when  we  were  there,  and 
the  camj)  was  crowded  with  visitors.  The  beauty  and  fashion 
of  Upper  Tendom  were  in  the  ascendancy.  Ladies  in  elegant 
toilets  beamed  upon  the  militiamen  in  their  gay  uniforms,  their 
eyes  outsparkliug  the  diamonds  they  wore  in  profusion,  their 
faces  more  radiant  than  the  bright  May  afternoon.  Say  what 
you  please  about  these  fair  secessionists, — they  are  certainly 
most  captivating  sirens,  and  I  do  not  blame  the  young  hot- 
heads for  coveting  their  smiles. 

"  What  we  saw  and  heard  there  leaves  no  doubt,  that  our 


THE    TOIiPOIi  BROKEN.  506 

worst  surmises  were  but  too  well  grounded.  Not  only  is  the 
lending  sentiment  in  the  camp  that  of  enthusiastic  sympathy 
with  the  South  and  the  Southern  Confederacy,  but  no  secret  is 
made  there  of  the  intended  capture  of  the  arsenal.  Among 
other  things  we  saw  was  the  unpacking  of  several  pieces  of 
artillery,  which  had  been  taken  apart  and  packed  in  separate 
boxes  labeled  "Marble."  The  outspoken  devotion  to  the 
Southern  cause  of  the  cai^tain  of  the  steamboat  '  Cygnet,'  on 
which  the  boxes  had  been  shipped,  explains  how  it  was  possi- 
ble to  bring  these  cannon  (as  well  as  other  arms  and  ammuni- 
tion) from  the  United  States  Arsenal  at  Liberty  and  to  trans- 
port them  to  the  camp  tlirough  the  crowded  streets  of  the  city 
without  exciting  suspicion.  Captain  Lowe  recognized  them  at 
once,  as  property  of  the  United  States. 

"  Well,  the  evidence  we  collected  was  so  convincing  as  to 
the  treasonable  designs  of  the  leading  spirits  in  the  camp,  that 
our  report  at  the  next  meeting  of  the  committee  brought  both 
Mr.  Colt  and  Mr.  Houel  over  to  our  side.  We  stood  five  to 
two,  then,  and  pretty  soon  one  of  the  lawyers  —  Mr.  Broadly  — 
also  gave  in.  He  said,  that  in  so  momentous  a  matter  it  was 
highly  desirable  that  there  should  be  unanimity  among  the 
members  of  the  committee,  and  that  if  the  others  voted  for  the 
taking  of  the  camp,  he  would  not  stand  ont  alone  against  it. 
This  put  Grover  on  his  mettle.  He  had  been  pacing  up  and 
down  the  room  in  great  perturbation  of  mind,  while  Colonel 
Pith  and  Captain  Lowe  discussed  the  plan  of  attack.  Most  of 
us  thought  that  it  would  be  best  to  surprise  the  encampment 
during  the  night,  so  as  to  avoid  as  much  as  possible  all  at- 
tempts at  resistance  on  the  part  of  the  militia,  and  thus  reduce 
the  chances  of  bloodshed.  But  Mr.  Grover  was  of  a  different 
opinion.  He  presently  grasped  the  little  black  skull-cap  he 
was  wearing,  dashed  it  to  floor  with  an  energetic  fling,  and 
exclaimed : 

"  '  Do  the  thing  in  o^^en  day,  gentlemen,  and  not  like  a  sneak- 
thief  in  the  night ;  there  can't  be  more  than  a  thousand  men  in 
the  camp  ;  half  or  more  of  them  are  mere  recruits,  and  the  bal- 
ance may  have  learned  to  parade  on  holidays  and  go  thi'ough 
the  manual  of  arms  to  the  admiration  of  their  wives  and  sweet- 
hearts, having  seen  no  more  of  real  service  than  our  home 
guards.  If  they  get  no  notice  of  our  intention  until  we  march 
upon  them,  there  can  be  no  trouble.  But  again  I  say,  let  us 
act  openly,  not  as  if  we  meant  to  steal,  the  camp,  and  I  am 
with  vou.' 


506  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

"  Captain  Lowe  at  once  sided  with  bini.  He  said  that  as 
far  as  fighting  went,  he  would  undertake  to  whip  the  whole  of 
the  militiamen  with  his  two  companies  of  regulars.  But  he 
recommended  that  the  whole  of  the  available  military  forces  be 
massed  against  the  camj),  so  as  to  impress  not  only  the  officers 
in  command  there,  but  likewise  any  mob  of  secessionists  in  the 
streets  of  the  city  that  might  feel  inclined  to  interfere,  wnth  the 
utter  absurdity  of  resistance." 

Such  was  Jean  Jacques'  report  to  me.  I  suppose  you  have 
read  the  account  of  the  affair  as  it  was  described  in  the  papers. 
As  is  usual  for  the  press,  they  gave  a  confused  and  garbled 
statement  of  what  happened  at  the  camp  and  on  the  march 
with  the  prisoners  to  the  arsenal,  colored  to  suit  their  respect- 
ive prejudices ;  not  one  of  them  had  any  real  insight  into  the 
inception  of  the  decisive  move  or  into  its  absolute  necessity  for 
the  safety  of  the  Union  cause  in  our  State. 

—  So  much  for  the  part  I  took  in  this  master  stroke  of 
strategy.  The  surrender  was  substantially  unconditional. 
There  w'ere  curses,  both  loud  and  deep,  and  gnashing  of 
teeth ;  but  not  a  drop  of  blood  was  spilt  nor  a  skin  scratched 
in  the  business  proper.  Our  raw  troops  with  one  deplorable 
exception,  behaved  like  veterans,  the  exasperating  taunts,  the 
maledictions  and  insults  notwithstanding,  that  were  plentifully 
heaped  upon  them  by  the  disappointed  aspirants  for  martial 
glory,  as  these  were  marched  off  to  the  very  arsenal  they  had  so 
confidently  counted  on  taking  by  storm.  Quite  interesting 
was  it  to  witness  the  behavior  of  the  different  individuals  in 
submitting  to  their  capture:  Rage,  more  or  less  open  or 
heroically  suppressed,  of  the  hotheaded  Southern  partisans, 
baffled  of  a  promising  scheme  in  furtherance  of  their  interest ; 
disappointment,  sad  and  deep,  of  the  warm-hearted  Southern 
patriot,  to  whom  severance  from  the  Union  meant  prosperity 
for  his  section  of  the  country,  and  who  therefore  saw  a 
calamity  in  every  check  to  its  accomplishment ;  the  profound 
regret  of  those  among  them  who  refused  to  believe  the  plans 
of  their  leaders  to  be  disloyal  and  looked  upon  the  interference 


THE    TOBPOR  BROKEN.  507 

by  tlie  Federal  goverumeut  as  an  act  of  liigli-liauded  oppres- 
sion. Que  incipient  warrior,  —  the  captain  of  a  neatly  uni- 
formed metropolitan  volunteer  company  that  had  attracted  and 
tilled  with  admiration  the  lady  visitors  to  the  cantonment  — 
posed  for  the  honor  of  a  tragic  hero  in  melodrama.  ' '  Never !  ' ' 
he  exclaimed,  in  a  deep  bass  of  hollow  pathos,  when  our  friend 
Jean  Jacques  politely  requested  him  to  hand  over  his  sword, 
"Never!  No  venal  hireling  of  that  tja-annical  despot,  Lin- 
coln, shall  vaunt  a  true  man's  sword,  save  as  a  sheath  for  its 
blade!  "  And  drawing  his  weapon  with  a  majestic  frown, 
he  struck  it  with  such  violence  flatwise  against  a  fence  rail, 
that  it  broke  to  pieces.  "  Thus,"  he  added,  throwing  the  hilt 
at  the  feet  of  the  officer,  "  be  ever  the  fate  of  tyrants!  " 

— The  tragic  phase  of  the  affair,  distorted  and  garbled  as  usual 
by  the  press  to  suit  the  bias  of  the  respective  partisans,  came 
about  naturally  enough,  and  in  spite  of  the  utmost  care  and 
precaution  taken  by  our  commanders  to  ijrevent  just  such 
scenes  as  gave  a  foretaste  of  the  horrors  of  civil  war.  In  the 
hope  of  avoiding  any  attempt  to  rescue  the  prisoners  on  the 
part  of  the  mob  of  angry  secessionists,  and  impressing  the 
prisoners  themselves  with  the  absurdity  of  any  hope  of  escape, 
each  of  the  captives  was  flanked  by  two  Federal  soldiers,  and 
sandwiched  between  two  ranks,  so  that  each  of  the  captives 
was  in  effect  surrounded  by  a  guard  of  seven  men,  effectually 
cutting  off  all  intercourse  between  them.  In  this  order  they 
were  marched  through  the  streets  of  the  city  toward  the  arse- 
nal. But  the  preparations  consumed  much  time,  requiring 
frequent  halts  of  the  head  of  the  column  while  the  rear  was 
being  formed.  There  was,  of  course,  a  vast  concourse  of 
people  attracted  by  the  military  spectacle,  and  the  news  of  the 
capture  of  the  camp,  which  spread  like  wildfire  all  over  the 
city,  creating  the  wildest  excitement.  The  streets  were 
literally  covered  with  a  surging,  jostling,  pushing  crowd  of 
human  beings,  —  boys,  mostly,  and  men,  though  not  lacking 
for  women,  too,  —  pressing  and  being  pressed  against  the 
military,  who  found  it,  at  times,  exceedingly  difficult  to  main- 


508  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

tain  order  iu  the  ranks.  Doors  and  windows  of  ttie  houses 
along  the  line  of  march  were  peopled  with  eager  spectators. 
The  trees,  even,  about  and  near  the  camping  grounds,  were 
bearing  a  plentiful  crop  of  venturesome  boys  and  men,  excited 
and  wrought  up  by  the  unwonted  military  spectacle.  The 
capture  had  been  planned  for  an  hour  at  which,  it  was  thought, 
but  few  if  any  visitors  would  be  there.  Some,  however,  had 
arrived ;  among  them,  notably  the  captain  of  the  steamboat 
Cygnet,  that  had  carried  the  cannon,  now  mounted,  significantly 
enough,  on  several  of  the  main  avenues  of  the  cantonment.  He 
had  been  invited,  it  transpired  later,  with  his  family,  to  witness 
a  dress  parade,  and  partake  of  lunch  iu  the  general's  tent ;  and 
he  had  brought  his  wife  and  daughter,  the  latter  a  lovely  maiden 
of  fourteen. 

Matters  had  progressed  entirely  according  to  program,  without 
accident  or  mishap  of  any  Idnd,  until  the  last  of  the  prison-ers 
were  being  marshaled  into  line,  and  the  rear  of  the  column 
was  al)out  to  leave  the  grounds.  By  this  time  the  crowd  had 
become  so  dense  and  unruly,  that  Captain  Lowe,  who  had 
ordered  one  of  his  companies  of  regulars  to  bring  up  the  rear, 
found  it  necessary  to  send  them  on  ahead  to  clear  the  street, 
fearing  to  intrust  the  task  of  driving  back  the  multitude,  that 
had  now  assumed  the  character  of  a  mob,  to  any  but  thoroughly 
disciplined  soldiers.  I  thought  the  captain  was  right ;  for 
there  was  no  telling  what  havoc  might  have  been  made  in  a 
collision  between  the  mob  and  undisciplined  recruits  armed 
with  muskets  and  bayonets.  But  it  turned  out  to  be  a  sad 
mistake.  It  so  ha^Dpened  that  the  last  company  in  the  column, 
was  composed  of  inexperienced  workingmen  and  artisans, 
most  of  whom  had  never  handled  a  gun  in  their  lives,  and 
who  had  been  sworn  into  service  as  home-guards  but  a  few  days 
before.  They  had  not  been  intrusted  with  the  guarding  of 
any  of  the  prisoners,  and  were  to  be  followed  in  the  march 
by  the  regulars,  who  had  been  sent  forward.  As  soon  as 
they  had  marched  on,  the  crowd  that  had  forced  its  way  into 
the    camp   grounds,  closed  around  the  company  of   recruits. 


THE   TOBPOR  BROKEN.  509 

hooting,  jeering  and  deriding  them.  The  officers  succeeded 
in  keejjing  their  men  from  resenting  the  insults  heaped  upon 
them,  and  hoped  for  the  return  of  the  regulars,  liut  just  as 
they  were  leaving  the  grounds,  a  missile  was  thrown  into  the 
ranks  of  the  recruits  —  not  a  bomb,  dealing  death  and  de- 
struction generally,  but  a  comparatively  harmless  piece  of  dirt, 
meant  for  a  practical  joke  rather  than  an  assault  on  that 
massive  body  of  military.  But  it  demoralized  those  undis- 
ciplined recruits,  most  of  whom  believed  themselves  attacked  by 
the  mob  and  gave  way  to  a  morbid  feeling  of  panic.  At  this 
critical  moment  the  report  of  a  gun  was  heard,  —  or  of  a  pistol, 
it  has  not  been  definitely  ascertained  which  nor  by  whom  the  shot 
was  fired  —  and  the  panic  was  complete.  Some  one  in  the  ranks 
shouted  ' '  fire !  ' '  and  the  men  turned  round  and  discharged 
their  muskets  point  blank  into  the  dense  mass  of  people.  The 
effect  was  terrific.  Hardly  one  of  the  charges  fired  at  such 
close  range  that  did  not  find  its  lodgment  in  some  human  body. 
It  afterward  appeared,  that  there  were  more  dead  and  wounded 
than  men  in  the  company  that  had  fired.  You  know  that  I  am 
not  overly  tender-hearted ;  but  I  hope  to  be  spared  such 
another  sight  of  carnage  and  butchery,  including  among  the 
victims  women  and  children.  One  of  the  most  affecting  inci- 
dents was  the  death  of  the  steamboat  captain's  lovely  daughter, 
whom  I  saw  in  a  sitting  posture  leaning  against  the  trunk  of 
a  tree,  a  crimson  spot  in  her  white  robe  indicating  where  the 
minnie  bullet  had  pierced  her  heart.  Even  in  that  awful  mo- 
ment of  consternation  and  terror  I  saw  a  man  stop  to  gaze  on 
the  exquisite  beauty  of  that  childish  face,  so  tranquil  in  its 
deep  sleep.  Did  he  think  of  the  precious  offering  her  father 
was  called  on  to  make  for  the  sake  of  the  cause  he  had 
espoused? 

—  One  of  the  consequences  of  the  taking  of  the  camp  is, 
that  this  city  at  least  is  thoroughly  alive  to  the  fact  that  Uncle 
Sam  has  shaken  off  the  torpor  into  which  the  impotence  of  the 
last  administration  had  thrown  the  government.  Those  of  the 
sympathizers  with  the   South,  who  had  been  taught  by  their 


510  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

orators  and  politicians,  that  no  I'esistauce  would  be  made  to 
the  secession  of  the  Cotton  States,  are  beginning  to  realize 
their  mistake.  A  panic  fully  as  mad  as  that  which  wrought 
the  fearful  holocaust  on  the  tenth  of  May  has  seized  upon  the 
people  of  this  city.  The  absurdest  rumors  gain  ready  cre- 
dence. The  wealthy  inhabitants  of  the  West  End  are  in  a 
state  of  unreasoning  alarm,  fearing  a  general  massacre  at  the 
hands  of  the  brutal  soldiery.  "The  Dutch  are  coming!" 
was  whispered  about,  there,  striking  terror  into  the  hearts  of 
the  timid,  and  causing  anxious  alarm  among  those  better  in- 
formed. For  you  are  aware,  I  suppose,  that  three-fourths  of 
the  volunteers  on  the  Union  side  and  nine-tenths  of  the  home- 
guards  are  German-speaking  citizens  ;  a  circumstance  arousing 
at  once  the  wrath  of  the  secessionists  and  giving  color  to  the 
rumor,  that  the  enraged  soldiery  were  i)lanning  to  sack  the 
West  End.  There  was  a  general  exodus  from  that  part  of  the 
city.  All  who  could  do  so,  sought  safety  in  flight.  Steam- 
boats and  railroad  cars  were  crowded  with  fugitives.  Car- 
riages, wagons,  vehicles  of  any  description  were  in  such 
demand,  that  some  of  the  wealthier  householders  offered  five, 
ten, — in  some  instances  twenty-five  —  dollars  an  hour  for  the 
use  of  one.  Truly,  Victor,  Pan  is  a  mighty  god,  and  un- 
reasoning fright  makes  abject  fools  of  men !  For  the  German 
home-guards  were  almost  equally  apprehensive  of  dire  ven- 
geance from  the  secessionists  ;  only  they,  belonging  generally 
to  the  poorer  classes,  had  no  means  of  leaving  the  city,  and 
sought  safety  in  remaining  together  under  arms.  War  is 
surely  upon  us  and  we  are  beginning  to  learn  its  lessons.  Get 
ready  yourself ! 

—  I  have  been  out  at  Busch  Bluff.  They  are  all  well  there, 
so  far  as  i3hysical  health  goes.  But  the  capture  of  Camp  Jef- 
ferson has  roused  its  inmates  also  from  the  even  tenor  of  their 
way  in  a  most  remarkable  fashion.  That  old  Auf  dem  Busch 
should  feel  stirred  up,  when  I  explained  to  him  the  real  mean- 
ing of  the  thing,  is  natural  enough.      He  was  for  enlisting  in 


THE    TOEPOB  BROKEN.  511 

the  war  at  ouce  ;  but  1  succeeded  in  coiiviuciug  him,  that  his 
proper  place  was  with  the  home-guards,  where,  for  the  purposes 
of  defense,  his  services  would  be  equal  to  those  of  any  younger 
man ;  while  a  more  vigorous  constitution  was  required  to 
undergo  the  hardships  and  privations  of  service  in  the  field. 
But  Woldemar  and  Pauline  are  the  ones  whose  behavior  con- 
stitutes an  unbroken  series  of  conundrums.  The  former  has 
been  going  about  with  a  hang-dog  look  ever  since  my  return 
from  the  capital,  in  strange  contrast  with  his  usual  self-suffi- 
ciency ;  but  yesterday  he  took  my  breath  away  when  he 
announced  in  my  presence,  his  resolution  to  enlist.  You  rec- 
ollect how  he  used  to  sneer  and  smile  in  his  superior  way  at 
the  idea  of  calling  a  scrimmage  between  the  North  and  South  a 
war  ?  I  remember  one  occasion  when  he  quoted  from  a  mod- 
ern di'amatist : 

"  'Twill  be  a  war  as  'twere  in  Donnybrook, 
I  long  to  see  these  rustic  cavaliers 
Set  in  the  field,  and  hear  their  oflicers 
Command  with  hay  and  straw  for  right  and  left. 
What  service  might  a  thousand  soldiers  render 
In  such  a  struggle !  ' ' 

And  now  to  think  that  he  has  actually  submitted  his  precious 
person  to  the  arbitrary  control  of  some  such  officer !  Can 
the  fact  that  Leslie  May  is  a  prisoner  of  war  have  anything  to 
do  with  his  sudden  fit  of  patriotism?  For  Leslie  May  is  a 
prisoner  of  war.  It  was  just  after  I  had  related  the  rather 
romantic  episode  of  his  capture  that  I  noticed  what  strange 
effect  this  news  produced  on  Pauline,  and  that  Woldemar  an- 
nounced his  determination  to  enlist.  Your  sister  was  a  perfect 
blaze  of  color,  and  though  she  said  nothing,  her  sparkling  eyes 
hung  on  my  lips  as  I  was  leisurely  describing  the  brave  bear- 
ing of  young  May  when  he  was  arrested,  as  if  she  would  drink 
in  my  words.  The  hot-headed  youngster,  by  the  way,  was  the 
only  one  of  the  seven  hundred  and  odd  prisoners  we  took  at  the 
camp  who  refused  to  be  liberated  on  his  parole. 


512 


THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTEB. 


'''  You  may  deprive  me  of  my  birthright  as  au  American 
citizen,"  he  said  (and  I  could  not  but  admire  his  manly  dig- 
nity as  he  said  it),  "  but  it  must  be  by  your  own  act  of 
tyi'anny  ;  for  I  will  not  cowardly  yield  it  up,  nor  forswear  my 
right  to  take  revenge  for  the  outrage  you  have  perpetrated  this 
day." 

—  Our  friend  Ralph  Payton  was  also  among  the  prisoners 
(he  wore  a  captain's  uniform).  He  was  not  so  refractory  as 
Leslie.  I  wonder  wliether  we  did  him  a  good  turn  in  relieving 
him  of  further  duty  of  fighting  for  the  Confederacy,  or  whether 
he  will  burden  his  soul  with  perjury  to  find  favor  in  the  eyes  of 
Miss  May.  For  she  will  scorn  him,  don't  you  think,  if  he 
stays  at  home  ? 


XXXIII. 

THE   WAR   FEVER    IN    A   WESTERN   TOWN. 

^m  P'TS^R  an  abseiu'e  of  some  years,  Colonel  May  —  now 
addressed  as  Senator  May  —  had  returned  to  his  home 
near  Brookfield,  with  the  ladies  of  his  household.  The 
presence  of  the  family  at  May  Meadows  was  one  of  the  themes 
talked  over  in  Mr.  Burden's  bar-room,  as  well  as  elsewhere 
about  town.  The  guests  at  Borden's  were  now  entertained  by 
the  gossiping  chit-chat  of  a  lively  young  bartender ;  for  Bob 
Rountree  had  turned  his  back  upon  the  Dutch  Store,  and  was 
devoting  his  talents  to  attract  customers  to  the  groggery,  of 
which  he  made  a  real  little  paradise  to  lazy  bummers  and  gos- 
sip-loving idlers.  Just  now  the  return  of  the  May  family  to 
the  old  mansion  furnished  abundant  material  for  talk,  and  Bob 
had  much  to  say,  particularly  when  the  Honorable  Ralph  Pay- 
ton,  M.  C.  elect,  happened  to  be  present,  about  the  ravishing 
beauty  of  the  senator's  daughter,  whose  fame  as  a  society 
belle  in  Washington  circles  eclipsed,  according  to  Bob  Roun- 
tree's  account,  even  the  brilliant  reputation  of  her  father  as  a 
leader  in  Congress.  It  was  known,  of  course,  that  Mr.  Pay- 
ton  was  a  frequent  visitor  at  May  Meadows,  and  Bob  Rountree 
hinted  slily,  that  the  close  political  connection  between  the 
senator  and  the  congressman  from  this  district  might  lead  to 
relations  more  intimate  still :  who  knows  ?  Whereat  the 
Honorable  Ralph  Pay  ton  was  wont  to  smile  complacently. 

A  little  later  on  Leslie  May  also  joined  the  family.  For  he 
had  been  released  by  the  military  authorities,  who  were  sorely 
puzzled  to  know  just  what  to  do  with  the  unaccommodating 
young  rebel,  who  persisted  in  his  refusal  to  take  the  oath  de- 
manded from  him,  that  he  would  abstain  from  hostilities  toward 
the  Federal  government,  nor  would  he  even  give  his  parole  to 

33  (513) 


514  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

remain  neutral  until  regularly  exchanged.  The  State  had  not 
seceded,  nor  declared  war  against  the  government,  and  the 
young  militiaman's  presence  at  Camp  Jefferson  had  been  per- 
fectly lawful ;  no  overt  act  of  any  kind  could  be  proved  against 
him,  that  militated  in  the  slightest  degree  against  the  law  of 
the  land.  On  what  pretense,  then,  could  he  be  held  prisoner? 
The  Committee  of  Safety  knew  well,  that  the  writ  of  habeas 
corpus  had  not  been  suspended,  and  that  no  Federal  or  State 
court  would,  if  applied  to,  deny  him  his  freedom.  vSo  the 
committee  deemed  it  Tvise  to  avoid  an  airing  in  public  of  their 
authority  ;  and  rather  let  the  refractory  captive  go. 

His  advent  into  Brookfield  was  hailed  with  pleasure,  not 
only  by  the  old  and  young  people  —  male  and  female  —  of  the 
town  (for  he  was  very  popular  among  them  all),  but  also  in 
the  groggery.  Contrarj^  to  his  previous  habits,  he  was  now  a 
frequent  visitor  there.  So  Avas  the  Hon.  Ralph  Pay  ton  ;  for 
though  the  earlier  friendship  between  him  and  Bob  Rountree 
had  (iooled  considerably  after  the  trial  of  Victor  Waldhorst ; 
yet  his  candidacy  last  summer  had  brought  him  into  closer 
contact,  with  the  bar-room,  and  thus  revived  the  old  relations 
between  them.  And  Bob  Rountree  had  developed  into  so 
glowing  an  admirer  of  the  candidate  for  Congress,  was  so  elo- 
quent in  lauding  the  statesman-like  qualities  of  his  friend,  and 
supplied  him  with  such  generous  quantities  of  "  soft  sawder," 
that  the  young  congressman  found  Burden's  a  pleasant  place  to 
spend  a  leisure  half  hour  at,  now  and  then,  —  even  after  the 
election  —  to  talk  over  matters  and  things  in  general;  mostly, 
now,  the  chances  of  war,  and  what  Congress,  and  particularly 
what  he  himself  was  going  to  do  at  the  coming  extra  session. 
It  happened  sometimes,  that  Mr.  Payton  and  Mr.  May  (Jr.) 
would  meet  at  Burden's.  Not  by  preconcert,  however.  On 
the  contrary:  Leslie  had  permitted  himself,  once,  to  hint,  that 
he  deemed  the  visiting  of  a  tippling  house  by  a  member  of 
Congress  an  impropriety.  Payton  would  surely  have  resented 
such  words  if  spoken  by  any  one  but  the  brother  of  the  sena- 
tor's daughter ;   as  it  was,  he  contented  himself  by  retorting. 


THE    WAE   FEVER  IN  A    WESTERN    TOWN.  515 

that  he  thought  himself  in  good  company  with  the  sou  of  a 
United  States  Senator,  — a  remark,  which  the  young  bartender 
apphiuded  as  a  good  hit,  turning  the  laugh  against  Leslie. 
The  eyes  of  the  latter  sparkled  for  a  second,  as  if  intending  a 
sharp  reply  ;  but  he,  too,  refrained  from  offensive  words,  turn- 
ing the  matter  off  with  the  good-natured  quip,  that  he  had 
been  licensed  by  the  supreme  court  to  practice  at  the  bar,  —  a 
privilege  not  shared  by  the  congressman. 

For  Leslie  had  a  purpose  in  visiting  the  bar-room.  A  pui*- 
pose,  not  recognized  as  a  purpose  at  all  until  it  sprang  into 
conscious  existence  on  being  taken  prisoner  at  Camp  Jefferson. 
Until  then,  the  idea  of  forcible  resistance  to  the  separation  of 
any  State  from  the  Union  was  to  him,  as  it  was  to  many  in  the 
South,  simply  preposterous  ;  and  when  the  conviction  flashed 
upon  him  that  the  government  was  employing  its  military 
force  to  prevent  secession,  his  hatred  of  jDuritauism  and  cant 
was  centered  against  the  government  of  the  United  States, 
which,  in  his  estimation,  was  guilty  of  tyrannical  ursurpation  of 
power  in  suppressing  and  violating  the  sovereignty  of  the 
States.  He  had  left  the  metropolis  with  the  determination  to 
resist,  to  the  utmost  of  his  power,  such  despotism.  He  threw 
up  his  practice  of  law,  just  then  beginning  to  be  remunerative, 
to  recruit  for  the  Confederate  service.  His  success  exceeded 
his  own  expectation.  For  Brookfleld  and  the  surrounding 
country  was  in  as  high  a  state  of  excitement  as  other  parts  of 
the  State  ;  and  Leslie  May,  when  he  had  a  purpose,  could  talk 
pleasantly,  and  sway  men's  minds  with  a  jest  or  a  smile  that 
would  have  meant  nothing  in  any  one  else.  And  he  added  to 
his  personal  popularity  the  prestige  of  a  name  that  connected 
him  with  one  of  the  oldest  families  of  Virginia. 

Events  of  war -like  character  chased  each  other  in  rapid  suc- 
cession throughout  the  State,  keeping  the  excitement  at  fever 
heat.  A  Confederate  army  was  known  to  approach  from  the 
South,  which  had  been  raised  by  the  Confederate  Congress  for 
the  special  purpose  of  wresting  the  State  from  Federal  control, 
marching  directly  toward  the  capital.     But  the  Federal  forces 


516  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

reached  the  capitol  long-  before  the  Confederates,  spreading 
consternation  in  the  halls  of  the  legislature.  The  members, 
trembling  with  fear  of  the  treatment  to  be  expected  at  the 
hands  of  a  soldiery  they  had  vilified  in  unmeasured  terms, 
sought  safety  in  flight,  although  the  commander  of  the  Union 
forces  had,  immediately  on  reaching  the  city,  issued  a  proc- 
lamation guaranteeing  that  no  citizen  or  officer  should  be 
molested  in  any  way  so  long  as  he  kept  the  peace  and  obeyed 
the  law,  but  threatening  condign  punishment  for  every  offense 
against  Federal  authority,  and  particularly  for  any  molestation 
of  citizens  on  account  of  loyalty  to  the  Union. 

The  governor  himself  having  fled,  along  with  the  terrified 
legislature,  as  well  as  most  of  the  executive  officers,  it  became 
necessary  to  organize  a  government  for  the  protection  of  life 
and  property.  So  precipitate  had  been  the  flight  of  the  mem- 
bers of  the  legislature,  that  they  had  not  found  time  to  close 
the  session  in  parliamentary  form,  but  left  the  journals  unfin- 
ished. Raffing  what  of  valuables  were  within  easy  reach,  not 
forgetting  to  deplete  the  treasury  of  its  last  dollar,  they  boarded 
an  extra  train  of  the  railroad,  and  steamed  out  of  the  city,  to 
be  seen  there  no  more  in  their  official  dignity. 

Before  addressing  himself  to  the  pursuit  of  the  enemy,  the 
general  in  command  of  the  Federal  troops  installed  Colonel 
Rauhenfels  as  military  goyernor,  leaving  his  regiment  with  him 
to  cover  the  city  and  to  enforce  whatever  measures  might  be 
deemed  necessary  for  the  protection  of  the  loyal  element  of  the 
population.  This  appointment,  however  wise,  it  may  have 
been  in  a  military  point  of  view,  did  not  contribute  to  the 
conciliation  of  the  rebel  element  of  the  State.  Muttered 
imprecations  and  threats  marked  the  indignation  of  the 
Southern  sympathizers  at  what  they  denounced  as  an  insult  to 
American  freemen :  placing  in  authority  over  them  a  for- 
eigner, —  one  of  those  hated  Dutchmen  that  were  abolitionists 
by  instinct,  whose  very  name  they  could  not  ^jronounce  with- 
out a  grimace  of  contempt. 

Leslie   May    was  not   slow  to  take  advantage  of  this  wide- 


THE    WAE   FEVER  IN   A    WESTERN   TOWN.  517 

spread  feeliug  of  reseutment  to  augment  his  list  of  volunteers 
for  the  Confederate  service.  He  skillfully  supplemented  the 
general  bitterness  of  feeliug  against  a  military  governor,  by 
ridiculing  the  person  of  Rauhenfels,  whom  he  caricatured  as 
a  crazy  book-worm,  gone  mad  over  German  metaphysics,  and 
preaching  the  perfect  equality  between  the  negroes  and  white 
men.  And  the  roll  of  the  company  he  endeavored  to  raise 
filled  up  with  astonishing  rapidity. 

Not  so  noisily  demonstrative,  perhaps,  but  quite  as  earnest 
in  their  convictions,  were  a  number  of  loyal  citizens  at  Brook- 
lield  and  in  the  surrounding  country.  While  the  Ozark  Argus, 
enlarged,  now,  to  the  resi)ectable  size  of  seven  columns  to  each 
of  its  four  pages,  denounced  the  "  outlandish  military  Dicta- 
tor '■  in  the  most  violent  terms,  the  opposition  paper  must  self- 
evidently  defend,  though  with  ill-grace,  the  administration  of 
the  military  governor.  With  ill-grace :  because  the  editor  of 
the  Brookfield  Standard  shared  the  feeling  against  military 
interference  with  the  civil  administration  of  the  State  govern- 
ment. 

Meanwhile  May  Meadows  took  on  the  appearance  of  the 
lively  times  of  old.  The  presence  there  of  Nellie  and  Leslie 
May  alone  served  to  add  animation  to  the  household,  although 
Leslie  had  abated  somewhat  his  habit  of  teasing,  and  Nellie's 
blithesome  beauty  had  taken  on  a  touch  of  soft  refinement, 
subduing  slightly  her  natural  vivacity,  but  in  nowise  diminish- 
ing the  charm  of  her  winsome  ways.  Mrs.  May  received  the 
homage  due  to  a  lady  of  her  distinction  —  as  wife  to  a  United 
States  senator  —  with  all  the  dignity  of  a  lady  descended  from 
one  of  the  first  families  of  Virginia ;  a  little  loftily,  perhaps, 
in  the  estimation  of  the  sturdy  Western  sovereigns  who  had 
so  often  cast  their  suffrages  for  Colonel  May ;  but  with  the  air 
of  such  genuine  Southern  hospitalitj''  as  dispelled  all  suspicion 
of  patronage. 

The  senator  maintained  his  old  courteous,  urbane  self,  with 
a  smile  and  a  pleasant  word  for  each  of  his  numerous  con- 
stituents  who    cared   to    shake   hands   with  him  and  to  con- 


518  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

gratulate  him  upon  his  promotion  to  the  United  States  Senate. 
To  the  ladies  of  his  household  he  displayed  his  usual  cheerful 
temper ;  no  casual  visitor  would  have  detected  the  slightest 
trace  of  care  or  anxiety  in  his  conversation  or  behavior.  Nellie 
alone  suspected  at  times  that  he  felt  somewhat  keenly  the 
increased  responsibility  conditioned  by  his  new  dignity,  and 
wondered  not  that  he  should  feel  a  little  anxious  in  looking  for- 
ward to  the  new  theater  of  action  awaiting  him  at  the  approach- 
ing extra  session  of  Congress. 

But  the  center  of  attraction  at  May  Meadows  was  Nellie 
May.  That  the  young  men  should  be  dazzled  by  her  beauty, 
and  take  advantage  of  her  hospitality  to  enjoy  her  society,  was 
not  a  new  experience,  either  to  her  or  her  people.  Still,  it  was 
something  of  a  novelty  to  find  herself  poi)ular  Avith  her  own 
sex.  Not  only  did  her  schoolday  friends  press  upon  her  their 
claims  anew,  among  them  Hettie  Shannon  and  Emily  Matlack, 
who  gushed  over  theii*  "  dearly  beloved  friend,  after  an 
absence  of  so  many  years,"  but  newer  acquaintances  among 
the  fair  denizens  of  Brookfleld,  — and  many  who  had  no  claims 
either  as  friends  or  acquaintances  —  eagerly  sought  the  privi- 
lege of  being  on  visiting  terms  with  the  reigning  belle.  Her 
drawing-room  was  as  much  resorted  to  by  lady  callers  in  the 
day-time,  as  in  the  evening,  by  gentlemen,  or  rather  by  gentle- 
men cmd  ladies,  for  in  the  first  flush  of  her  popularity,  the  ladies 
enjoyed  the  company  usually  assembled  at  May  Meadows  as 
much,  almost,  as  did  the  gentlemen,  though  Nellie  May  monop- 
olized the  homage  of  the  men,  as  acknowledged  queen  of  her 
circle.  Conversation  was  always  lively  there,  for  the  hostess 
possessed  the  rare  tact  of  encouraging  others  to  talk.  Timid 
young  maidens  and  bashful  swains  sometimes  marveled  to  find 
themselves  possessed  of  hitherto  unsuspected  conversational 
talents,  when  Nellie  had  succeeded  in  drawing  them  out  on 
subjects  that  were  familiar  to  them. 

The  honorable  Ralph  Fayton  was,  of  course,  a  frequent 
guest  at  May  Meadows.  Not  only  in  the  evening.  For  he 
had  many,  though  sometimes  rather  transparent  excuses,  for 


THE    WAR    FEVER   IN  A    WESTERN   TOWN.  olO 

visits  during  the  day  —  cousultations  witli  tlie  senator  ou 
political,  or  with  Leslie  on  military  matters  —  never  omitting, 
however,  to  visit  Miss  May  on  such  occasions,  if  she  was 
visible.  There  was  a  rumor  that  the  young  congressman  was 
the  accepted  lover  of  Miss  May ;  but  just  how  it  originated, 
or  what  truth  there  was  about  it,  was  not  clearly  established. 
But  since  the  young  lady  did  not  take  the  trouble  to  contra- 
dict it —  not,  perhaps,  aware  of  its  existence  —  and  as  Pay- 
on  himself,  on  all  occasions  encouraged  it,  there  was  ample 
excuse  for  the  jealous  chagrin  of  aspiring  swains,  who  regarded 
the  beautiful  heiress  in  the  light  of  a  much  coveted  prize,  and 
for  the  secret  rejoicing  of  marriageable  belles,  who  saw  in 
her  a  most  formidable  rival.  JStill,  nothing  that  toolv  place  in 
the  drawing-room  circles  could  be  fairly  pointed  to  as  a  con- 
tirmation  of  the  rumor.  Assiduous  he  was  in  his  attentions,  — 
so  much  was  patent ;  but  he  could  boast  of  no  familiarities 
allowed  him,  no  preference  shown  him  by  the  charming 
hostess.  Awkward  and  bashful  Orlando  Jones  was  smiled  upon 
as  sweetly  by  her  as  was  he.  She  dispensed  her  drawing-room 
courtesies  impartially;  even  Mr.  Danforth,  the  newly  arrived 
Yankee  storekeeper,  was  made  to  feel  as  much  at  ease  as  any 
of  her  most  honored  guests  of  Southern  proclivities. 

In  this  one  respect  perhaps,  the  young  congressman  was  at 
a  disadvantage,  even.  Miss  May  had  caught  the  war  fever  in 
a  form  characteristic  of  the  women  of  the  South.  She  was 
enthusiastic  in  her  conviction  of  the  gallantry  and  soldier-like 
qualities  of  the  Southerners  and  firm  in  the  faith,  that  any 
passage  of  arms  with  the  North  must  result  in  a  glorious 
victory  for  the  South.  And,  like  most  of  her  country-women, 
she  admired  chivahy  for  its  own  sake :  to  her  the  crowning 
glory  of  manhood  consisted  in  the  undaunted  courage  to  assert 
one's  rights,  and,  if  need  be,  to  defend  them  with  a  strong 
hand,  regardless  of  any  cost  save  honor.  And  Payton,  count- 
ing on  Miss  May's  enthusiastic  hero-worship,  and  her  devotion 
to  the.  Southern  cause,  had  been  eloquent  in  picturing  to  her 
the  deeds  of  valor  to   be  performed  by  chivalrous  Southern 


520  THE   BEBEL'S  DAUOHTEB. 

knights  ;  and  he  had  counted  well.  In  listening  to  his  brill- 
iant rhapsody  her  eyes  had  sparkled,  as  he  had  seen  them 
sparkle  once  before  —  on  his  first  visit  to  her  at  Washington  ; 
and  she  had  smiled  on  him  as  she  had  smiled  at  that  time,  as 
if  she  were  proud  of  him.  And  her  smile  had  inspired  him 
with  real  enthusiasm  and  the  determination  to  take  up  arms  in 
earnest  in  defense  of  her  beloved  South.  But  now  he  was 
under  a  cloud.  For  the  honors  that  beckoned  to  him  at 
Washington  had  taken  firm  hold  of  his  imagination,  and  he 
had  determined  to  sacrifice  to  them  the  tempting  opjjortunity  to 
distinguish  himself  on  the  field  of  glory. 

When  Leslie,  on  returning  from  the  metropolis,  had  sug- 
gested to  him  the  plan  of  raising  a  regiment  for  the  Confed- 
erate army,  he  reminded  him  of  the  proclamation  of  the  Presi- 
dent calling  a  session  of  Congress  for  the  Fourth  of  July,  and 
of  his  paramount  duty  to  serve  the  country  in  the  council  of 
the  nation,  rather  than  in  the  army.  Leslie  had  been  skeptical 
on  the  subject  of  duty,  and  tried  to  dissuade  him  from  a  course 
that  might  expose  him  to  the  reproach  of  lukewarmness  in  his 
courage ;  whereat  the  yoang  congressman  showed  a  proper 
spirit  of  resentment,  (pioting  the  example  of  Senator  May,  who 
had  likewise  announced  his  unalterable  determination  to  attend 
the  extra  session,  which  he  deemed  a  high  duty  to  his  country. 

"And  have  you  forgotten,"  he  exclaimed,  as  Leslie  sneer- 
iugly  suggested  that  there  might  be  a  difference  between  the 
case  of  an  experienced  statesman,  who  had  been  the  acknowl- 
edged leader  of  his  i)arty  for  years,  and  whose  counsel  was 
looked  for  and  demanded  by  the  nation,  and  that  of  a  tyro,  who 
would  hardly  have  time  to  learn  his  parliamentary  ABC  dur- 
ing the  entire  extra  session,  —  "  have  you  forgotten  that  I  was 
compelled  to  take  an  oath  —  my  simple  promise  was  not 
accepted,  as  you  well  know  —  not  to  take  up  arras  against  the 
United  States?  " 

"  Oh,  you  took  an  oath,  tlid  you?  "  Leslie  remarked,  smil- 
ing sarcastically.  "  Well,  I  did  not.  Though  I  would  not 
lay  much  stress  on  an  oath  taken  under  compulsion.     To  you. 


THE    WAB   FEVER  IN  A    WESTERN   TOWN.  521 

I  suppose,  it  comes  handy  to  pose  for  a  persecuted  martyr. 
Aud  for  fear  that  that  one  oath  you  took  might  not  be  strong 
enough  to  curb  your  military  ardor,  you  must  needs  go  to 
Washington  to  take  another  '  to  supjDort  the  constitution  of 
the  United  States,'  etc.,  which  will  keep  you  out  of  harm's 
way  until  the  scrimmage  is  over." 

"  What  do  you  mean,  Leslie  May?  "  Payton  blustered  out 
with  frowning  brow.  "  I  hope  you  do  not  impugn  my  cour- 
age? " 

"  There  is  no  occasion  for  that  between  us  two,  Ralph  Pay- 
ton,"  Leslie  replied  quietly,  with  a  look,  however,  that  in  no 
wise  tended  to  reassure  his  friend.  "But  I  do  admire  your 
prudence,  which,  you  know,  is  sometimes  the  better  part  of 
valor.  Only,  it  may  not  be  so  easy  to  convince  sister  Nellie, 
when  she  comes  to  hear  of  your  conscientious  scruples,  of  the 
high  moral  quality  of  your  courage." 

Payton  was  too  wise  to  resent  the  sarcasm  of  Leslie's  mood, 
but  endeavored  instead,  to  conciliate  the  brother  of  the  lady  in 
question.  "  I  hope,"  he  said,  "  that  you  will  not  influence 
your  sister's  judgment  to  ray  injury  in  this  matter."  Then 
he  added,  in  a  beseeching  voice,  tender  in  its  pathos  of  self 
pity,  "  You  cannot  know  how  hard  it  is  for  me  to  be  denied  all 
opportunity  to  show  my  devotion  to  the  cause  of  the  South  by 
fighting  for  it." 

"  Don't  fret  about  my  influencing  Nellie,"  said  Leslie,  re- 
assuringly. "  Nellie  will  not  permit  any  influencing  by  me  or 
anybody  else."  But  the  smile  that  accompanied  his  words 
told  Payton  even  more  plainly  that  in  Leslie's  opinion  his 
sister  would  need  no  prompting  to  resent  her  admirer's  lack  of 
enthusiasm . 

A  gay  aud  lively  company  had  assembled  in  the  parlor  at 
May  Meadows.  News  had  reached  the  town  that  the  Confed- 
erate army  on  its  way  to  the  capital  had  arrived  mthiu  a  day's 
march  of  Brookfield ;    while  General  Lowe  was  marching  with 


522  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

a  considerable  force  to  intercept  the  Confederates  ;  and  expecta- 
tion stood  tip-toe. 

Senator  May  moved  aliout  among  his  guests  with  easy  self- 
possession,  unaffected,  apparently,  by  the  excitement  of  those 
around  him.  When  pressed  for  an- opinion,  as  he  was  by  most 
of  his  visitors,  he  gave  it  as  his  judgment  that  the  State  would 
not,  as  it  should  not,  secede  ;  that  the  Confederacy  would  go 
to  pieces,  —  not  because  of  military  weakness,  for  that  the 
South  possessed  much  the  best  fighting  material,  and  had  the 
advantage  of  enthusiasm  under  the  present  condition  of  things, 
Avhich  would  go  far  to  neutralize  the  numerical  strength  of  the 
North  —  but  because  the  real  interests  of  the  South  lay  in  the 
Union,  —  a  fact  of  which  the  Southern  States  would  soon  con- 
vince themselves.  Meanwhile  every  advantage  gained  by  the 
Confederate  armies  would  strengthen  the  cause  of  the  South, 
enabling  it  to  dictate  so  much  more  effectually  such  better 
terms  for  the  reconstruction  of  the  Union  as  would  secure  the 
South  in  the  undisturbed  enjoyment  of  its  property  rights, 
and  remove  the  bone  of  contention  between  the  two  sections. 

"  But  what  will  become  of  us  in  the  interim,  until  the  bellig- 
erent powers  have  settled  matters  to  their  notion  ?  ' '  demanded 
Mr.  Huffard,  who  was  one  of  the  company.  "  It  is  all  well 
enough  to  hope  better  things  for  the  future  ;  l)ut  meanwhile, 
the  two  armies  may  meet  here  ;  and  it  is  a  (question  that  I 
would  not  give  odds  on  to  guess  which  is  going  to  whip,  and 
which  of  them  would  be  more  tender  of  our  property  rights." 

"Why,  Mr.  Huffard!"  Payton  interfered.  "Can  you 
doubt,  for  a  moment,  who  are  our  friends?  The  army  under 
command  of  General  Ciper  has  been  organized  for  the  express 
purpose  of  protecting  us  against  the  tyranny  of  the  Federal 
government." 

"Oh,  oh,  Mr.  Huffard!"  echoed  pretty  Emily  Matlack. 
"  Surely  you  do  not  mean  to  doubt  our  friends,  and  take  sides 
with  the  Yankees  ?  ' ' 

"Oh,  no,  Mr.  Huffard!  "  the  fair  Hettie  Shannon  chimed 
in.      "  Indeed  you  know  better  than  that.     Why,  you  told  us 


THE    WAB   FEVER   IN  A    WESTERN    TOWN.  523 

about  the  tyi'auuical  Dutch  Dictator  yourself,  and  that  he  and 
his  minions  must  be  driven  out  of  the  State.  Now,  didn't  you, 
Mr.  Huffard?" 

The  editor  of  the  Ozark  Argus  laughed,  and  said,  with  a 
polite  bow  of  acknowledgment  toward  his  fair  interlocutors, 
"  I  am  sure,  ladies,  that  I  am  obliged  to  you  for  your  good 
opinion  of  me.  Mr.  Danforth,  there,  will  agree  with  you,  I 
suspect,  in  acquitting  me  of  undue  partiality  for  the  Yankees  ; 
and  our  friend,  here,  the  congressman,  ought  to  know,  if  any- 
body, whether  the  Southern  cause  has  a  stauncher  defender 
than  myself  ;  or  whether  he  had  a  truer  friend  than  the  Ozark 
Argus  during  the  canvass  last  summer.  I  trust  he  does  not 
mean  to  spurn  the  ladder  on  which  he  climbed  intooltice.  But 
that  is  neither  here  nor  there.  My  anxiety  is,  what  is  going  to 
happen  to  us  if  the  neighborhood  of  Brookfield  become  a 
battlefield?" 

"  There  isn't  going  to  be  much  of  a  battle,  anyway,"  said 
Payton.  "Let  the  riff-raff  of  hirelings,  that  have  sold  their 
carcasses  to  the  Yankee  government,  once  get  sight  of  a  corps 
of  determined  soldiers  fighting  for  a  principle,  and  they  will 
skedaddle  like  a  herd  of  sheep  at  sight  of  the  wolf.  They 
won't  fight  at  all,  unless  they  outnumber  us  ten  to  one,  as  they 
did  when  they  took  Cam])  Jefferson.  Any  smaller  odds  than 
ten  to  one  we  would  have  fought,  — and  licked,  too,  or  driven 
to  ignominious  flight." 

Among  the  guests  of  the  evening  were  a  number  of  young 
men  who  had  enlisted  in  Leslie's  company  of  volunteers,  in- 
vited by  Nellie  herself  ;  for  she  delighted  to  honor  the  brave 
men  who  took  up  arms  in  defense  of  their  country.  One  of 
these,  who  had  been  an  attentive  listener,  now  put  the  question 
to  Payton : 

"  You  say,  we ;  were  you,  then,  one  of  those  taken  at  that 
capture  ? ' ' 

"  Unfortunately,  I  was,"  Payton  answered. 

"  There  was  nothing  to  be  ashamed  of  in  being  overpowered, 
was  there?"   queried  the  young  man. 


524  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

"Ashamed  of?"  Pay  ton  repeated  with  emphasis.  "1 
should  thing  not.  They  were  ten  to  one  against  us,  with 
whole  parks  of  artillery,  and  regiments  of  cavalry.  But  if  they 
had  been  twenty  to  one,  and  every  one  of  them  a  walking 
arsenal,  none  of  us  would  have  run." 

"Ah!   how  brave!  "  exclaimed  Miss  Matlack. 

"  How  glorious!  "  echoed  Miss  Shannon. 

Nellie  caught  sight  of  Leslie'^  contemptuous  smile,  and 
blushed. 

"  Why,  then,  unfortunate?  "  his  interlocutor  persisted. 

"Because,"  Payton  answered  with  defiant  swagger,  though 
he  blushed  likewise  as  he  spoke,  "  because  the  cowardly 
tyrants  made  me  swear  on  the  Bible  not  to  take  up  arms 
against  the  United  States  government." 

"  What  a  pity!  "  whimpered  Miss  Matlack. 

"  How  cruel  I  "  echoed  Miss  Shannon. 

"  But  it  seems  to  me  that  that  ought  not  to  trouble  you," 
Mr.  Huffard  suggested.  "  You  are  going  to  Washington  for 
the  extra  session ;  at  least  that  is  the  current  opinion  about  it. 
If  you  do,  you  will  be  out  of  the  way  of  any  fighting,  at  least 
as  long  as  the  session  lasts;  and  by  the  time  it  is  over,  the 
politicians  will  have  the  matter  in  hand  again,  and  will  patch 
up  a  peace." 

"  Yes,  I  will  go  to  Congress,"  said  Payton,  with  aggressive 
positiveness,  an  angry  expression  flitting  for  a  moment  over 
his  face  ;  "I  will  go  to  Congress,  though  that  Dutch  Dictator 
send  an  army  of  his  hirelings  to  stop  me." 

"  Leslie,"  said  Nellie  to  her  brother,  "  what  is  there  about 
this  Dutch  Dictator  that  Mr.  Payton  speaks  of  ?  " 

"  Why,  don't  you  know,"  Mr.  Payton  hastened  to  answer 
instead  of  Leslie,  "  that  he  is  that  rascally  Professor  Rauhen- 
fels,  who  forced  that  silly  cub,  Waldhorst,  to  vote  against  your 
father." 

"  Yes,  so  I  learned,"  Nellie  remarked.  "  But  why  should 
he  send  an  army  to  stop  you  from  going  to  Congress  ?  ' ' 

Payton  paused  for  an  instant,  and  Leslie  spoke. 


THE    WAB   FEVER  IN  A    WESTERN   TOWN.  525 

"I  suppose  that  Ralph  knows,"  he  said,  "  that  Victor 
Waldhorst  is  the  governor's  aide-de-camp,  or  private  secretary, 
and  might  naturally  wish  to  take  revenge  upon  his  old  enemy 
(from  grammar-class  times,  3'ou  know)  by  clogging  his  career 
to  glory  in  the  particular  sphere  he  has  chalked  out  for  him- 
self. For  you  know,  don't  you,  that  Ralph  is  as  touchy  on  the 
matter  of  honor,  almost,  as  Victor  Waldhorst?  He  thinks  that 
his  career  as  a  soldier  is  closed  to  him,  because  he  was  a 
prisoner  at  Camp  Jefferson." 

""  And  were  not  you  a  prisoner  at  Camp  Jefferson?  "  asked 
Nellie. 

"  Aye,  but  that  is  a  grey  horse  of  a  very  different  color," 
said  Leslie,  laughing.  "  I  am  not  a  congressman,  you  know; 
and  while  the  pathway  to  glory  or  death  is  open  to  me,  poor 
Ralph's  only  chance  to  distinguish  himself  is  to  hie  him  to 
Washington,  take  father's  place  as  leader  in  the  House  of  Rep- 
resentatives, and  demolish  the  Lincoln  government  by  dint  of 
parliamentary  strategy." 

Pay  ton  frowned  darkly.  "  You  are  singularly  sarcastic  and 
unfair,  Leslie,"  he  said,  taking  his  eyes  off  Nellie's  face, 
which  he  had  uneasily  regarded  during  Leslie's  speech.  "  I 
did  not  say,  that  the  dictator  would  send  an  army  to  stop  me 
from  going  to  Congress.  I  only  said,  that  if  he  did,  he  would 
not  stop  me." 

Mr.  Danforth  had  been  an  attentive  listener,  but  had  not,  so 
far,  taken  part  in  the  conversation.  He  now  said,  not  address- 
ing anyone  in  particular,  but  obviously  with  the  view  of 
smoothing  over  things  for  Mr.  Payton : 

"  It  will  undoubtedly  be  a  good  thing  for  our  town  if  Mr. 
Payton  carries  out  his  intention.  With  him  in  the  House,  and 
Mr.  May  in  the  Senate,  Brooktleld  will  be  well  represented  in 
Congress."  Then,  fixing  his  eye  on  Senator  May,  he  contin- 
ued: "  But  I  am  like  Mr.  Huft'ard.  I  have  some  apprehen- 
sion as  to  the  way  in  which  we  will  be  affected  by  the  two 
hostile  armies  in  case  they  meet  anywhere  near  here." 

"  Oh,  I  am  sure  we   need   give  ourselves  no  uneasiness  on 


526  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

that  score,"  said  the  senator.  "  It  may,  certainly,  become  a 
source  of  some  annoyance  and  trouble ;  but  we  should  remem- 
ber that  both  the  contending  armies  are  composed  of  our 
fellow-citizens,  who  will  be  as  careful  of  the  rights  of  non-com- 
batants as  if  we  were  friends." 

"  I  don't  agree  with  you,  Senator,"  said  Mr.  Hulfard. 
"  Once  they  cry  '  Havoc,  and  let  slip  the  dogs  of  war,'  pas- 
sion and  fury  will  rule,  instead  of  justice  and  discretion.  We 
have  as  yet  no  disciplined  soldiery  on  either  side.  And  even 
if  no  harm  come  to  us  from  the  soldiers  themselves,  there  are 
always  thieves  and  depredating  marauders  following  an  array 
for  the  sake  of  plunder  and  spoliation.  And  then,"  he  added, 
lowering  his  voice  and  looking  about  to  ascertain  whether  any 
of  the  servants  were  within  earshot,  "  there  is  a  kind  of  prop- 
erty that  might  take  itself  off  of  its  own  accord,  if  the  Yankees 
offered  inducement  and  shelter." 

"  Speaking  for  the  Yankees,"  said  Mr.  Danforth,  with  an 
assuring  smile,  "  I  believe  that  I  am  justified  in  announcing 
that  nothing  of  the  kind  suggested  by  you  is  intended,  or  need 
be  feared." 

"  Granting,  that  there  will  be  no  open  confiscation  of 
slaves,"  said  Mr.  Huffard,  "how  will  even  the  Y^ankee  gov- 
ernment prevent  the  abolitionists  that  are  rushing  into  the 
ranks  of  its  armies  from  running  the  underground  railroads  on 
a  lavish  scale  ?     And  what  of  the  marauders  ?  ' ' 

"  Why,  as  to  them,"  said  Mr.  Danforth,  "  the  people  will  be 
able  to  protect  themselves.  Captain  May,  here,  has  a  company 
of  youngsters  under  his  command  that  would  make  short  work 
of  stopping  them  in  any  little  scheme  of  plunder  or  thieving." 

"Oh,  Mr.  Danforth!"  almost  shrieked  Miss  Matlack. 
' '  Youngsters  !  ' ' 

"Why,  lam  sure  they  are  gallant  heroes,  every  one  of 
them!"  Miss  Shannon  added. 

"  At  least  they  expect  to  be,"  said  Leslie,  exchanging  a 
pleasant  nod  with  some  of  the  members  of  his  company  that 
happened  to  be  present ;   "  for  as  yet  they  have  had  no  oppor- 


THE    WAB   FEVER  IN  A    WESTERN    TOWN.  527 

tuuity  to  earu  their  spurs."  Then  turuiug  to  Mr.  Dauforth, 
he  added:  "But  you  are  mistaken,  sir,  if  you  expect  us  to 
remain  at  home  here,  guarding  our  hen-roosts  and  posing  at 
parades  for  the  amusement  of  idlers.  There  are  old  men 
enough  to  serve  as  home-guards  ;  and  if  need  be  — ' ' 

"  There  are  women  too,"  exclaimed  Nellie,  resulutely,  in- 
terrupting her  brother,  "who,  on  occasion,  can  handle  a  re- 
volver. Let  no  man  capable  of  carrying  a  musket  stay  at 
home  for  our  jjrotection.  I  would  blush  to  furnish  an  excuse 
for  any  coward  to  shirk  his  duty  to  his  country." 

Payton  winced  under  Nellie's  enthusiastic  and  spirited 
words  ;  but  he  joined  heartily  in  the  applause  that  rewarded 
her  for  the  patriotic  sentiment  to  which  she  had  given  utter- 
ance. Leslie  noted  with  much  pleasure  the  glances  of  grateful 
appreciation  with  which  his  volunteers  regarded  the  fair 
speaker.  Even  the  ladies  shouted  :  "  Bravo  !  Well  spoken  !  " 
and  the  features  of  Senator  May  brightened  with  pride  as  he 
looked  upon  his  daughter. 

Payton,  who  had  been  furtively  watching  Miss  May  all  this 
while,  now  saw  her  cross  the  room,  meeting  the  octoroon  girl 
Cressie  at  the  door,  who  had  been  beckoning  and  nodding  to 
her  mistress  in  the  endeavor  to  catch  her  eye  without  attract- 
ing general  attention.  As  Nellie  approached,  the  girl  whis- 
pered something  into  her  ear,  at  which  she  was  noticed  to 
change  color.  By  this  time  the  attention  of  the  whole  com- 
pany was  drawn  to  them,  and  a  dead  silence  ensued. 

"  You  may  as  well  come  in  and  tell  us  all  you  know,"  said 
Miss  May,  as  she  noted  the  expectant  faces  of  her  guests. 
"  What  was  it  that  Xerxes  told  you?  " 

The  slave  girl  was  evidently  under  the  pressure  of  some  ex- 
citement, but  spoke  calmly  enough,  in  almost  pure  English, 
remarkably  free  from  the  ordinary  negro  dialect.  "Xerxes 
himself  saw  nothing,"  she  repeated.  "  He  met  Dandy  Slick 
at  the  Frog  Pond ;  and  Dandy,  so  Xerxes  said,  told  him,  that 
he  had  seen  more  than  a  hundred  thousand  soldiers  all  in  grey 
uniforms  — ' ' 


528  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

"That  is  the  Confederate  army  under  General  Ciper!" 
shouted  Paytou,  interrupting  the  girl. 

"Go  on,"  said  Leslie,  drawing  closer  toward  Cressie. 
' '  Where  did  he  see  them  ?  ' ' 

"  Xerxes  did  not  tell  me,"  said  the  girl ;  but  added  of  her 
own  accord:  "I  suppose  it  was  on  Kickapoo  Prairie,  while 
standing  on  the  bluff  at  James'  Fork." 

"  What  makes  you  think  so?  "  asked  Leslie. 

"Because  Dandy  told  Xerxes  that  he  had  been  fishing  at 
Wiuslo's  Run,"  said  Cressie. 

"  Well  —  and  what  else?     Go  on!  "  urged  Leslie. 

"He  told  Xerxes  —  so  Xerxes  said  to  me  —  that  he  got 
frightened  at  all  the  soldiers,  with  their  cannons,  and  muskets, 
and  he  ran  away  as  fast  as  his  legs  would  carry  him,  through 
the  woods,  toward  Brookfield.  And  he  almost  ran  into  the 
bayonet  of  a  soldier  in  a  blue  uniform ;  and  pretty  soon  this 
soldier  marched  him  off  for  a  prisoner  over  to  the  Boonville 
road,  and  there,  —  so  Xerxes  said  that  Dandy  told  him  —  he 
saw  more  than  another  hundred  thousand  soldiers,  all  in  blue 
uniforms,  marching —  " 

"  When  was  this?  "  Leslie  interrupted  her. 

"  He  did  not  tell  me,"  answered  Cressie.  But  it  must  have 
been  in  the  middle  of  the  afternoon  ;  because  Xerxes  just  got 
back  from  the  Frog  Pond  —  ' ' 

' '  What  on  earth  was  he  doing  at  the  Frog  Pond  ?  ' '  Leslie 
again  interrupted. 

"  I  don't  know,  he  did  not  tell  me.  But  I  suspect  he  went 
there  after  some  rushes  to  fix  his  chair  with.  And  it's  a  good 
nine  miles  from  Wiuslo's  Run  to  the  Frog  Pond." 

Leslie  looked  sharply  at  the  octoroon  girl  and  then  at  Nellie. 

"  What  do  you  think  of  this  cock-and-bull  story?  "  he  asked 
the  latter.  "  Cressie,  I  suppose,  is  to  be  trusted,  and  maybe 
Xerxes.  But  what  about  this  Dandy  Slick?  I  have  never 
heard  of  him  before." 

"  Nor  I,"  said  Nellie.     "  He  must  be  a  new  arrival." 

"  Oh,"  said  Mr.  Huffard,  "  he  belongs  to  Jake  Boyd.    He's 


THE    WAIt   FEVER  IN   A    WESTERN    TOWN.  529 

as  lazy  u  st^oiiiuliol  as  you'll  Ihid,  even  anioiig  the  darkies  of 
this  region.  It  is  likely  eiiougli  that  he's  been  out  fishing,  for 
that's  what  he  spends  half:  his  time  at.  And  if  he  got  home 
from  Winslo's  Run  in  less  than  half  a  day,  he  was  mightily 
scared,  you  bet.  But  you  may  back  a  scared  nigger  against  a 
second  class  race-horse,  any  day." 

"  Did  Xerxes  tell  you  anything  more?  "  asked  Nellie. 

"  Bring  him  here  at  once,"  shouted  Leslie,  before  Cressie 
had  answered  the  last  question. 

When  the  girl  had  withdrawn,  he  turned  to  his  father,  asking 
him  what  he  thought  of  the  matter. 

"  There's  no  doubt  on  earth,  but  that  it  is  General  Ciper's 
army,"  Fayton  vohmteered. 

' '  And  what  about  the  blue-coats  ?  ' '  asked  one  of  the  vol- 
unteers of  Leslie's  company.  "  If  they  have  met,  there  must 
have  been  a  battle  before  now." 

"Why,  yes!"  Miss  Matlack  exclaimed  with  animation. 
"  Now,  I  am  sure,  that  I  heard  the  roar  of  cannon  about  sun- 
down. I  thought  it  was  thunder  at  the  time  ;  but  it  must  have 
been  cannonading." 

Before  the  return  of  Cressie  with  Xerxes  there  was  a  lively 
interchange  of  opinion  among  the  ladies  and  gentlemen,  whether 
cannonading  had  been  heard,  or  could  have  been  heard  at 
Brookfield,  if  there  had  been  an  engagement.  Mr.  Huffard 
ridiculed  the  idea  that  the  armies  could  have  met  in  the  time 
indicated..  He  begged  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  to  remember 
that  niggers  were  constitutionally  addicted  to  lying,  and  if 
Dandy  Slick  had  even  stumbled  across  a  scout,  or  a  corporal's 
guard  of  skirmishers,  he  would  naturally  magnify  them  into  an 
army. 

Even  after  the  negro  Xerxes  had  been  examined  and  cross- 
examined  with  all  the  astuteness  that  Leslie  could  bring  to 
bear,  the  company  separated  without  having  learned  whether 
an  action  had  taken  place,  or  was  to  be  expected  ;  or  whether 
the  whole  story  of  Dandy  Slick  was  a  fabrication,  or  the  hallu- 
cination of  a  badly  scared  negro. 

34 


XXXIV. 

AFTER    THE     BATTLE. 

^[HE  jDopulation  in  and  about  Brookfield  were  much 
divided  in  political  fsentinient.  The  majority  undoubt- 
edly sympathized  warmly  with  the  South.  Many  of 
them  were  pronounced  secessionists,  eager  to  separate  the  State 
from  the  old  Union  and  to  join  the  new  republic,  strong  in  their 
faith  in  the  glory  and  prosperity  of  an  empire  based  upon  the 
cherished  institution  of  .slavery  made  sure  and  safe  from  let  or 
hindrance.  Others,  and  not  a  few,  adherents  to  the  doctrine 
of  State  sovereignty,  saw  in  the  attemi)t  on  the  part  of  the 
government  to  coercion  submission,  tyrannical  interference 
with  their  rights  and  liberty,  and  felt  it  to  be  the  duty  of  free- 
men to  resist.  Among  those,  too,  whose  sympathies  were  on 
the  side  of  the  Union,  there  was  a  difference  in  motive.  Of 
the  zealous,  conscientious  fanatics,  who  hailed  the  war  as  a 
scourge  employed  by  Providence  to  punish  the  South  and  bring 
aljout  the  abolition  of  slavery,  there  were  not  so  many  in  the 
Southwest ;  the  predominant  element  among  the  loyal  poi)ula- 
tion  were  indifferent  on  the  subject  of  slavery  —  some  oppos- 
ing it  on  principle,  others  as  unwise  in  policy,  quite  a  large 
pi'oportion  favoring  it  as  an  economic  and  beneficial  institu- 
tion—  but  all  condemning  secession  as  a  political  heresy, 
equally  illogical  in  principle  and  unwise  in  practice,  whether 
the  war  resulted  in  restoring  or  in  wi])ing  out  slavery. 

So  it  was  that  the  meeting  of  the  two  armies  was  looked  for- 
ward to  with  ihe  keenest  interest  —  hope  and  fear  shared  about 
equally  between  both  sides,  the  former,  perhaps,  predominant 
in  both.  And  when,  on  the  day  after  Cressie  had  startled  the 
guests  at  May  Meadows  by  Dandy  Slick's  wild  story,  news 
I'ame  to  Brookfield  that  a  battle  w^as  being  fought,  it  roused 
(o.SO) 


AFTER    THE  BATTLE.  531 

the  i)eople  to  the  highest  pitch  of  excitement.  Rumors  of  the 
events  transpiring  at  Winslo's  Run  chased  each  other,  — vague 
at  lirst ;  contradictory,  exaggerated,  during  the  whole  day. 
So  eager  were  all  to  hear  of  the  issue  of  the  battle,  that  when 
night  came,  few  of  the  men,  or  women,  either,  felt  disposed  to 
retire  to  their  beds,  or  having  done  so  found  oblivion  in  sleep. 
They  gathered  in  little  groups  on  the  Square,  conversing  in 
e^ager  whispers,  —  wondering,  hoping,  fearing.  Mr.  Burden's 
dram-shop  was  crowded  with  gossips,  waiting  for  and  discuss- 
ing the  news  ;  indulging  in  wildest  speculations,  — giving  ready 
credence  to  the  absurdest  reports,  and  dilating,  with  blenched 
cheeks,  on  the  fate  of  the  town  and  its  inhabitants,  if  the  Fed- 
erals should  whip  the  Confederates,  or  vice  versa. 

Leslie  May's  company  of  volunteers  (who  had  neither  been 
sworn  into  the  service,  nor  received  arms)  had  been  ordered 
to  assemble  at  May  Meadows,  with  such  weapons  as  they  could 
lay  hands  on,  to  hold  themselves  in  readiness  for  such  services 
as  emergeucies  might  render  necessary. 

For  the  negro  population  was  most  excited  of  all.  Not  the 
fewest  of  them  expected  immediate  liberation,  if  the  Lin- 
coln soldiers  should  gain  a  victory  over  the  Confederates,  and 
naturally  awaited  events  in  feverish  anxiety.  It  was  chiefly 
the  fear  of  trouble  from  this  source  that  made  the  volunteer 
companies,  including  those  on  the  Union  side,  so  welcome  just 
now. 

Just  before  the  break  of  day  the  dull  tread  of  a  marching 
army  was  heard  approaching  from  the.  direction  of  Winslo's 
Run.  No  beating  or  di'ums,  no  playing  of  fifes,  nor  fanfar- 
onade of  any  kind  :  only  the  sullen,  spiritless  tramp,  tramp  of 
weary  men  marching.  On  reaching  the  Square  of  Brookfield, 
the  general  called  some  of  his  officers  for  consultation  ;  and 
presently  a  bugle  signal  was  heard,  repeated  all  along  the  line 
of  the  moving  column,  and  there  was  a  halt.  Hoarse  words  of 
command,  distinctly  audible  in  the  deep  stillness  of  the  morning- 
dawn,  preceded  a  brief  bustle  and  commotion  among  the  men, 
and  in  a  minute  or  two  two  hundred  fires  blazed  up  along  the 


532  THE  BEBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

roadside  and  in  tlie  adjacent  fields,  —  fence-rails  and  here  and 
there  an  abandoned  outhouse  furnishing  abundance  of  fuel. 
Sentinels  were  posted  to  guard  against  a  surprise,  while  a  part 
of  the  men  busied  themselves  cooking  coffee,  and  the  rest  lay 
down  in  full  accoutrement,  knapsacks  serving  as  pillows,  to 
snatch  some  little  sleep  before  the  anticipated  order  to  resume 
the  march.  In  less  than  half  an  hour  most  of  the  men  were 
sleeping  soundly  on  their  arms. 

For  the  battle  had  been  a  fierce  and  bloody  one.  The 
number  of  slain,  wounded  and  prisoners  reached  many  thou- 
sands. The  Confederate  army,  recruited  in  the  main  from  the 
seceded  States,  but  swelled,  in  its  advance  toward  the  capital 
of  the  State,  by  companies,  even  whole  regiments  of  volunteers 
eager  to  vindicate  the  cause  of  the  South,  was  met  and  opposed 
by  the  Federal  army  under  command  of  General  Lowe.  Gen- 
eral Ciper  thought  to  brush  aside  the  handful  of  Union  men, 
or,  if  need  be,  annihilate  the  obstinate  fools.  This  seemed 
not  a  difficult  thing  to  do,  judging  from  the  information  upon 
which  he  was  called  to  act,  and  Avhich  placed  the  opposing 
forces  at  a  number  of  raw  and  undisciplined  volunteers  not 
exceeding  one-fifth  or  one- fourth  of  his  own  strength.  This 
information  was,  in  its  general  outlines,  substantially  correct; 
only  it  left  out  of  account  the  battalion  of  regulars  that  had 
garrisoned  the  arsenal  under  the  immediate  command  of  Gen- 
eral (then  Captain)  Lowe,  and  the  regiment  of  volunteers  that 
had  been  di'illed  by  veteran  officers  during  the  whole  of  the 
winter  and  spring  preceding  their  enlistment,  —  composed 
chiefly  of  several  companies  of  Turners  and  the  corps  styling 
itself  "  Liitzow's  wilde  Jager." 

There  had  been  a  council  of  war  when  the  strength  and  posi- 
tion of  General  Ciper 's  army  became  known  to  the  Union 
forces,  and  it  had  been  resolved,  with  great  unanimity,  to  con- 
test the  enemy's  advance  on  the  capital,  notwithstanding  the 
disparity  of  the  forces.  This  being  decided,  General  Lowe 
did  not  wait  to  be  attacked  by  the  enemy,  but  stole  a  march 
on  them  during  a  dark  and  stormy  night,  surprising  the  unwary 


AFTER    THE   BATTLE.  533 

troops  at  early  dawn  iu  their  camps.  Dividing  his  forces,  he 
sent  one  corps  under  command  of  General  Seele  to  attack  the 
enemy's  left  wing,  while  with  the  rest  of  his  troops,  including 
the  Turners  and  the  Liitzow's  Jagers,  he  himself  made  an 
onslaught  on  the  main  body. 

The  men  under  General  Lowe's  immediate  command  fought 
like  lions,  driving  the  Confederates  from  one  position  after  an- 
other, until  the  superior  numbers  of  the  rebel  army  began  to 
tell.  The  division  under  General  Seele  was,  at  first,  even 
more  brilliantly  successful ;  his  artillery  did  terrific  execution 
among  the  startled  and  bewildered  rebel  soldiers,  di'iving  them 
forth  from  their  tents  in  wild  confusion.  But  this  very  suc- 
cess had  proved  disastrous  to  the  Union  side.  A  considerable 
number  of  General  Seele's  men  —  raw,  inexperienced,  undis- 
ciplined—  could  not  resist  the  temptation  to  rush  into  the 
deserted  tents  for  plunder,  thereby  throwing  the  whole  column 
into  disorder.  In  vain  did  the  officers  make  frantic  efforts  to 
restore  order  and  reduce  the  unruly  mob  to  subordination  and 
obedience:  in  the  time  so  occupied,  the  Confederates  rallied, 
and  in  a  well  sustained  charge  routed  the  whole  Union  force  on 
this  part  of  the  field,  capturing  their  artillery,  killing  great 
numbers,  taking  many  prisoners,  and  scattering  the  rest  like 
chaff  before  the  wind.  For  the  panic  that  seized  the  demor- 
alized masses  was  as  extravagant  and  irrational  as  had  been 
their  morbid  greed  for  plunder  ;  and  the  rout  became  so  com- 
l)lete  as  to  put  an  orderly  retreat  out  of  the  question.  The 
men  ran,  like  frightened  hares,  in  senseless  terror,  throwing 
away  their  weapons  and  accoutrements,  and  leaving  guns,  gun- 
carriages  and  horses  on  the  field.  As  an  effective  military 
organization  this  part  of  the  Union  army  was  practically  anni- 
hilated. The  captured  arms  were  of  the  greatest  importance 
to  the  Confederates.  Many  of  the  lately  arrived  volunteers 
being  poorly  equipped,  —  their  arms  consisting  of  shot-guns, 
ordinary  rifles,  scythes,  bowie-knives  and  the  like  ;  to  these  the 
muskets  and  ammunition  found  scattered  all  over  the  ground 
evacuated  by  the  flying  Federals  were  most   welcome  booty, 


534  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

adding  largely  to  the  efficiency  of  General  Ciper's  army.  The 
cannons,  of  which  several  batteries,  fully  equipped  and  ready  for 
action,  fell  into  their  hands,  were  immediately  moved  to  the 
left,  and  used  against  General  Lowe's  division. 

They  had  fought  bravely,  and  with  marvelous  success,  until 
the  fearful  odds  against  them  began  to  wear  them  out.  Fresh 
troops  from  the  enemy's  rear  kept  pouring  in  to  take  the  place 
of  those  driven  back.  General  Lowe  looked  anxiously  in  the 
direction  from  which  he  expected  General  Seele  to  appear  with 
his  artillery  to  support  him.  Long  he  looked  in  vain.  There, — 
in  the  very  nick  of  time,  —  for  he  felt  that  he  could  not  hold 
his  position  much  longer  —  a  regiment  came  in  sight,  with 
artillery  too,  —  but  it  was  in  the  possession  of  a  Louisiana  reg- 
iment, and  it  was  used  against-  his  own  men  with  tremendous 
effect.  It  was  then  that  the  undaunted  spirit  of  this  truly 
great  commander  shone  forth  a  bright  example  to  his  brave 
soldiers.  Though  confronted  with  fearful  odds,  now  increased 
by  the  victorious  troops  that  had  so  obviously  vanquished 
General  Seele's  divisiou,  —  though  wounded  severely,  so  that 
it  was  with  difficulty  that  he  kept  his  seat  in  the  saddle,  —  he 
lired  his  weary  men  with  new  energy.  "  Come  on,  brave 
men!  "  he  shouted,  spurring  his  horse,  and  waving  his  sword 
on  high,  "  Come  on !  I  will  lead  you !  " 

His  words  and  heroic  example  did  wonders,  arousing  anew 
the  enthusiasm  of  his  soldiers.  With  a  shout  of  defiance  for 
the  enemy  they  charged  with  such  impetuosity  as  to  carry 
everything  before  them.  The  rebels  were  driven  back  once 
more. 

But  it  was  the  last  charge  ever  led  by  gallant  General  Lowe. 
He  fell  at  the  head  of  his  command,  pierced  b}'  a  bullet  in  his 
left  side  —  a  loss  far  greater  to  the  Union  cause  than  the  gain 
could  have  been  had  there  been  a  victory. 

But  there  was  no  victory.  The  fighting  continued  until 
nightfall  with  doubtful  success  on  either  side.  In  the  after- 
noon General  Seele  succeeded  in  collecting  a  part  of  his  scat- 
tered troops  and  leading  them  back  into  the  action,  retrieving 


AFTER    THE  BATTLE.  535 

in  some  slight  degree,  their  character  as  soldiers,  so  shame- 
fully forfeited  in  the  morning.  Under  cover  of  the  darkness, 
General  Seele  retreated  with  what  was  left  of  the  Union  army 
toward  Brookfield.  The  losses  to  the  Union  forces  had  been 
heavy:  nearly  one-fifth  of  their  entire  number  had  been  killed, 
wounded  or  taken  prisoner  ;  and  besides  a  vast  amount  of  small 
arms  their  most  effective  artillery  had  fallen  into  the  enemy's 
hands.  But  a  heavier  blow  than  all  these  was  the  death  of 
their  ablest  leader ;  this  was  in  reality  an  iiTeparable  loss. 

To  offset  these  reverses,  the  advance  of  the  Confederates 
toward  the  capital  had  been  checked ;  for  the  Confederate 
army,  too,  had  decamped  during  the  night,  leaving  the  battle- 
field in  a  different  direction,  so  that  it  had  really  been  a  drawn 
battle,  —  a  battle,  at  least  without  a  victory  on  either  side  to 
compensate  for  the  terrible  sacrifice  of  human  life  and  limbs. 
For  the  losses  of  the  Confederates  were  heavy  too,  —  heavier 
perhaps,  than  those  of  the  Federals, 

The  general  and  his  staff  had  found  accommodation  at  Mr. 
Smith's  Hotel,  where  they  had  ordered  an  early  breakfast. 
Mine  host,  of  course,  was  eager  to  find  out  how  the  battle  had 
gone,  and  plied  the  general  and  his  officers  with  questions,  but 
got  very  little  satisfaction.  Mr.  Huffard,  too,  paid  his  respects 
at  headquarters,  hoping  to  collect  material  for  a  stunning  sen- 
sational report  in  the  next  issue  of  the  Ozark  Argas,  but  met 
with  no  better  success.  Neither  did  Mr.  Farmer,  although  he 
hinted  very  broadly  that  the  Brookfield  Standard  was  doing- 
yeoman's  service  in  the  Union  cause.  The  general  pleaded 
fatigue  and  pressure  of  business,  and  persistently  avoided  all 
reference  to  the  events  of  the  previous  day. 

In  passing  out,  Mr.  Huffard  met  a  man  in  the  uniform  of  a 
Union  soldier,  bearing  the  insignia  of  a  subaltern  officer  on  the 
sleeves  of  his  coat.  Something  in  his  face  struck  Mr.  Huffard 
as  if  he  ought  to  know  him.  A  question  touching  his  identity 
was  on  the  editor's  tongue  when  it  suddenly  occurred  to  him  that 
this  was  the  n-devant  overseer  of  Colonel  May,  —  Gregory 
Jeff  revs.       So    he    omitted    the    question,    wondering,  how  it 


536  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

was  that  Jeffreys  found  ready  admittance  to  the  general's 
presence. 

He  was  announced  to  the  general  as  Sergeant  Jeffreys,  Com- 
pany I,  Fifteenth Volunteers.     Once  in  the  presence  of 

the  staff  officers  he  assumed  a  rigid  posture,  standing  at  the  door 
as  stiff  as  a  ranu-od,  heels  together,  feet  turned  out  equally, 
eyes  fixed  straight  to  the  front,  —  having  evidently  mastered 
the  ' '  position  of  a  soldier  ' '  as  taught  by  the  drill-master  in 
the  first  lesson.  He  saluted  by  touching  his  cap  with  his  right 
hand,  extending  his  arm  to  the  right  with  the  prescribed  flour- 
ish, and  then  dropping  it,  so  as  to  touch  with  his  hand  the 
seam  of  his  trousers. 

"  Sergeant  Jeffreys,"  the  general  addressed  him,  "  you  have 
intimated  that  you  have  important  information  to  impart  touch- 
ing the  safety  of  the  loyal  population  of  this  place.  I  am 
ready  to  hear  what  you  have  to  say.     Speak !  " 

"  There's  a  right  smart  chunk  o'  well-to-do-country  'round 
'bout  yere,"  said  Jeffreys,  his  eyes  staring  at  an  imaginary 
point  in  the  floor,  "  about  fifteen  paces  to  the  front  "  as  pre- 
scribed in  the  regulation. 

"  Well?  "  urged  the  general. 

"  There  be  some  nobby  'ristocrats  close  by ;  'n  thy 're  all  on 
'era  cantankerous  secesh." 

"  Well?  "  the  general  repeated,  as  Jeffreys  paused. 

"  'n  some  on  'em  own  an  ungodly  sight  o'  niggers." 

"  What  of  that?     Go  on." 

The  eyes  of  the  posing  sergeant  wandered  for  a  moment 
from  the  regulation  angle,  as  he  cast  a  furtive  glance  in  the 
direction  of  the  general's  face.  "I  were  think'n',  'at  some 
o'  them  thar  niggers  'ud  be  mighty  handy  to  hev  'bout  the 
camp.  They'd  be  mighty  glad  to  work  fur  hard  tack  'n' 
water,  so's  they'd  git  a  chance  to  git  away  from  thar  mas- 
ters." 

A  cloud  gathered  on  the  face  of  the  general.  "You  sent 
Avord  that  you  had  something  to  communicate  touching  the 
safety  of  loyal  citizens,"  he  said  sternly.     "  As  yet  you  have 


AFTER    THE  BATTLE.  537 

suggested   nothing  but  stealing  slaves  from  non-combatants. 
Is  this  all  you  have  to  say  ?  ' ' 

Again  the  eyes  of  the  model  soldier  sought,  for  a  brief 
moment,  those  of  the  general,  while  he  stated,  a  little  pomp- 
ously. "I'm  a  truly  I'y'l  man,  General ;  'n'  I  hate  rebels. 
A  good  many  I'y'l  men  'round  yere  hate  rebels  ;  an'  they  hate 
Kernel  May,  'at's  now  a  senator,  'n'  a  red-hot  rebel  's  'e  is. 
An'  I  sorter  guess  'e's  wuth  more'n  a  crack  regiment  to  the 
secesh." 

The  general  began  to  grow  impatient.  "  What  do  you 
mean  by  all  this?  "  he  asked  sternly. 

"  If  Kernel  May,  'at's  now  a  senator,  'ud  be  'rested  fer 
treason,"  Jeffreys  hinted,  with  a  malicious  grin,  "  an'  made  a 
prisoner  o'  war  on  it,  'ud  be  a  good  thing  fur  the  Union  and  fur 
the  I'y'l  people ;  an'  it  'ud  keep  'im  out'n  a  sight  o'  mischief. 
An'  'is  niggers  'ud  be  handy  to  dig  ditches  and  'trench- 
ments." 

"  Stuff  aud  nonsense!  "  the  general  exclaimed  angrily.  "  I 
will  have  you  arrested,  if  you  keep  on  talking  such  humbug." 

If  the  general  had  seen  the  defiant,  resentful  look  that 
Jeffreys  shot  at  him,  it  might  have  entailed  unpleasant  conse- 
quences on  the  sergeant ;  it  would  have  caused  him  to  be 
watched  more  closely,  at  least,  than  would  have  been  to  his 
liking.  But  with  a  peremptory  "  Leave  us  now,"  the  general 
had  turned  away,  and  Jeffreys  added,  without  change  of  post- 
ure or  inflection  of  voice  : 

"  I  cud  take  a  corporal's  guard  'n'  fetch  'im  'u'  all  'is  nig- 
gers, an'  it  'ud  be  wuth  's  much  's  if  we'd  a  won  yeste'day's 
battle." 

Instead  of  replying  to  this  last  suggestion,  the  general  com- 
manded sternly : 

' '  Sergeant  Jeffreys  !  ' ' 

The  sergeant  saluted. 

' '  About  — face !     F'orward  —  march  ! ' ' 

The  sergeant  dared  not  disobey  an  order  so  peremptorily 
given,  but  marched  out  of  the  door. 


538  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTEB. 

One  of  the  subalterns  in  attendance  on  the  general's  staff, 
Sergeant-Major  Obeuaus,  acting  adjutant  to  Colonel  Scheffel, 
was  seen  to  approach  his  colonel,  and  after  a  few  yhispered 
words  he  left  the  room  immediately  after  Jeffreys. 

When  the  door  had  closed  behind  his  adjutant,  Colonel 
Scheffel,  who,  though  a  naturalized  American  citizen  and  an 
ardent  supporter  of  the  Federal  government,  stood  on  terms  of 
hostility  Avith  the  English  language,  addressed  his  commander 
in  the  vernacular  of  the  fatherland.  But  General  Seele 
remarked,  with  a  glance  at  the  other  officers  present,  "  We  do 
not  all  understand  you.  Colonel!" 

"  Der  sershe-ont  iss  not  fallen  on  his  hedt!  "  he  repeated,  in 
such  English  as  he  had  mastered.  "  Dem  nigkers,  Tsheneral, 
kin  help  us,  so  goot  as  white  men.  Uud  dey  pelongs  mit  our 
site." 

The  major  of  another  regiment,  who  was  also  present,  said : 
"  I  fully  agree  with  Colonel  Scheffel.  I  see  no  reason  why 
the  negro,  on  whose  account  this  war  is  being  carried  on,  should 
not  be  made  to  do  his  share  in  overthrowing  the  rebellion.  The 
slaves  constitute  a  formidable  element  of  the  strength  of  the 
South,  which  they  are  using  against  us.  For  every  woolly- 
heatl  that  works  on  a  plantation,  or  even  serves  in  the  house- 
hold, a  white  man  can  be  spared  for  the  ranks  of  the  army." 

The  general  turned  sharply  round.  "  They  are  the  property 
of  the  South,  Major,  not  our  property." 

"  Broperty?  "  shouted  the  colonel.  "  Dey  be  no  broperty. 
Godt  maked  dem,  like  me  und  you." 

"  Exactly  so,"  the  major  coincided.  "  But  granting  them 
to  be  property,  then  why  are  they  not  contraband  of  war? 
Why  should  we  not  confiscate  them  as  readily  as  we  would 
confiscate  an  enemy's  horses,  guns,  or  ammunition?  " 

"  What?  "  exclaimed  the  general,  "  confiscate  negro  slaves? 
Confiscate  the  property  of  non-combatants?  And,  for  aught 
we  know,  the  property  of  good  loyal  citizens?  " 

"Goot  I'y'l  citissens  got  no  sclehf  s !  "  proclaimed  the 
colonel. 


AFTER    THE   BATTLE.  539 

"  The  one  whom  the  sergeant  referred  to  is  a  rebel,"  the 
major  remarked.  "  He  distinctly  said  so  ;  and  he  seems  to  be 
well  acquainted  with  the  people  around  here." 

"  Yes,"  the  general  assented.  "  And  don't  you  see  that 
that  fellow  simply  wishes  to  wreak  vengenance  upon  some  one 
against  whom  he  has  a  spite  ?  The  idea  of  making  ourselves 
the  tools  of  a  sneaking  hound,  to  do  his  dirty  work  for  him! 
You  noticed,  did  you  not,  how  he  let  the  cat  out  of  the  bag 
when  he  offered  to  take  a  corporal's  guard,  and  fetch  him  and 
all  his  niggers?  " 

"But,  General,"  the  major  persisted,  "  if  our  cause  is 
served,  by  carrying  out  any  course  of  action,  even  the  nefari- 
ous scheme  of  a  dirty  scoundi-el,  ought  we,  for  that  reason,  to 
forego  an  advantage  to  our  cause?  " 

"  Suppose,  General,"  said  another  of  the  officers,  "  that  the 
slaves  of  this  rebel — -colonel,  1  believe  he  called  him —  " 

"  'at's  now  a  senator,"  the  major  mimicked. 

"  — Senator,  then  —  were  known  to  be  on  their  way^to  build 
a  fort  or  thi'ow  up  earthworks  from  which  the  rebels  might 
attack  us  ;  would  you  hesitate  to  confiscate  them?  " 

"The  case  you  put  is  not  in  point,"  the  general  rephed. 
"  If  the  owner  used  his  slaves  for  such  a  purpose,  he  would 
not  be  a  non-combatant ;  neither  would  the  slaves  be  property 
to  be  confiscated,  but  active  enemies  to  be  treated  as  such. 
Besides,  what  guaranty  have  we,  that  that  scoundrel  did  not 
lie  about  the  owner  of  the  negroes  being  a  rebel  ?  On  general 
principles,  I  am  inclined  to  believe  the  reverse  of  what  such  a 
sneaking  scamp  asserts." 

"  On  general  principles,"  said  the  major  smiling,  "  I  would 
believe  the  owner  of  any  considerable  number  of  slaves  to  be  a 
rebel,  until  he  proves  the  contrary." 

"Especially,"  added  the  other  speaker,  "if  he  has  been 
elected  senator  by  the  legislature  of  this  State." 

' '  Even  then  he  should  have  the  opportunity  of  proving  his 
loyalty,  before  we  proceed  against  him  on  the  authority  of  so 
transparent  a  traducer,"  replied  the  general  warmly.     "And 


540  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

just  at  present  we  have  not  the  time  to  bother  with  questions 
of  this  kind.  Besides,  gentlemen,  you  know  that  it  is  the 
President's  policy  to  conciliate  the  people  of  the  slave  States, 
rather  than  irritate  them  by  any  action  on  our  part  which  might 
give  color  to  the  rebel  cry  that  we  intend  a  general  abolition  of 
slavery." 

The  matter  dropped  here,  for  the  officers  did  not  wish  to 
press  a  subject,  on  which  their  general  had  expressed  so 
decided  an  opinion.  Colonel  Scheffel  alone  seemed  to  be  put 
out  by  the  general's  decision,  but  refrained  from  carrying  on 
the  discussion  himself. 

The  sergeant-major  who  had  followed  Jeffreys  out  of  the 
room,  overtook  him  before  he  had  quitted  the  hotel  porch. 
The  latter  started  when  his  follower  touched  him  on  the  shoul- 
der, and  addressed  him  in  an  easy,  off-hand  way. 

"I  would  like  to  know  something  more  about  this  Colonel 
May  that  you  have  mentioned  to  the  general,"  he  said,  "  But 
let  us  step  aside ;  there  is  no  need  that  anybody  should 
overhear  us." 

"  An'  who  may  you  be?  "  Jeffreys  inquired,  looking  the  new 
comer  over  from  head  to  foot. 

"  My  name  is  Obenaus,"  said  the  other  suavely.  "  I  am 
acting  adjutant  just  now,  in  the  Second  Infantry.  Colonel 
Scheffel  appointed  me  temporarily,  because  the  regular  adjutant 
is  disabled.  The  colonel  can't  write  English,  whatever  you 
may  think  of  his  talk,  and  so  I  do  his  writing  for  him,  and 
talk  to  his  officers j  So  much  for  who  I  am;  now  I'll  tell  you 
what  I  want." 

Jeffreys,  naturally  suspicious,  was,  at  first,  exceedingly  re- 
served. But  Sergeant  Obenaus  was  a  man  of  plausible  speech 
and  engaging  manner,  who  knew  how  to  melt  away  the  dis- 
trust of  the  kindred  spirit  he  had  met,  and  readily  wormed 
out  of  him  such  information  as  he  desired  concerning  the  cir- 
cumstances   of  Senator  May.     The  two  had  soon  reached  a 


AFTER    THE  BATTLE.  541 

secluded  place,  where  they  were  not  likely  to  be  overhead  by 
auy  human  being, 

"  If  you  are  the  man  I  take  you  for,  we  can  do  a  big  job 
for  the  country  and  not  forget  ourselves  the  while.  Do  you 
catch  on  ?  ' ' 

"  Can't  say  that  I  do,"  said  the  sergeant,  pretending  not  to 
understand  the  drift  of  his  new  acquaintance. 

"  Come,  don't  be  as  big  a  fool  as  you  look,"  suggested  the 
adjutant,  administering  a  neighborly  poke  in  the  ribs  of 
Jeffreys.  ^'  You  want  to  get  even  with  the  senator,  and  I  am 
not  the  one  to  blame  you  for  it.  I  take  it  for  granted  that  he 
has  insulted  you  in  some  way  that  an  American  gentleman 
cannot  forgive,  nor  pass  by  without  doing  something  to  get 
even  with  him.  I  want  to  get  even  with  him  too,"  the 
adjutant  added,  smiling  encouragingly.  "  That  is,  you  know, 
I  should  like  to  relieve  him  of  some  of  his  superfluous  wealth, 
and  add  it  to  mine,  so  as  to  make  things  more  even.  Not  that 
I  have  any  wealth  to  be  added  to ;  but  I  would  like  to  have 
some  to  begin  with.  Now  you  want  something,  too,  besides 
helping  loyal  people.     What  is  it?  " 

Jeffreys  did  not  possess  the  moral  stamina  to  resist  the 
seductive  wiles  of  Sergeant  Obenaus.  It  was  not  long  before 
the  latter  was  in  full  possession  of  the  overseer's  grievances, 
extending  even  to  the  spite  against  Miss  May,  and  the  cause 
of  it. 

' '  Ah !  Now"  this  is  an  adventure  in  my  line  !  ' '  exclaimed 
the  adjutant,  rubbing  his  hands  in  high  glee.  "You  shall 
have  that  saucy  yellow  wench  to  flog  at  your  leisure,  and  I'll 
attend  to  her  mistress." 

The  two  walked  slowly  back  to  their  respective  regiments, 
as  they  discussed  the  details  of  the  plan  to  "  get  even  with  " 
the  rebel  senator,  to  serve  the  cause  of  loyal  Union  men, 
including  themselves,  and  have  a  jolly  lark  in  the  bargain. 

"Leave  it  all  to  me,"  said  the  adjutant  finally.  "  I  will 
get  my  colonel  to  send  me  out  foraging  with  a  squad  of  men,  — 
say  five  or  six  —  any  greater  number  would  be  awkward  and 


542  THE  EE BEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

dangerous.  All  you  need  do  will  be  to  pilot  us  through  the 
place  and  point  out  where  the  valuables  are  kept." 

"  I  kin  do  that,"  said  Jeffreys,  complacently.  "  Ye  might 
blindfold  me,  an'  I'd  find  my  way  to  the  desk  an'  the  iron  box 
whar'  they  keeps  thar'  cash,  'n'  thar'  ear-bobs  'u'  dimeus  'n' 
sich.  It's  lucky  'at  the  kernel  fetched  home  'is  family,  as  I've 
hearu  say,  cause  'is  wimen  folks  's  got  an  ungodlv  sight  o' 
rings,  'n'  pins,  'n'  sich,  'at  we  kin  pounce  on." 

"  The  cash  box  is  the  main  thing,  however,"  the  adjutant 
urged.     "  Do  you  suppose  they  have  much  cash  at  home?  " 

"  If  he  ain't  gone  to  Washington,"  said  Jeffreys,  "  fur  I 
hearn  say  'at  'e's  gwiue  tuh  Congress —  'e'll  have  a  right 
smart  chunk  o'  money  laying'  tuh  hum.  " 

"  Are  you  quite  sure,  that  there  are  no  other  white  men  to 
encounter  in  the  house  ?  ' ' 

"  'is  cub  of  a  son  's  way  off  to  the  city,  I  reckon ;  or  if  'e 
aint,  'e's  somewliar'  playin'  soger,  'e's  a  cantankerous  devil, 
is  that  son  o'  the  kernel  ('ats'  now  a  senator)  an'  it's  lucky  ef 
'e'  aint  tuh  hum." 

"  No  others?  " 

"  I  can't  count  on  anybody  else,  leastwise  ef  they  don't 
have  company.  They're  the  plaguiest  fools  fur  company  ye 
ever  hearu  tell  on." 

"  They  shall  have  plenty  of  company  when  we  get  there," 
said  Obenaus,  facetiously.  "Are  they  pretty?  The  ladies, 
I  mean." 

"Purty?"  Jeffreys  repeated,  with  a  scornful  expression, 
and  such  a  sneering  inflexion  of  voice  as  indicated  his  decided 
opinion  to  the  contrary.  But  then,  as  he  found  the  matter  not 
quite  so  clear  on  reflection,  he  added :  "  Well,  ya-as  ;  I  reckon 
'at  some  folks,  mebbe  might  count  'er  fur  a  beauty.  Ev'ry 
one  to  'is  taste,  as  the  old  woman  said  when  she  kissed  the 
cow.  An'  the  madam  —  well,  when  she's  got  'er  duds  on  she 
struts  like  a  silly  peacock,  prouder  'n  a  dozen  o'  'em,  'f  ye 
like  peacocks,  she'll  take  yer  fancy  in  'er  Sunday  go-to-meetiu' 
duds." 


AFTEB    THE   BATTLE.  543 

"  Will  they  make  much  of  a  fuss  wheu  we  houor  them  with 
our  visit?  " 

"  The  old  uu,  I  guess,  '11  be  faiut'n',  or  possumiu',  or 
squealiu'  ;  but  the  youug  uu's  game.  She'll  light  like  a  wild- 
eat.  We'd  better  stop  up  'er  mouth  soon  's  we  cum  'cross  'er. 
I'll  teud  to  that.  I've  got  'er  on  the  chalk  auy  how,  fur  some 
of  her  old  tricks.  It'll  be  a  fust  rate  chauce  to  git  squar'  with 
her." 

"  Better  leave  'er  to  me,"  said  the  adjutant,  winking  jocosely. 
"  Maybe  she  would  like  to  have  her  mouth  stopped  with  a  kiss. 
I  know  just  exactly  how  to  manage  young  ladies." 

"  'f  ye  know  what's  good  fur  ye,"  Jeffreys  cautioned  his 
newly  found  friend,  "  ye'll  not  kiss  'er  'thout  ye  got  'er 
hands  tied,  or  me  holdin'  on  to  'em.  'f  ye  do,  she'll  put  a 
mark  on  yer  face,  so's  to  know  you  by  when  she  meets  ye 
agin." 

"  Scratch  ?"  suggested  the  other,  chuckling  complacently. 
"  You  pique  my  curiosity  to  meet  this  lovely  she-rebel.  It  will 
be  rare  sport  to  tame  her." 

"  Mebbe  yer '11  find  your  hands  full,"  said  .Jeffreys,  con- 
torting his  face  into  as  near  an  approach  to  a. grinning  smile 
as  he  rarely  indulged  in. 

"  I  expect  to,"  said  Obeuaus,  "  and  my  arms  too.  —  But  let 
us  separate  here.  Be  sure  to  meet  me  in  the  Square  in  half  an 
hour.  I'll  be  marching  with  my  squad,  and  you  can  join  us 
there." 

The  night  had  been  one  of  unrest  at  May  Meadows.  The 
inmates  were  eagerly  waiting  for  tidings  from  Winslo's  Run. 
Senator  May  hoped  for  a  decisive  victory  of  the  Confederates, 
which  might  put  Congress  into  the  mood  of  treating  with  the 
seceding  States,  and  enable  him  and  his  party  to  bring  the 
Northern  hot-heads  to  terms,  so  that  the  country  might  be 
restored  to  peace  and  harmony  on  a  basis  securing  to  each  of 
the  belligerent  sides  their  rights  and  interests. 

Leslie    May   was    enthusiastic    in    predicting    a    Southern 


544  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

triumph.  He  fumed  and  fretted  over  his  hard  luck  that  eou- 
demned  him  to  inactivity  while  glorious  fighting  was  going  on 
almost  within  sight  and  hearing  in  an  action  that  might,  per- 
haps, decide  the  war,  depriving  him  of  all  opportunity  of  win- 
ning a  name  as  a  soldier.  For  a  while  the  young  Hotspur 
actually  contemplated  the  project  of  marching  his  volunteers  — 
unorganized  and  unequijjped  as  they  were  —  over  to  the  field  of 
action  and  there  offering  their  services  to  General  Ciper.  His 
father  finally  persuaded  him  to  abandon  the  ridiculous  notion, 
chiefly  by  reminding  him  of  the  imi^ortant  services  confidently 
expected  of  the  company  at  the  present  critical  condition  of 
things  at  home. 

Nellie  May,  for  her  part,  was  so  sure  of  the  glorious  success 
to  be  achieved  by  her  gallant  countrymen,  that  she  actually 
regretted  the  absence  of  her  father  and  brother  from  the  field 
of  glory.  She  thought  of  Payton,  too,  in  connection  with  the 
engagement.  Was  it  not  hard  for  him  to  be  debarred  the  glo- 
rious privilege  of  distinguishing  himself  on  the  field  of  honor? 
To  be  sure,  his  course  proved  him  to  be  a  man  of  high  moral 
calibre.  It  was  noble  for  him  to  renounce  glory  and  renown 
for  the  sake  of  patriotic  duty.  Were  he  only  a  little  less  punc- 
tilious in  responding  to  the  call  of  his  country  for  his  wisdom 
in  the  nation's  council  —  he  might  be  there,  reaping  the  honor 
and  glory  accorded  to  the  soldier  who  stakes  his  life  in  the 
defense  of  his  country.  A  puzzling  thought  troubled  her  in 
connection  with  this  subject.  She  remembered  how  Victor 
Waldhorst  had  grown  in  her  estimation  when  he  sacrificed  his 
hope  and  aspiration  to  highest  earthly  bliss,  on  the  altar  of 
sacred  duty,  —  how,  for  the  first  time  in  her  life,  she  had  been 
awed  into  the  recognition  of  a  will  stronger  than  her  own,  — 
of  a  purpose  more  exalted  than  the  gratification  of  passionate 
desu'e,  of  one  who  held  his  manhood  higher  than  her  favor. 
Well  she  remembered  how  her  anger  at  his  stubborn  persistency 
changed  into  regard  for  his  manly  firmness.  She  wondered 
why  Payton 's  self-sacrifice  to  duty  had  not  a  similar  effect 
upon  her.     To  the  question,  Wh}'?  she  found  no  answer;  but 


AFTER    THE  BATTLE.  545 

the  fact  remained :  a  distinct  consciousness,  that  her  ardent 
admirer  had  not  gained  in  her  estimation  by  his  moral 
scruples. 

It  was  long  after  midnight  when  she  went  to  bed ;  though 
not  to  sleep.  Strange  fancies  chased  each  other  through  her 
fevered  brain.  Strong  was  her  faith  in  the  prowess  of  South- 
ern soldiers,  and  firm  her  conviction  in  the  right  and  ju^stice  of 
the  Southern  cause.  But  her  intelligence  did  not  permit  her 
to  disregard  the  possibility  of  temporary  defeat,  in  the  vicissi- 
tudes of  war,  on  either  side.  What  if  the  array  now  fighting 
under  General  Ciper  should  meet  with  a  repulse?  What  if 
Lincoln's  hirelings  should,  in  the  flush  of  victory,  rush  upon 
Brookfleld,  and  glut  their  vengeanc^e  on  the  enemies  of  their 
cause?  Would  not  her  father  be  one  of  the  first,  —  conspicu- 
ous as  w^as  his  position,  and  well  known  as  were  his  views  — 
to  fall  a  victim  to  their  wrath? 

The  members  of  the  embryo  company  of  volunteers,  whom 
Leslie  had  summoned  to  May  Meadows,  were  as  keenly  eager 
as  their  captain  for  news  from  the  scene  of  action.  After 
spending  the  greater  part  of  the  night  in  discussing  the  military 
situation,  relieving  their  restlessness  time  and  again  by  pro- 
tracted lessons  in  drilling,  they  accepted,  long  after  midnight, 
Leslie's  suggestion  to  quarter  themselves  for  the  hour  or  two 
remaining  before  morning,  in  the  barn  and  hay-loft,  where  they 
were  soon  fast  asleep. 

Neither  Leslie  nor  his  father  found  it  possible  to  follow 
their  example.  A  little  before  the  break  of  day  Nellie  rose 
from  her  restless  couch  and  joined  the  gentlemen,  inquiring 
for  news  from  the  battlefield.  Leslie  offered  to  run  over  to 
the  town  to  ascertain  whether  further  tidings  had  been  re- 
ceived there ;  whereupon,  the  father,  averring  that  a  walk 
would  much  refresh  him  and  relieve  him  in  his  harrowing  sus- 
pense, offered  to  accompany  him,  if  Nellie  were  not  afraid  to 
remain  alone. 

''  I  am  not  at  all  afraid.  Papa,  for  myself,"  said  the  cour- 
ageous girl.     "  I  have  that  little  bull-dog,  you  know,  whose 

35 


546  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

bark,  if  uot  his  bite,  will  be  a  protection  to  me.  But  I  wish 
you  to  be  careful.  Promise  me  that  you  will  uot  expose  your- 
self uunecessarily ;  aud  that  you  will  return  home  at  once,  if 
any  blue-coats  show  themselves." 

"  Why,  of  course,"  said  the  senator.  "  I  can  safely  prom- 
ise you  that,  for  I  would  return  at  any  rate  to  let  you  know 
any  news  I  may  learn.  But  what  has  come  over  my  brave 
daughter's  spirit,  that  she  should  give  way  to  faint-hearted 
solicitude  for  her  prudent  old  father  ?  It  is  not  like  you  to  be 
afraid  of  shadows." 

"  Well,"  said  the  girl  gently,  "  I  am  not  exactly  afraid,  you 
know.  But  it  is  not  wise  to  court  danger,  is  it?  And  —  well, 
I  suppose  I  am  a  little  nervous  on  account  of  the  sleepless 
night  and  the  excitement." 

"  I  hope  to  be  able  to  bring  you  such  news  as  will  enable 
you  to  recover  your  spirits,"  said  the  father.  "  Meanwhile  I 
would  suggest  that  you  have  Cressie,  or  some  other  servant, 
within  call,  if  you  should  want  her.  Good-bye,  for  a  while, 
my  darling !  " 

"  Grood-bye,  Nellie!  "  the  brother  also  said.  '•  We  will  be 
back  in  a  jiffy  !  " 

Nellie,  when  left  alone,  felt  heavy  at  heart.  She  followed 
her  father's  advice,  and  called  Cressie. 

The  two  maidens  sat  alone  on  the  veranda.  The  intense 
stillness  of  a  summer  night  had  given  way  to  the  faint  audible- 
ness  of  the  indistinguishable  sounds  preceding  the  buzzing 
of  insects,  the  twittering  of  birds  aud  the  lowing  of  kine,  of  a 
balmy  summer  morning  in  the  country.  Presently,  too,  the 
sober  grey  of  dawn  glided  into  the  rosy  harbinger  of  Aurora, 
to  be  again  supplanted  by  the  brighter  rays  of  Phcebus  as  he 
climbed  upward  from  the  horizon.  Subdued  voices,  now  and 
then,  reached  the  ears  of  the  listening  maidens  from  the  direc- 
tion of  the  negro  quarters,  where  the  field  hands  were  getting 
ready  for  the  day's  work. 

"  Cressie!  "  said  the  mistress,  softly. 

'''  Yes  m'm?  "  said  the  servant,  in  sympathetic  response. 


AFTER    THE  BATTLE.  547 

"What  do  you  think  our  hauds  would  do,  if  the  Yankees 
won  the  battle  they  are  fighting?  " 

"  I've  heard  some  of  them  say,  that  they  expect  to  be  free 
when  the  war  is  over." 

"  But  before  the  war  is  over,  —  now  —  what  would  they  do 
if  the  Yankee  soldiers  got  the  better  of  ours?  " 

"Maybe  some  of  them  will  run,"  the  octoroon  suggested, 
with  downcast  eyes. 

"  I  fear  they  would,  Cressie,"  said  Nellie,  and  then  relajjsed 
into  silence. 

After  a  pause,  "  Cressie!  "  she  repeated. 

"  Y^es  m'm?  "  very  gently. 

"  Do  you  wish  the  Yankees  to  win  in  this  war?  " 

"  I  ?  "  said  the  octoroon  looking  timidly  at  her  mistress.  ' '  It 
makes  no  difference  what  I  wish.  And  it  will  make  no  differ- 
ence to  me  whether  they  win  or  not." 

"  Would  you  leave  me,  Cressie,  if  they  gave  you  your  free- 
dom? " 

"  Not  if  you  do  not  wish  me  too." 

"  Oh!  "  mused  the  mistress  ;  "I  believe  you,  Cressie.  You 
are  faithful.  But  if  you  were  free,  it  would  be  perfectly  right 
for  you  to  leave  us,  —  me." 

' '  Only  if  you  made  it  right  for  me  to  leave  you  ;  only  if  you 
wished  me  to." 

"  But  if  you  were  perfectly  free,  —  as  free  as  I  am  —  and  a 
man  came  along,  —  a  man  that  you  loved,  Cressie,  —  and  asked 
you  to  go  with  him?  " 

A  far-away  look  came  into  the  octoroon's  eyes  as  she  said, 
smiling  sadly,  "  The  man,  whom  I  love,  will  never,  never  ask 
me  to  go  with  him." 

Something  in  the  girl's  voice,  or  in  the  look,  perhaps,  that 
accompanied  her  words,  or  perhaps  the  pathos  of  the  words 
themselves,  made  a  deep  impression  on  Nellie.  She  regarded 
her  servant  with  a  new  interest,  which  for  a  moment  drew  her 
thoughts  away  from  the  engrossing  subject  on  which  they  had 
dwelt.     But  her  attention  was  suddenly  claimed  hj  the  look  of 


548  TEE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

terror  which  crept  into  Cressie's  face,  and  the  half-smothered 
cry  of  alarm  that  escaped  her. 

•'  Oh,  see  there  !  " 

Nellie  looked  in  the  direction  indicated  by  Cressie's  eyes,  and 
saw  what  for  the  moment  filled  her  with  superstitious  fear  as 
uncontrollable  as  that  of  her  servant.  What  she  saw,  coming 
in  swift  realization  of  the  newly  entertained  dread  that  even  in 
its  high  improbability  had  impressed  her  with  awe,  might  well 
excuse  her  blenching  cheeks.  Six  men,  clad  in  the  blue  uni- 
form of  Yankee  soldiers,  were  marching,  with  muskets  shoul- 
dered, straight  toward  the  house,  led  by  a  seventh,  who 
marched  at  their  head,  a  pace  in  advance  of  them. 

What  could  these  soldiers  want,  at  this  early  morning  hour, 
at  the  house  of  her  father?  Her  busy  imagination  pictured 
direful  possibilities,  of  all  of  which  her  father  was  the  centre. 
And  for  a  moment  it  was  doubtful  whether  maid  or  mistress 
was  more  thoroughly  enthi-aUed  by  unreasoning  terror.  For 
Cressie,  too,  was  horror-stricken  by  what  she  saw :  not  the 
soldiers  approaching,  nor  yet  their  leader  in  the  blue  uniform. 
But  there,  a  little  to  the  right  of  the  negro  quarters,  stalked 
Jeffreys,  peering  intently  in  the  direction  of  the  cabins,  —  the 
man  whose  face,  when  she  last  had  seen  it,  had  been  distorted 
with  a  rage  all  the  more  intense  for  being  baffled  of  its  pur- 
pose, boding  ill  to  the  victim  that  might  fall  into  his  unre- 
strained power.  That  face  had  graven  itself  on  her  memory, 
for  she  had  been  conscious  that  she  herself  w^as,  however 
iimocently,  the  cause  of  his  anger.  There  now  was  that  face, 
orinnino-  with  a  diabolical  malice.  Cressie  slu'ank  back  invol- 
untarily,  seeking  instinctively  to  hide  from  those  baleful  eyes, 
which,  she  felt,  were  in  search  of  her. 

Nellie  quickly  recovered  her  self-possession.  The  military 
bearing  of  these  men,  approaching  in  steady,  measured  step, 
betokened  them  to  be  disciplined  soldiers.  She  reasoned  that 
no  harm  could  come  to  her  father  from  them.  With  this 
thought  her  fears  vanished,  and  curiosity  soon  possessed  her. 

"  What  can  these  men  want  here?  "  she  said,  not  noticing 


AFTER    THE  BATTLE.  o49 

either  the  scared  look  ou  Cressie's  face,  or  the  mau  who 
occasioned  it,  but  still  regarding  the  steadily  advancing  squad 
of  soldiers. 

"  Oh,"  the  octoroon  answered,  as  if  the  question  had  been 
addressed  to  her,  "I  am  sure  that  he  can  mean  nothing  but 
mischief." 

The  emphasis  on  the  word  "he,"  as  well  as  the  deep  alarm 
betrayed  by  Cressie,  caused  Nellie  to  look  at  her,  and  then  in 
the  direction  indicated  by  Cressie's  eyes.  "Ah!  "  she  ex- 
claimed, coloring  slightly  with  surprise  and  vexation,  "it  is 
Jeffreys !  "  Then  turning  with  an  air  of  comforting  assurance 
to  the  frightened  girl,  she  added,  "  See,  Cressie,  it  is  well  for 
you  that  these  blue-coats  are  comiug ;  they  will  be  a  protection 
against  a  ruffian.  The  worst  they  can  do  will  be  to  run  you 
off.  But  we  have  not  come  to  that  yet,  I  hope.  At  any  rate, 
do  you  remain  at  my  side,  so  long   as  that  Jeffreys  is  about." 

The  soldiers  had  by  this  time  arrived  opposite  the  veranda, 
and  Nellie  arose.  She  recognized  in  their  leader  a  subaltern 
officer,  as  he  commanded  the  squad  to  halt  and  right  face,  and 
then  saluted  the  young  lady  by  touching  his  cap  and  grace- 
fully flourishing  his  right  arm. 

"If  the  ladies  will  kindly  permit,"  he  said  with  a  bow  of 
meek  deference,  but  in  a  tone  the  bold  assurance  of  which 
contrasted  perceptibly  with  his  ostentatious  show  of  deference, 
"  I  shall  first  put  my  men  at  ease,  before  I  give  myself  the  pleas- 
ui'e  of  waiting  on  the  ladies." 

Then  he  i^ompously  commanded:  "  'tention  —  Company! 
Support  —  arms  !  Shoulder  —  arms  !  Present  —  arms  ! 
Shoulder  —  arms  !     Order  —  arms  !     Rest !  " 

Having  thus  complied  with  military  etiquette,  he  ascended 
the  steps  to  the  veranda  and  addressing  himself  to  the  young 
lady  standing  before  him,  again  bowed. 

Something  in  this  man's  boldness  and  coarseness,  notwith- 
standing all  his  outward  show  of  obsequious  politeness,  warned 
Nellie.  Acknowledging  his  bow  with  a  slight  nod,  she  looked 
at  him,  waiting  for  him  to  speak, 


550  THE  BEBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

"  It  makes  me  unhappy,  fair  lady,"  he  began,  his  eyes  rest- 
ing on  her  face  with  a  wollish  glitter,  his  hps  puckered  into  an 
affected  smirk,  "  that  I  am  fated  to  perform  a  ver}^  disagree- 
able duty ;  disagreeable  far  more  to  me,  I  assure  you,  than 
to  you  and  yours.  But  I  take  comfort  in  the  conviction,  that 
a  lady  of  the  high  refinement  and  intelligence  with  which  you 
are  gifted,  will  not  visit  her  resentment  upon  a  poor  subaltern, 
who,  in  the  discharge  of  his  stern  duty,  but  executes  the 
orders  of  his  superior.  May  I  be  assured,  dear  lady,  of  your 
forgiveness  under  the  circumstances?  " 

"  It  seems  to  me,  sir,  that  if  you  are  carrying  out  the  orders 
of  a  superior  officer,  it  ought  to  make  no  difference  to  jou 
whether  I  forgive  you  or  not,"  said  Nellie,  coldly.  "And you 
seem  to  forget,  that  I  have  not  yet  been  informed  as  to  the  na- 
ture of  the  duty  you  wish  me  to  forgive." 

The  grin  with  which  Sergeant  Obenaus  regarded  the  young 
lady  while  she  spoke,  was  probabl}^  meant  to  express  admira- 
tion. "  Ah,"  he  said,  "I  was  not  mistaken.  Even  before  I 
heard  the  music  of  your  voice,  and  before  I  had  occasion  to 
admire  the  simple  directness  of  your  speech,  I  knew  that  I  was 
dealing  with  a  superior  woman.  And  this  makes  it  all  the 
harder  for  me  to  do  the  harsh  thing  —  ' ' 

"  Perhaps,  sir,  it  were  better  that  you  attended  to  your  duty, 
whatever  it  may  be,"  she  interrupted  him.  "Your  soldiers 
seem  to  be  waiting  for  orders." 

"Noble  sentiments  for  a  lady  to  utter  in  your  circum- 
stances!" exclaimed  the  adjutant,  fairly  beaming  with  irre- 
pressible admiration.  "It  is  a  vast  pity  that  so  grand  a 
character  should  be  subjected  to  the  harassments  sometimes 
incident  to  civil  w^arfare.  And  since  you  are  so  well  aware 
what  it  must  be,  will  you  then  have  the  kindness  to  lead  me 
into  the  presence  of  the  master  of  the  house?  " 

Meanwhile  Jeffreys  had  sauntered  up  to  the  veranda,  a 
fiendish  grin  of  triumphant  malice  distorting  his  face  as  he  saw 
Cressie,  who  on  his  approach  had  crept  behind  her  mistress  in 
an  agony  of  terror. 


AFTER    THE  BATTLE.  551 

He  intercepted  Nellie's  response  to  the  request  of  Sergeant 
Obenaus  with  a  chuckle,  and  the  remark,  "  Yer  needn't  wait 
fer  'im  ;  'e  ain't  yere,  I  guess,  no  how  ;  an'  'tmight  be  sorter 
onpleasaut,  I  guess  fur  'is  darter  to  wait  on  ye  on  sich  an 
arrand.     I  guess  I'll  show  ye  round  myself." 

"  So  sorry,  Ma'am,"  remarked  the  adjutant,  "  to  miss  the 
pleasure  of  your  company  for  a  while,  and  the  comfort  of  your 
assurance  or  pardon  for  our  intrusion  on  this  painful  occasion. 
But  I  shall  give  myself  the  happiness  of  a  renewed  interview 
later  on."  And  with  another  bow  to  Miss  May  he  turned  to 
accompany  Jeffreys. 

But  Jeffreys  was  not  quite  ready  to  conduct  his  companion 
through  the  house.  "  Hold  on  a  spell,"  he  said  ;  "  yere's  that 
'ere  wench  ,' at  I  been  tellin'  ye  on.  Let's  make  sure  o'  her 
afore  we  go  further.  She'll  be  a  handy  thing  to  have  'bout 
the  camp,  don't  you  think?  " 

"Why,  yes,"  the  adjutant  assented;  "she'll  make  a  fine 
piece  of  furnitui'e  indeed.  Are  you  quite  sure  that  she  is  really 
a  contraband  ?  " 

"You  bet!"  the  ci  devant  overseer  replied.  "An'  she's 
spry,  I  will  say,  ef  I  do  owe  'er  a  floggin'  fur  'er  contrariness. 
Let's  make  sure  on  'er.  She's  a  nigger, — leastwise  she's  a 
colored  wench  —  an'  she  b'longs  to  a  rebel,  an'  she's  got  to 
be  confiscated."  And  he  stretched  out  his  hand  toward  the 
trembling  girl,  saying,  in  a  tone  of  mock  tenderness,  "  Come 
me  bute !     You  and  1  know  each  other,  don't  we?  " 

Nellie's  eyes  flashed.  "Stand  off,  sir!  "  she  exclaimed, 
with  imperious  gesture  and  commanding  voice.  "  Touch  that 
girl,  sir,  and  I  will  shoot  you  like  a  mad  cur!  " 

"Magnificent!"  shouted  Sergeant  Obenaus,  clapping  his 
hands.  "  So  must  Joan  of  Arc  have  looked  at  the  head  of  the 
French  army.  Is  it  not  sad,  that  so  much  beauty  and  heroic 
valor  must  go  unrewarded  on  account  of  the  stern  necessities  of 
cruel  war?  You  make  me,  indeed,  blush  for  what  duty  compels 
me  to  do  ;  and  again  I  must  humbly  beg  your  i>ardon."  And 
seizing  the  hand  of  Nellie,  he  attempted  to  carry  it  to  his  lips. 


552  TEE  REBEL'S  DAUQRTEB. 

But  Nellie  in  disgust  had  quickly  jerked  away  lier  hand. 

"Ah,"  he  said,  somewhat  taken  aback  by  her  prompt  ac- 
tion, "  I  understand!  Mademoiselle  desires  a  warmer  salute! 
And  indeed  her  regal  beauty  entitles  her  to  be  gratified." 

With  a  motion  so  sudden  that  she  was  pow'erless  to  prevent 
it,  he  seized  both  her  hands,  one  in  either  of  his,  and  forcing 
her  arms  behind  her,  he  attempted  to  embrace  and  kiss  her. 

But  he  had  underrated  the  strength  and  agility  of  this 
daughter  of  the  South.  Maddened  with  indignation  at  the 
insult  offered  her,  the  intense  loathing  which  her  assailant's 
touch  produced,  gave  her  strength  beyond  her  sex.  With  a 
frantic  effort  she  flung  off  the  miscreant,  and  in  the  next 
instant  there  was  a  blush  on  the  adjutant's  cheek  —  a  decidedly 
novel  experience,  certainly,  to  the  valiant  soldier,  —  planted 
there  by  Nellie's  energetic  hand. 

The  adjutant's  discomfiture  was  aggravated  by  a  malicious 
chuckle  uttered  b^^  Sergeant  Jeffreys. 

"  Didn't  I  tell  yer,"  he  jeered,  "  'at  she's  a  perfick  wild  cat 
to  fight?  But  ye  know'd  better  an'  now  ye  got  it.  Kiss'n' 
'er,  eh?     Well,  how  do  you  like  'er  kiss'n'?  " 

But  here  the  exemplary  temper  and  gallantry  of  Sergeant 
Obenaus  gave  out.     Nor  was  he  in  a  mood  for  joking. 

"  Quit  your  silly  trifling,"  he  said,  with  a  decided  frown, 
' '  and  help  me  tame  down  this  piece  of  contrariness.  If  you  will 
lend  a  hand,  I  guess  we  will  have  her  quiet  enough  presently." 

"Let's  confiscate  t'other  one, fust,"  Jeffreys  insisted.  "She's 
someth'n'  wuth  totin'  to  camp  ;  an'  what's  the  use  o'  this  un?  " 

"  Let  some  of  the  men  take  care  of  your  wench,"  the  adju- 
tant urged  angrily,  "and  do  you  come  here  and  assist  me. 
Catch  hold  of  her  right  hand,  while  I  seize  the  other,  and  we'll 
have  her  bound  in  a  jiffy." 

"  An'  then,"  sneered  Jeffreys,  "  what'Uye  do  with  'er  when 
ye  got  'er  tied?  " 

"  Do  you  never  mind,"  snapped  the  adjutant.  "  This  high- 
flung  young  she-rebel  has  got  to  be  taught  the  consequence  of 
trifling  with  a  loyal  soldier," 


AFTER    THE   BATTLE.  ^oZ 

"  Well,  I  guess  a  smart  dressiu'  down  '11  be  a  wholesome 
less'u  to  the  sassy  minx,"  said  Jeffreys,  as  he  moved  forward, 
apparently  to  obey  his  comrade's  command.  Nellie  stepped 
backward  toward  the  hall  door,  and  in  doing  so  produced  her 
revolver  from  her  dress  pocket.  The  men  gave  an  involuntaiy 
start  when  they  saw  the  glittering  weapon  in  her  hand  and 
heard  the  ominous  click. 

"  Stand  back,  ruffians,  both  of  you  I  "  rang  out  in  clear,  fear- 
less voice,  her  eyes  ablaze  with  anger,  her  lips  curling  in  scorn, 
her  face  eloquent  with  indomitable  resolution.  "Loyal 
soldiers,  indeed !  But  that  I  know  you  for  immoderate  liars,  I 
should  rejoice  in  your  l)oast  of  loyalty.  Such  loyalty  would 
turn  the  nation's  stomach,  and  there  were  no  need  of  Southern 
armies  to  rid  us  of  you.  But  you  lie  !  You  are  neither  loyal, 
nor  soldiers.  I  have  no  love  for  your  Yankee  government; 
but  this  I  know,  that  you  foully  asperse  it  by  claiming  to  act 
in  obedience  to  its  behest.  You  are  not  commissioned  to  in- 
sult women  and  steal  slaves.  Poltroons !  It  will  take  more 
than  two  of  you  to  finish  your  work  of  insult  and  outrage,  and 
more  than  a  squad  of  your  blue-coats  to  get  away  with  our 
slaves. —  And  such  as  you  have  come  to  meet  our  gallant  boys 
in  gray,  and  aspire  to  the  honor  of  being  thi-ashed  by  them  ! 
Go  home,  and  tell  your  government,  that  the  foulest  insult 
that  has  yet  been  offered  to  the  outraged  South,  is  the  sendiug 
among  us  of  an  army  of  such  rapscallions  as  you,  wearing  the 
uniform  of  soldiers,  and  following  the  profession  of  freebooters 
and  highwaymen  !  ' ' 

Cressie  had  not  taken  her  eyes  off  Jeffreys.  In  an  un- 
guarded moment,  the  latter  was  listening  in  a  dazed  sort  of 
way,  to  the  invective  poured  forth  by  her  incensed  mistress, 
she  darted  past  him  like  a  frightened  doe,  running  in  the 
direction  of  the  barn,  where  men  were  sleeping  that  might  pro- 
tect her  mistress  and  herself,  if  only  they  had  notice  of  what 
was  going  on.  But  Jeffreys,  watching  his  prey  with  cat-like 
alertness,  ran  after  and  quickly  overtook  her,  not,  however, 
before  she  had  uttered  one  piercing  scream.    In  vain,  it  seemed  ; 


5a4  THE  liEBEL  S  DAUGHTEB. 

for  the  sleepers  in  the  barn  gave  no  token  that  they  had  been 
awakened.  Jeffreys  effectually  prevented  further  outcry  on 
Cressie's  part,  by  roughly  grasping  her  throat  and  choking  her, 
while  with  his  other  hand  he  closed  her  mouth. 

Obenaus,  when  Jeffreys  had  thus  unceremoniously  left  him, 
bethought  himself  of  the  soldiers,  and  summoned  them  to  his 
assistance.  Nellie,  raising  the  hand  in  which  she  had  the  re- 
volver, motioned  them  back. 

"  Keep  away,  men!  "  she  exclaimed.  "  You  do  not  wish  to 
be  shot,  do  you,  by  a  woman?  You  may  overpower  me,  I 
know.  But  the  first  man  that  approaches,  dies!  And  think 
a  moment:  Did  you  enlist  to  help  a  miscreant  insult  a  woman? 
He  may  be  your  sui^erior  otlicer.  But  has  he  authority  to 
command  you  to  do  the  cowardly  thing  he  has  called  you  for  ? 
As  you  are  men,  —  as  you  are  Americans:  respect  a  woman's 
distress!  As  you  are  soldiers,  shame  not  your  profession  by 
making  war  on  a  woman !  ' ' 

Nellie's  appeal  staggered  the  men.  In  spite  of  the  peremp- 
tory orders  of  Sergeant  Obenaus  they  moved  not,  but  stood 
looking  at  each  other  in  puzzled  uncertainty  what  to  do.  At 
last  one  of  them  spoke  uj) :  "This  is  not  a  regular  order. 
Such  a  command  is  not  mentioned  in  the  School  of  a  Soldier. ' ' 

"  But  he  is  our  sergeant ;  we  must  obey  him  !  "  said  another. 

"  I  heard  ihe  Judge  Advocate  say,  that  we  must  obey  only 
the  lawful  orders  of  a  superior  olilcer.  This  don't  seem  to  me 
to  be  a  lawful  order." 

"I'll  be  d — d  if  I  charge  against  a  woman,  command  or 
no  command!  "  said  a  fourth. 

This  last  remark  found  favor  with  the  men,  and  for  a  while 
it  seemed  as  if  Sergeant  Obenaus  would  have  to  fight  it  out 
single-handed  with  the  young  lady,  in  which  case  the  final 
issue  was  by  no  means  a  dead  certainty  in  his  favor.  But  a 
new  actor  appeared  on  the  stage  and  completely  changed  the 
situation.  For  Cressie's  outcry  had  been  heard,  though  it  had 
not  awakened  the  sleepers. 


XXXV. 

FRIENDS  AND   FOES. 

HE  road  by  which  Winslo's  Run  was  reached  from 
Brooklield  ran  in  a  Southwesterly  direction,  while  May 
Meadows  lay  to  the  Southeast  of  the  town ;  so  that 
Senator  May  and  his  son  did  not  become  aware  of  the  prox- 
imity of  the  Federal  army  before  they  reached  the  Square. 
The  first  intimation  they  had  of  it  was  the  arrival  of  a  number  of 
ambulances  in  the  Square,  from  which  severely  wounded  men 
were  being  removed  and  taken  to  the  extemporized  hospital 
into  which  the  courthouse  had  been  converted.  For  General 
Seele  had  received  information  that  the  Confederate  army  had 
withdrawn  from  the  battlefield  about  the  same  time  the  Fed- 
erals left  there,  moving  in  a  Southerly  direction,  so  that  no 
immediate  pursuit  was  to  be  expected,  and  he  had  there- 
fore ordered  a  halt,  in  order  to  give  his  men  a  few  hours  of 
much  needed  rest.  The  ambulances  containing  the  most  des- 
perately wounded  of  yesterday's  battle  moved  in  the  rear  of 
the  main  body  and  had  just  reached  the  town. 

"  See,  Pa,"  said  Leslie,  as  they  approached  the  courthouse, 
"  that  looks  as  if  they  had  been  whipped !  See,  those  soldiers 
running  to  and  fro  are  all  Yankees.  Those  wounded  men  are 
all  Yankees,  too.  They  must  have  been  traveling  all  night  to 
reach  here  at  this  time ;  at  least  a  good  part  of  the  night. 
That  means  that  they  have  been  whipped,  does  it  not?  " 

Senator  May  was  not  so  sanguine,  nor  so  ready  with  his 
inference.  "It  may  just  as  well  mean  that  they  have  been 
victorious.  For,  if  defeated,  would  they  make  a  hospital  of 
our  courthouse  ?  And  I  see  no  Confederates.  If  they  had 
been  victorious,  they  would  not  have  permitted  the  enemy  to 
escape  unpursued." 

(555) 


556  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

"  But  that  would  hold  just  as  good  for  the  other  side," 
Leslie  replied  in  an  eager  whisper.  "  If  the  Yankees  had  been 
victorious,  would  they  have  marched  ten  or  twelve  miles  in  the 
dead  of  night,  carrying  their  wounded  with  them?  And  see, 
these  men  do  not  look  as  if  they  had  been  winning  a  battle. 
They  are  as  glum  as  mourners  at  a  funeral." 

"  Their  task  is  a  sad  one,"  mused  the  senator.  "  See*,  some 
of  the  poor  fellows  they  are  carrying  will  soon  be  beyond 
rejoicing  over  victory,  or  grieving  over  defeat." 

They  were  very  near,  now,  to  one  of  the  ambulances  from 
which  the  inmates  were  being  removed  to  the  interior  of  the 
courthouse.  One  of  the  army  surgeons  directed  the  transfer. 
"  Handle  this  fellow  gently,"  he  said  to  his  assistants.  "  He 
must  be  suffering  intensely,  although  he  is  bearing  up  with 
great  fortitude." 

Senator  May  looked  at  the  face  of  the  wounded  man  —  pale, 
and  gaunt,  with  mouth  firmly  compressed  —  and  he  started. 
"  See!  "  he  whispered  excitedly,  "  is  not  this  he  that  was  our 
young  host  down  at  Busch  Bluff?  " 

Leslie  looked  and  recognized  Woldemar  Auf  dem  Busch. 
"So  he  is,"  he  said.  "  But  he  has  changed  so  that  I  should 
hardly  have  recognized  him,  if  you  had  not  pointed  him  out  to 
me.     To  think  that  he  should  have  volunteered  as  a  soldier!  " 

"  They  are  sterling  people,  these  Auf  dem  Busches,"  said 
the  senator,  "  although  this  young  fellow  was  rather  opiniated. 
They  are  sadly  in  error  about  the  political  interests  of  our 
country ;  but  you  see  that  he  has  had  the  courage  to  fight  for 
his  conviction,  and  may  have  to  die  for  it." 

When  Woldemar  Auf  dem  Busch  was  placed  on  the  stretcher, 
he  opened  his  eyes,  and  for  a  second  they  dwelt  on  Senator 
May.  As  soon  as  the  latter  saw  that  he  had  been  recognized, 
he  spoke,  in  as  cheerful  a  voice  as  he  knew  how  to  assume, 
his  features  beaming  with  a  sympathetic,  encouraging  smile, 
saying : 

"  Why,  my  young  friend,  this  is  a  sony  plight  I  find  you 
in.     Can  you  give  me  your  hand?  " 


FBIENDS  AND   FOES.  557 

The  surgeon  interfered. 

"Whoever  you  are,  sir,"  he  said  gently,  but  with  a  per- 
emptoriuess  that  commanded  obedience,  "  you  must  not  interfere 
with  our  work."  Then  he  added,  in  a  whisper  not  audible  to 
the  patient,  "  his  life  may  depend  on  absolute  quiet.  Do  you 
understand?  " 

Woldemar  raised  his  hand,  slowly  and  with  obvious  effort, 
regarding  the  senator  with  an  appealing  look,  which  the  latter 
promptly  interpreted  by  the  question : 

"  Can  I  do  anything  for  you  ?  ' ' 

"You  are  very  kind,"  said  the  sick  man,  in  a  distinct, 
though  low  voice.     "  If  you  would  look  after  my  father —  " 

"  What  —  is  your  father  here?  "  the  senator  interrupted  him 
in  undisguised  surprise. 

"He  is  badly  hurt.  If  you  would  kindly  see  him!  It 
would  do  him  so  much  good."  With  a  feeble  smile,  the 
pathos  of  which  touched  the  senator,  he  added:  "  He  thinks 
so  much  of  you.  Almost  —  as  much  —  as  of  Professor  Rau- 
henfels." 

"Where  is  he?  " 

"  Perhaps  Doctor  Behr  will  kindly  find  out,"  said  the  pa- 
tient, with  an  appealing  glance  toward  the  surgeon.  "  I  do 
not  know.     He  was  badly  hurt.     And  I  —  " 

"  He  is. all  right,"  said  Doctor  Behr  cheerfully.  "  When  I 
have  made  you  comfortable,  I  will  take  this  gentleman  to  see 
him  and  they  can  talk  over  old  times  together.  But  just 
now  we  must  be  getting  you  into  a  more  comfortable  place  ; 
and  you  must  not  be  too  garrulous."  He  nodded  to  the  bear- 
ers of  the  stretcher  to  proceed,  and  looked  at  Senator  May  as 
if  he  expected  him  to  say  something. 

"  I  will  meet  you  here  in  fifteen  minutes,"  said  the  senator, 
"  and  I  will  be  under  great  obligations  to  you  if  you  will  take 
me  to  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch,  Sr." 

"Dr.  Behr,  this  is  Senator  May,"  came  in  feeble  accents 
from  Woldemar's  lips.  "  We  used  to  call  him  Colonel  before 
the  war." 


558  THE   BE  BEL'S  D  AUGHT EB. 

While  the  doctor  and  senator  were  shaking  hands,  the  man 
on  the  stretcher  was  carried  into  the  courthouse  hospital. 

Leslie  had  not  shown  himself  to  the  wounded  man,  but  hailed 
some  of  the  acquaintances  he  met,  to  extract  from  them  such 
information  as  was  to  be  had  touching  the  outcome  of  the  bat- 
tle, and  the  probable  movements  of  the  Federal  army.  It  was 
pretty  well  known  by  this  time  that  neither  side  had  gained  a 
straight-out  victory,  and  that  the  losses  on  both  sides  had  been 
heavy.  The  death  of  General  Lowe  was  hailed  with  undis- 
guised satisfaction  by  the  rebels,  and  even  Leslie  put  on  a 
brighter  look  as  he  said:  "  I  knew  the  general.  He  was  my 
captor  at  Camp  Jefferson.  The  Yankees  will  never  be  able  to 
fill  his  place." 

On  rejoining  his  father,  the  latter  requested  him  to  repair  at 
once  to  May  Meadows,  to  bring  the  news  to  his  mother  and 
sister,  and  added  that  he  himself  would  be  detained  for  a  time 
in  town. 

"  Be  sure  to  allay  any  apprehensions  that  Nellie  may  have 
for  my  safety,"  his  father  enjoined  on  him,  as  Leslie  started 
for  home." 

His  thoughts  on  the  way  were  busy  with  the  events  that  had 
transpired,  and  dwelt  on  the  issue  of  yesterday's  battle  and 
the  prospect  of  his  joining  General  Ciper's  army.  That 
Woldemar  Auf  dem  Busch  had  voluntarily  become  a  soldier, 
was  to  him  a  stunning  surprise.  That  the  old  gentleman  had 
done  so  he  had  not  yet  learned  ;  it  would  have  been  still  more 
incomprehensible  to  him.  The  transition  of  his  thoughts  from 
the  Auf  dem  Busches  to  Pauline  Waldhorst  was  natural :  It 
was  some  months  since  he  had  last  seen  her,  —  on  that  da}^ 
when  they  had  met  the  philosophers  at  tea.  When  he  recalled 
the  scene  of  her  meeting  with  his  sister  Nellie,  he  unconsciously 
accelerated  his  pace.  Her  image  loomed  up  in  his  mind  as 
that  of  a  charming  woman,  of  whom  he  had  resolved  to  think 
no  more.  It  vexed  him,  that  in  spite  of  his  resolution  his 
thoughts  would  wander  back  to  her.  "  I  do  believe  I  am 
erowing  sentimental!  "  he  muttered.     "  Bah!     What  is  Wol- 


FRIENDS  AND   FOES.  559 

deroar  Auf  dem  Busch's  sweetheart  to  me  ?  ' '  Yet  be  wondered 
how  Pauline  had  taken  it  when  Woldemar  enhsted  for  the  war. 
And  he  wondered  how  she  would  take  it  if  Woldemar  should 
happen  to  die.  Again  he  wondered  how  Pauline  would  behave 
toward  him  if  they  should  meet  again  —  whether  she  would 
resent  his  conduct  toward  her?  He  wondered,  too,  what  his 
sister  Nellie  would  say,  if  she  knew  that  he  had  won  Pauline's 
heart,  and  then  thrown  her  over? 

While  his  thoughts  were  thus  busy,  he  nearly  reached  May 
Meadows,  and  Cressie's  cry  of  distress  broke  rudely  in  on  his 
meditations.  Running  in  the  direction  whence  the  cry  pro- 
ceeded, he  reached  the  spot  just  as  Jeffreys  had  overpowered 
Cressie  and  was  dragging  her  away  toward  the  negro  quarters. 
So  intent  to  secure  his  prey  was  the  brutal  overseer,  that  he 
did  not  become  aware  of  Leslie's  approach,  and  the  latter 
dealt  him  a  stunning  blow  that  sent  him  sprawling  to  the 
ground.  Cressie,  thus  released,  sped  swiftly  back  to  the 
house,  while  Leslie  was  about  to  inflict  summary  chastisement 
on  the  prostrate  overseer,  wearing  the  uniform  of  a  Union 
soldier.  But  at  this  moment  he  caught  sight  of  the  group  of 
soldiers  near  the  veranda,  where  his  sister  stood,  revolver  in 
hand,  in  an  attitude  showing  clearly  that  she  was  on  her 
defense  against  the  man  standing  near  her,  —  a  subaltern 
Yankee  officer,  Leslie  supposed  him  to  be. 

' '  Marauders !  ' '  was  the  thought  that  flashed  through  Les- 
lie's mind.  He  gave  a  vigorous  yell,  calling  on  the  men  he 
knew  to  be  sleeping  in  the  barn,  and  rushed  up  to  the  house. 

Sergeant  Obenaus  heard  the  yell,  and  saw  Leslie  approach- 
ing at  full  speed.  It  was  plain  enough  to  the  sergeant  that 
this  man,  whoever  he  might  be,  was  bitterly  in  earnest.  Reso- 
lute action  seemed  urgent.  Addressing  himself  to  his  squad 
of  soldiers,  he  commanded  energetically :  ' '  Company !  Charge  ! 
Ready !  Aim  —  ' ' 

This  order  was  quite  a  different  thing  from  that  to  charge 
on  a  woman,  and  the  soldiers  promptly  obeyed. 

But  Nellie,  however  intrepid  in  facing  personal  peril,  was 


560  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

seized  with  deadly  terror  on  seeing  her  brother  about  to  be 
shot  down.  She  flew  from  the  veranda,  passing  the  com- 
mander, and  before  the  word  "  Fire!  "  was  uttered,  she  stood 
in  front  of  the  muskets  leveled  at  her  brother. 

Leslie  had  aproached  to  within  a  few  paces,  and  covered  the 
sergeant  with  his  revolver. 

Nellie's  action  had  again  startled  the  soldiers.  They  could 
not  fire  at  Leslie  without  killing  her,  and  it  is  doubtful  whether 
they  would  have  obeyed  the  command  to  fire,  at  this  moment, 
if  it  had  been  given.  But  Sergeant  Obenaus  never  gave  the 
order.  Simultaneous  with  Nellie's  action  in  throwing  herself 
before  the  soldiers'  muskets,  was  the  report  of  Leslie's  revolver, 
and  Sergeant  Obenaus  fell. 

From  the  barn  a  number  of  men  now  rushed  to  the  scene, 
and  before  the  bewildered  soldiers,  whose  attention  was  cen- 
tered on  their  fallen  leader,  on  the  woman  who  had  interposed 
herself  between  them  and  the  man  with  the  revolver,  at  whom 
they  had  been  about  to  fire,  could  well  defend  themselves,  they 
had  been  seized,  their  muskets  taken  away  from  them,  and 
any  resistance  rendered  unavailing. 

For  a  minute  or  two  there  was  confusion.  The  men  of  Les- 
lie's company  made  eager  inquiry  as  to  what  all  this  meant. 
Nellie  had  sunk  in  her  brother's  arms,  overcome  by  the  reaction 
from  the  intense  strain  on  her  nerves.  But  for  a  brief  mo- 
ment only.  She  quickty  rallied,  and  anxiously  inquired  what 
had  become  of  her  father.  His  report  reassured  her  as  to  his 
safety.  But  Leslie's  face  sobered,  as  he  looked  upon  the  mo- 
tionless form  of  Sergeant  Obenaus.  He  exacted  from  his 
sister  an  account  of  all  that  had  happened  during  his  absence. 
Such  members  of  Leslie's  company  as  were  not  engaged  in 
guarding  the  soldiers  gathered  around  her,  and  listened  eagerly 
to  her  recital  of  the  conduct  of  Jeffreys  and  Obenaus.  Her 
words  produced  profound  sensation  among  the  hotheaded 
rebels  who  had  enrolled  their  names  as  defenders  of  the 
Southern  cause.  When  she  mentioned  the  attempt  of  Jeffreys 
to  carry  off  the  slave  girl  Cressie,  their   scowling  faces  and 


>     ^*i. 


FBIENDS  AND   FOES.  561 

clenched  fists  gave  token  of  the  wrath  that  incensed  them. 
Their  blazing  eyes  were  tnrned  in  the  direction  where  the  mis- 
erable wretch,  recovering  from  the  effects  of  the  blow  that  had 
been  dealt  him  by  Leslie,  was  about  to  sneak  off.  It  needed 
but  a  hint  from  the  latter  to  start  half  a  dozen  men  in  pursuit. 
While  he  was  secured  and  led  back,  Leslie  bent  over  the  fallen 
sergeant  to  search  for  his  wound.  A  small  red  spot  on  his 
uniform  marked  the  place  where  the  bullet  had  entered  his 
body  ;  he  tore  away  the  clothing  and  discovered  a  small  puncture 
in  the  skin,  with  hardly  a  drop  or  two  of  blood  oozing  there- 
from. There  was  no  respiration.  The  most  eager  search  and 
delicate  touch  of  Leslie's  fingers  failed  to  indicate  the  faintest 
trace  of  a  pulse.  The  bullet  had  evidently  penetrated  to  his 
heart ;  life  was  extinct. 

Nellie  had  watched  Leslie's  features  during  the  examina- 
tion. Their  expression  alarmed  her.  "  Is  he  dead?  "  she 
whispered. 

"  Quite  dead  !  "  said  Leslie,  soberly.  "  He  will  never  again 
insult  a  woman." 

' '  What  could  have  been  the  meaning  of  his  coming  here  with 
a  lot  of  soldiers?  "  Nellie  inquired. 

"  I  am  puzzled  to  guess,"  said  Leslie.  "  That  it  was  an 
unlawful  purpose  there  can  be  no  doubt.  The  attempted  ab- 
duction of  Cressie  by  that  cowardly  dog  Jeffreys  proves  that. 
But  then  he  must  have  had  authority  from  his  superior  officers  ; 
for  these  men  seem  to  be  regular  soldiers.  There  would  be  no 
such  discipline  among  them,  if  they  were  marauders  or  common 
thieves." 

"Yes,"  added  Nellie,  "and  why  should  he  exhibit  such 
disgusting  cringing  toward  me,  asking  me  to  introduce  him  to 
the  master  of  the  house?  " 

"  I  wonder  if  I  could  pump  some  information  from  Jef- 
freys, "  said  Leslie.  "  I  suspect  that  he  does  not  feel  in  a 
communicative  mood  toward  me.  But  I  have,  before  now, 
made  him  talk  against  his  will." 

Contrary  to  his  expectation,   however,   he    found   Jeffreys 

36 


562  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

nothing  loth  to  talk.  A  sardonic  smile  of  triumph  accompanied 
his  words  as  he  replied  to  Leslie's  questions.  He  volun- 
teered the  statement,  that  the  dead  officer  was  a  "  truly  I'y'l  " 
man,  and  stood  high  in  the  favor  of  his  colonel.  And  that 
his  murderer  would  surely  be  punished  by  the  military  authori- 
ties. Also,  that  he  himself  would  be  a  witness  against  Leslie 
before  the  court-martial,  where  they  would  allow  no  hired 
lawyers  to  bother  the  witnesses  and  fool  the  jury.  By  dint  of 
skillful  questioning  Leslie  finally  ascertained  that  Jeffreys  did 
not  belong  to  the  same  regiment  with  Obenaus,  and  that  while 
the  latter  had  come  to  forage  for  his  comjDauy,  he  himself  had 
no  orders  to  accompany  him. 

Leslie  also  engaged  some  of  the  soldiers  in  conversation, 
with  the  view  of  eliciting  from  them  further  facts,  or  at  least 
such  scraps  of  information  as  might  assist  him  in  coming  to  a 
conclusion  as  to  the  course  to  be  pursued  in  regard  to  them. 
He  incidentall}^  learned  from  them  some  additional  news  about 
the  battle  at  Winslo's  Run,  from  which  he  inferred,  that  there 
must  have  been  some  valiant  fighting  on  the  part  of  the 
Yankees  ;  and  that  the  victory  of  the  Confederates,  if  victory 
they  had  gained,  had  cost  them  dearly.  Leslie  was  far  from 
easy  in  his  mind  ;  the  presence  of  the  six  Federal  soldiers,  held 
as  prisoners  by  the  men  of  his  company,  raised  an  awkward 
dilemma.  But  in  Nellie's  presence  he  put  on  the  appearance 
of  cheerfulness  and  in  response  to  her  questioning  look,  said  : 
"  It  is  all  right.  But  I  don't  intend  to  do  anything  until  pa 
gets  back.  I  must  be  careful  not  to  implicate  him  in  any  col- 
lision with  the  authorities,  civil  or  military.  I  wish  he  were 
here !  ' ' 

When  he  came  there  was  a  surprise  in  store  for  him,  equal- 
ing, at  least,  the  one  with  which  he  had  meant  to  astonish  his 
family, — a  surprise  that  greatly  increased  his  thoughtfulness" 
and  anxiety.  But  he  communicated  the  news  he  had  brought 
with  an  air  of  quizzical  humor.  "  Why,  we  are  having  a  taste 
of  war,  sure  enough,"  he  said,  as  the  events  of  the  morning  had 
been  related  to  him.     "  Leslie  and  I  have  seen   some  stirriuof 


FBIENDS  AND   FOES.  563 

evidences  of  it  in  town  over  there.  And  1  lun  going  to  bring 
some  of  them  here  to  complete  the  picture,  adding  romance  to 
stern  reality.  What  say  you  to  a  visit  from  our  city  friends, 
the  Auf  dem  Busches,  father  and  son,  just  at  this  interesting 
juncture?  " 

And  he  proceeded  to  astonish  his  wife  and  daughter  with 
the  announcement  that  he  had  not  only  invited,  but  actually 
made  arrangements  for,  the  conveyance  of  the  severely  wounded 
men  to  May  Meadows. 

"  I  could  not  permit  myself,"  he  said,  by  way  of  apologizing 
to  the  ladies,  "  to  let  the  old  gentleman  lie  there  helpless  and 
unattended  but  for  the  rough  ministrations  of  some  unspnpa- 
thetic  fellow  detailed  for  sick  service.  You  ought  to  have  seen 
his  face  brighten  up  as  I  shook  hands  with  hhu ;  one  might 
think  we  had  been  life-long  friends.  I  am  afraid  that  he  is 
badly  hurt;  but  his  first  thought  was  for  his  son,  as  Wolde- 
mar's  first  thought  had  been  for  his  father.  I  did  not  believe 
these  blunt,  brusque  men  capable  of  the  tender  solicitude 
w^hich  they  unconsciously  displayed  before  me.  And  so  I  told 
both  of  them  that  it  would  give  us  pleasure  if  they  would  allow 
me  to  have  them  brought  to  our  house,  and  if  they  would  con- 
sider it  their  home  during  convalescence." 

Tiu'uing  to  his  wife,  he  asked  her :  "  What  say  you,  Louise? 
Did  I  do  right  ? ' ' 

Her  assent  was  prompt,  though  not  cordial.  But  Nellie 
spoke  up  unasked,  and  said  warmly: 

"  Indeed,  Papa,  you  could  not  do  otherwise  without  abnegat- 
ing your  character  for  Southern  hospitality.  They  are  foes, 
but  they  have  been  punished  by  our  gallant  defenders  ;  and  we 
will  only  remember  that  they  have  been  friends,  and  claim  our 
hospitality." 

"  They  may  give  us  some  information  touching  the  sei'geant 
and  the  soldiers,"  said  Leslie. 

"  I  trust  you  are  not  uneasy  on  that  score,  my  son,"  said 
the  father  cheerfully  and  confidently.  "  If  the  military  take 
cognizance  of  the  affair  at  all,  they  are  bound,  in  their  own 


564  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

interest,  to  vindicate  your  conduct.  In  this  war,  public  opin- 
ion is  a  potent  factor.  They  cannot  afford  to  defy,  or  even 
to  ignore  it.  And  in  a  court  of  law,  —  well,  you  know  better 
than  I  do,  that  no  jury  on  earth  would  hesitate  a  single  moment 
to  acquit  you . ' ' 

"  I  am  confident  that  there  is  no  cause  for  fear,  except  that 
the  facts  may  be  perverted  by  a  court-martial  composed  of  com- 
rades of  the  dead  sergeant  and  of  Jeffreys, ' '  was  Leslie's  answer. 

"  Jeffreys?  "  exclaimed  the  senator,  laughing.  "  You  don't 
think  that  he  has  a  comrade  that  would  ever  be  called  on  to  sit 
in  a  court-martial  ?  ' ' 

"  I  should  hope  not!  "  Nellie  added.  "And  as  to  his 
testimony,  you  have  on  two  occasions  shown  what  that  is 
worth.  Besides,  there  is  the  testimony  of  the  soldiers.  I 
believe  them  to  be  honest  men,  though  they  are  Yankees.  I 
could  easily  see  that  they  were  ashamed  of  their  commander." 

"  As  soon  as  our  guests  arrive,  we  will  take  these  soldiers  to 
the  commanding  general  of  the  Federal  army,"  said  the  sena- 
tor. "  I  judge  that  it  will  be  best  for  you,  Leshe,  to  report 
the  facts  yourself,  and  make  a  clean  breast  of  it." 

"  Of  course  I  shall,"  Leslie  informed  him. 

"  Of  course,"  Nellie  remarked,  "  he  will  do  that.  But  I 
have  a  notion  that  it  will  be  best  for  pa  to  have  a  talk  with  the 
general  first.  Don't  you  think  so  ?  If  Leslie  and  his  company 
escort  these  soldiers  through  the  town,  there  will  be  a  crowd  of 
people  following  you,  and  it  may  arouse  the  prejudice  of  the 
Federal  officers  against  him." 

"  I  believe  Nellie  is  right,"  said  her  father.  "  At  any  rate, 
it  will  not  be  amiss  for  me  to  chat  with  Cxeneral  Seele.  And 
coming  to  think  of  it,  it  will  not  do  at  all  to  parade  your  men 
before  the  enemy  or  even  to  let  them  know  that  you  are  about 
to  enter  the  Confederate  army  with  them.  I  am  glad,  that 
Nellie  called  our  attention  to  this." 

Before  leaving,  Senator  May  took  his  daughter  aside  and 
put  the  question  whether  she  was  aware  of  any  difficulty  or 
quarrel  between  Leslie  and  young  Auf  dem  Busch.    ' '  Because, ' ' 


FRIENDS  AND   FOES.  565 

he  said,  "  when  I  remarked  to  him  that  both  he  and  his  father 
were  to  be  brought  to  this  place,  a  decided  expression  of  paiu, 
or  at  least  of  disappoiiitmeut,  clouded  his  face.  His  father, 
ou  the  contrary,  had  shown  in  every  way  that  he  was  grateful 
for  the  proffered  hospitality,  and  Woldemar  was  evidently  very 
glad  to  have  his  father  here.  It  was  onlj  to  his  own  removal 
to  May  Meadows  that  he  seemed  averse.  Now,  can  you 
account  for  this  ?  ' ' 

"I  think  I  can,"  said  Nellie  smiling.  "You  need  give 
yourself  no  uneasiness  on  that  account.  Young  men  are 
sometimes  in  each  other's  way,  when  they  wish  to  be  particu- 
larly polite  to  the  same  damsel.  She  is  not  here,  so  I  think  I 
can  kee})  them  on  their  good  behavior." 

"  Y'ou  don't  mean  to  say,  Nellie,  that  Leslie  —  is  jealous?  " 
said  the  astonished  senator. 

"No;  not  Leslie,"  Nellie  assured  him.  "  But  1  fear  that 
young  Auf  dem  Busch  is." 

"  Of  our  Leslie?     But  how  can  that  be?  " 

"  Entirely  without  cause,"  said  Nellie,  with  an  arch  look  at 
her  father  that  made  him  laugh. 

"Well,  well!  This  is  news  indeed.  Under  the  circum- 
stances, I  think,  that  the  young  fellows  should  not  meet,  just 
yet.  Young  Auf  dem  Busch  is  very  low,  and  any  agitation 
might  prove  fatal  to  him.  I  leave  it  to  your  tact  to  keep  them 
apart  for  a  while." 

"  I  will  do  my  best.  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch  is  our  guest,  you 
know,  and  we  will  make  his  stay  as  agreeable  as  possible." 

"  And  don't  neglect  the  old  gentleman.  He  was  much 
pleased,  I  think,  with  the  prospect  of  coming  here,  and  I  don't 
wish  him  to  be  disappointed." 

"  Rest  easy  on  that  score,  Papa.  The  old  gentleman  and  I 
are  on  excellent  terms  with  each  other." 

When  Senator  May  reached  Brookfield,  for  the  second  time 
that  day  he  found  the  town  in  a  lively  stir.  Numerous  groups 
of  soldiers  were  standing  and  walking  to  and  fro  about  the 


566  THE  BEBEL'S  DAUQHTEB. 

Square,  beset  hy  citizens,  loyal  and  otherwise,  eager  to  hear 
them  talk.  Busy  officers  crossed  toward  and  from  the  head- 
quarters and  the  courthouse,  frequenting  the  stores  to  make 
purchases,  dividing  their  patronage  impartially  between  the 
Dutch  Store  and  Mr.  Barnes'  establishment,  or  otherwise  im- 
proving the  time  of  the  halt.  The  Square  presented  as  lively 
a  scene,  and  certainly  a  more  picturesque  one,  as  on  court  or 
election  days. 

The  senator  inquired  for  General  Seele,  and  was  shown  to 
his  room  at  the  hotel.  As  he  entered,  the  general  was  exam- 
ining the  card  he  had  sent  in,  and  met  him  with  the  question : 

' '  You  are  known  as  Colonel  May  ?  ' ' 

"  Yes,  General,"  the  senator  answered  with  a  smile.  "  But 
I  owe  the  title  to  the  good  will  of  my  fellow-citizens.  I  have 
never  been  in  military  service." 

"  And  you  have  been  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate 
from  this  State?  " 

"  That  position,  also,  I  owe  to  the  good  will  of  my  fellow- 
citizens." 

The  general  smiled  and  begged  his  visitor  to  be  seated. 
Then  he  continued  :  "I  am  pleased  to  make  your  acquaintance, 
Senator,  not  only  because  I  deem  it  an  honor  to  receive  your 
visit,  but  also,  because  your  name  has  been  twice  mentioned  to 
me  to-day,  under  circumstances  engaging  my  attention.  — 
Are  you  acquainted  with  a  man  by  the  name  of  Jeffreys  ?  ' ' 

"I  am,  to  my  son'ow,"  said  the  senator,  somewhat  dis- 
turbed by  the  general's  question.  "  If  it  is  he  who  mentioned 
my  name  to  you,  I  fear  that  I  do  not  stand  high  in  your  esti- 
mation." 

"If  it  is  not  unpleasant  to  you,"  said  the  general  with 
simple  directness,  "  I  wish  you  would  tell  me  in  what  way  you 
have  drawn  upon  yourself  the  enmity  of  that  man.  I  make 
this  request  out  of  sheer  curiosity.  So  if  you  feel  the  slightest 
repugnance  to  speak  of  him,  consider  my  words  unspoken." 

"  On  the  contrary,  General,  I  am  very  glad  that  you  have 
asked  me  to  speak  ;  for  my  visit  to  you  concerns,  in  part,  that 


FRIENDS  AND  FOES.  567 

very  man."  The  seuator  then  proceeded  to  state  the  eircuni- 
stauces  under  which  his  former  overseer  had  left  him,  and  re- 
lated, also,  how,  to  revenge  himself,  he  had  tampered  with  the 
grand  jury,  and  committed  rank  perjury  in  the  trial  of  his 
young  friend  Victor  Waldhorst. 

"  How?  "  the  general  asked,  with  obvious  interest.  "  Vic- 
tor Waldhorst  ?  Was  he  a  friend  of  yours  ?  And  he  was  under 
trial,  here,  in  Brookfield,  did  you  say?  " 

"Yes,  sir,"  said  the  senator,  noting  with  pleasure  the  evi- 
dent interest  the  general  took  in  his  protege  of  former  days. 
"  He  was  a  mere  lad,  then,  of  whom,  however,  I  thought  a 
gi'eat  deal ;  and  he  has  since  risen  to  some  distinction." 

"  Yes,  I  have  heard  of  him,"  said  the  general.  "  He  was  a' 
member  of  our  legislature  ;  and  is  now  doing  valuable  service 
as  adjutant  general  to  the  military  governor." 

"  I  have  reason  to  know  that  he  was  a  very  staunch  and 
uncompromising  Union  man  while  in  the  legislature,"  the  sen- 
ator remarked  with  a  significant  smile. 

The  smile  was  reflected  in  the  general's  face ;  but  he  did  not 
pursue  the  subject  further  than  to  say,  ' '  It  must  have  been  pain- 
ful for  him  to  vote  against  the  friend  of  his  youthful  days." 

Without  awaiting  an  answer,  the  general  then  said:  "  Your 
name  has  also  been  mentioned  by  Doctor  Behr,  in  connection 
with  that  of  some  of  our  wounded  men.  He  asked  me  to  con- 
sent to  have  them  transferred  to  your  residence,  which,  of 
course,  I  gladly  did.  The  surgeon  thought  3'our  offer  a  very 
generous  one,  and  believes  that  it  may  save  the  life  of  one  of 
them,  who,  he  says,  is  in  a  very  critical  condition.  You  may 
rest  assured,  sir,  that  Avhatever  may  be  the  business  that  brought 
you  here,  you  have  a  friendly  '  cousin  at  court '  as  we  say  in 
Germany." 

The  senator  then  proceeded  to  state  the  octuirrences  as  they 
had  been  related  to  him,  at  May  Meadows,  that  morning. 
The  general  listened  with  very  evident  interest,  and  frequently 
interrupted  the  narration  with  questions,  evincing  a  desire  to 
possess  the  most  accurate  information. 


568  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

Then,  regarding  Senator  May  with  a  deprecatory  smile,  he 
added:  "You  will  understand,  of  course,  that  the  matter 
must  be  looked  into.  It  is  important  that  discipline  be  ob- 
served. Nor  can  it  be  permitted  that  an  officer  should  be  shot 
down  with  impunity,  while  in  the  discharge  of  his  duty.  And 
therefore,  if  the  sergeant  had  orders  for  what  he  did,  there 
may  be  trouble  for  you,  or  at  least  for  your  sou.  Permit 
me  to  suggest,  that  he  had  better  surrender  himself  to  the 
military  authorities  at  ouce,  and  voluntarily,  so  as  to  render 
unnecessary  any  compulsory  proceeding  for  his  arrest.  I 
trust  that  in  this  way  no  harsh  measures  need  be  appre- 
hended." 

"  But  it  will  be  such  a  shock  to  the  ladies  at  home,  to  see 
him  under  arrest !  " 

"  It  need  not  be  known  to  them  at  all,  unless  you  wish  it," 
said  the  general  pleasantly.  "  I  will  send  an  officer  with  you 
to  take  command  of  the  squad  of  soldiers,  whom,  I  understand, 
you  still  hold  in  custody  at  your  home.  Mr.  May  can  accom- 
pany them  in  the  character  of  a  witness  against  this  man  Jef- 
freys, whom  we  will  arrest  in  good  earnest,  and  the  ladies  need 
be  none  the  wiser.  If  necessary,  I  will  rejiort  the  matter  to 
the  military  governor,  and  request  him  to  send  his  adjutant, 
or  some  other  discreet  officer,  to  act  as  judge  advocate,  if  a 
court-martial  should  be  decided  on.  You  need  give  yourself 
no  uneasiness  at  all,  if  Mr.  May  will  act  in  accordance  with 
my  suggestions." 

Senator  May  took  leave  of  General  Seele  with  a  hearty  hand- 
shake, and  was  accompanied  home  by  an  officer,  who  was  to 
take  charge  of  the  prisoners  and  soldiers. 


XXXVI. 

A    STUDY    IN     BLACK    AND    WHITE. 

'HE  Fourth  of  July  had  come  and  gone.  Senator  May 
had  departed  for  Washington,  leaving  his  family  —  for 
^^  the  first  time  since  his  election  to  Congress  —  at  May 
Meadows.  The  Honorable  Ralph  Pay  ton  accompanied  him. 
Both  had  left  their  respective  homes  reluctantly.  Payton, 
though  full  of  ambitious  schemes,  and  inspired  by  a  laudable 
resolution  to  distinguish  himself  as  a  political  leader  in  the 
House  of  Representatives  (now  that  his  illustrious  predecessor 
had  cleared  the  way  for  him),  felt  some  uneasiness  in  leaving 
behind  him  the  brilliant  young  heiress ;  and  that,  too,  while 
the  wounded  men  from  Busch  Bluff  were  guests  at  the  May 
mansion.  The  intimacy  between  the  members  of  the  May 
family  and  the  Auf  dem  Busches  had  been  exceedingly 
distasteful  to  him  from  the  first,  and,  though  he  looked  down 
on  Victor  Waldhorst  as  so  greatly  his  inferior  in  social  position, 
yet  he  resented  the  necessity  which  had  compelled  Miss  May  to 
correspond  with  Waldhorst's  sister.  For  the  condition  of  both 
the  elder  and  younger  Auf  dem  Busch  had  become  so  critical 
that  it  was  deemed  advisable  to  acquaint  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch 
and  Miss  Waldhorst  with  the  situation.  He  did  not  for  a 
moment  doubt  that  one,  or  perhaps  both,  of  these  ladies,  would 
gladly  avail  themselves  of  the  cordial  invitation  to  visit  May 
Meadows  which  Nellie  had  sent  them  in  the  name  of  her 
mother,  with  a  postscript  in  her  own  name  to  Pauline.  To 
this  rather  fanciful  grievance  of  the  young  congressman.  Sen- 
ator May  unwittingly  added  a  solid  reason,  justifying  a  flutter 
of  apprehension,  at  least,  if  not  dowm-ight  anxiety,  not  to  say 
jealousy,  on  the  part  of  his  young  friend,  by  dropping  a  hint 
that  Victor  might  be  detailed  to   conduct  the  trial  of  Leslie 

(569) 


570  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

May,  as  judge  advocate.  The  imagining  of  all  sorts  of  possi- 
bilities growing  out  of  a  more  or  less  intimate  intercourse  be- 
tween young  Waldhorst  and  Leslie  May,  and  perhaps  even 
with  Nellie  May  (for  she  would  necessarily  be  an  important 
witness),  thoroughly  spoiled  for  the  incipient  statesman  the 
enjoyment  in  anticipation  of  his  triumphs  in  the  arena  of 
national  politics  on  this,  his  first  visit  to  Washington  as  a 
congressman. 

Senator  May's  heart  was  even  more  heavy  than  that  of  his 
young  traveling  companion.  There  was  a  vague  dread  of 
impending  harm  to  Leslie  on  his  mind,  which  neither  his  own 
firm  conviction  of  the  perfect  propriety  of  his  son's  conduct, 
nor  the  confident  assurance  of  General  Seele  had  been  able  to 
banish. 

He  did  not  quite  comj^rehend  the  necessity  of  a  court- 
martial,  nor  why  his  son  could  not  be  released  on  bail,  or  why, 
indeed,  he  should  be  held  in  custody  at  all.  But  he  explained 
to  himself,  that  this  was  probably  one  of  the  rules  of  military 
service  ;  and  with  a  melancholy  smile  he  recalled  how  well  he 
had  succeeded  in  allaying  the  suspicious  of  his  wife  and 
daughter,  putting  aside  their  inquiries  after  Leslie  by  the 
plausible  pretext  suggested  by  General  Seele,  that  he  was  held 
as  a  witness  against  Jeffreys,  who  was  to  be  court-martialed 
for  his  marauding  expedition.  But  all  of  these  reflections  failed 
to  quiet  his  own  misgivings,  as  to  what  might  happen  at  a  court- 
martial,  composed  of  Federal  officers,  sitting  in  judgment  upon 
a  man  of  such  decided  Southern  views. 

Yet  it  was  not  apprehension  for  Leslie's  fate  that  weighed 
most  heavily  on  his  mind.  In  his  conversation  with  General 
Seele  he  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  the  spirit  which  animated  the 
volunteer  soldiers  in  the  Union  cause.  There  was,  perhaps,  less 
of  exuberant  enthusiasm  observable  on  the  surface  than  that 
which  characterized  the  Southrons.  Instead  he  marked  a  firm 
earnestness  of  purpose  springing,  evidently,  from  a  profound 
conviction  of  the  sacredness  of  their  cause.  These  men,  if 
General  Seele  was  a  fair  specimen  of  them,  had  taken  up  arms 


A    STUDY  IN  BLACK  AND    WHITE.  571 

as  though  performing  some  sacred  religious  duty,  and  Senator 
May  reflected  that  such  an  army,  though  it  might  give  way 
before  an  impetuous  onslaught,  would  in  the  end  prove  invinci- 
ble. The  war  had  begun,  and  the  senator,  having  some  notion 
of  the  enthusiasm  with  which  the  Southerners  had  gone  into  the 
fray,  saw  with  a  feeling  of  dismay  almost,  the  calm  determina- 
tion of  the  enemy  they  would  have  to  meet.  His  confidence  in 
a  peaceable  adjustment  of  the  differences  between  the  two 
sections,  by  anything  that  Congress  could  do,  was  rudely 
shaken.  For  the  first  time  he  harbored  a  doubt  as  to  the 
wisdom  of  further  attempts  at  compromise. 

What,  then,  had  he  to  do  in  Washington?  What,  if  Con- 
gress was  powerless  to  help  the  country?  If,  after  all,  the 
sword,  swayed  by  angry  passion,  was  to  be  the  final  arbiter  of 
the  quarrel,  ought  he  to  go  there  at  all?  Was  it  not  his  duty 
rather,  to  take  to  the  field,  and  throw  the  weight  of  his  arm, — 
however  feeble  —  into  the  scale  for  the  cause  of  the  South  ? 

Then  he  would  in  truth  have  become  an  enemy  to  the  gov- 
ernment of  the  United  States,  as  that  strange  man,  Professor 
Rauhenfels,  had  predicted  as  the  consequence  of  his  crossing 
the  Rubicon.  Ah!  Had  he,  indeed,  crossed  the  Rubicon? 
Had  he  become  a  traitor? 

No!  Not  yet.  How  his  daughter  had  winced,  when  Rau- 
henfels first  mentioned  the  word,  in  connection  with  his  candi- 
dacy before  the  caucus !  How  her  eyes  had  flashed  when 
rebuking  him  for  what  she  took  to  be  a  wanton  insult  to  her 
father !  No  ;  he  had  not  yet  become  a  traitor.  He  was  no 
traitor  then ;  for  he  had  honestly  and  to  the  best  of  his  ability 
fought  the  passage  of  that  fatal  caucus  resolution,  and  should 
not  be  held  responsible  for  what  was  not  within  his  power  to  pre- 
vent. Nor  yet  was  he  a  traitor  when  he  accepted  the  caucus 
nomination,  although  Professor  Rauhenfels  had  ruthlessly  as- 
serted that  he  would  thereby  give  the  lie  to  the  whole  of  his  past 
life.  He  could  not  justly  be  called  a  traitor  for  that,  because 
he  had  done  honestly  and  fearlessly  what  he  believed  to  be 
for  the  best  interests  of  his  country. 


572  THE  BEBEUS  DAUQHTEB. 

But  if  lie  now  took  the  field  —  ah,  then  he  would  be  a  traitor, 
a  traitor  in  the  legal  constitutional  sense  —  unless  the  South 
should  win ! 

Such  considerations  as  these  pressed  heavily  on  his  mind  as 
he  left  home,  and  made  his  joui"ney  to  Washington  anything 
but  cheerful.  The  war  had  begun :  the  sanguinary  battle  at 
Wiuslo's  Run  had  shown  how  terribly  in  eai'nest  both  sides 
were ;  the  occurrence  on  the  morning  after  the  battle,  at  his 
own  home,  had  given  warning  of  the  danger  to  which  his  wife 
and  daughter  would  be  exposed,  and  the  necessity  of  leaving 
them  unprotected  filled  him  with  deep  anxiety.  To  this  was 
added  the  apprehension  of  the  consequences  of  the  proclamation 
issued  by  the  major-general  at  the  head  of  the  Department  of  the 
West,  emancipating  the  slaves  of  all  citizens  bearing  arms  against 
the  United  States.  This  proclamation  was  promulgated  on  the 
Fourth  of  July,  —  the  very  day  on  which  Congress  convened 
for  the  extra  session.  Although  it  was  subsequently  dis- 
avowed by  the  President,  yet  while  in  force  it  created  great 
consternation  and  wrath  among  the  population  of  the  rural 
districts,  and  added  to  the  uncertainty  of  his  son's  fate  in  the 
hands  of  the  court-martial. 

Meanwhile  the  ladies  at  May  Meadows  remained  in  blissful 
ignorance  of  the  troubles  lying  heavily  at  the  senator's  heart. 
Mrs.  May  was  highly  indignant  that  her  son  Leslie  should  be 
deprived  of  his  liberty  merely  because  his  testimony  was  de- 
sired against  a  miscreant,  who  was  to  be  punished  for  attempt- 
ing to,  steal  a  slave.  And  she  felt  hurt  that  her  husband  had 
refused  to  take  her  to  Washington.  Now  that  she  was  a  sen- 
ator's wife,  she  longed  to  air  her  new  dignity  in  Washington 
circles,  and  was  slow  to  understand  that  the  present  was  not  a 
time  to  indulge  in  social  merry-making,  and  that  her  place  was 
at  home  rather  than  in  that  Maelstrom  of  political  excitement 
and  war  fever  that  swallowed  up  all  other  interests  at  the 
capitol.  But  however  distasteful  her  compulsory  stay  at 
home    was    to    her,  she  endeavored    to  do    her    duty    as    an 


A   STUDY  IN  BLACK  AND    WITITE.  573 

obedient  wife.  Although  she  had  uo  love  for  the  guests 
brought  into  the  house  by  her  husband,  she  failed  not  in  ex- 
tending to  them  the  proverbial  hospitality  of  a  Southern  house- 
hold. 

Nellie  had  marked  the  change  in  her  father,  though  he  kept 
from  her  all  knowledge  of  his  troubles,  so  far  as  lay  in  his 
power.  But  in  an  unguarded  moment,  when  he  believed  him- 
self unobserved,  she  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  his  clouded 
brow  and  thoughtful  mien  betokening  deep  anxiety.  The  very 
fact  that  he  was  so  carefully  concealing  from  her  every  trace 
or  indication  of  care  rendered  what  she  saw  more  significant ; 
but  she  bravely  kept  her  counsel,  lest  by  betraying  apprehen- 
sion on  her  part  she  add  to  his  trouble.  Once  only,  just  before 
his  departure,  she  had  betrayed  by  a  slight  tremor  in  her  voice, 
when  alone  with  him,  and  by  a  sympathetic  tenderness  in  the 
eager  look  with  which  she  regarded  him,  that  she  was  not  at 
perfect  ease  of  mind.  But  the  father  had  succeeded  admirably, 
so  he  flattered  himself,  in  reassuring  his  daughter.  He  had 
pointed  out  the  brilliant  prospects  for  a  speedy  settlement  of 
the  national  troubles,  on  a  basis  both  honorable  and  advanta- 
geous to  the  South. 

"  Our  successes,  both  in  the  East  and  West,  are  marvelous," 
he  said.  "  Even  the  affair  at  Winslo's  Run  has  redounded  to 
our  glory.  The  Federal  army  occupying  Brookfield  just  now, 
will  soon  be  di'iven  out  by  General  Ciper,  who  is  receiving  re- 
inforcements daily,  and  will  soon  march  into  the  capital,  to 
put  an  end  to  that  military  governorship.  You  have  no  cause 
to  be  downhearted,  little  girl ;  Payton  and  I  will  fix  up  matters 
in  Congress,  and  Leslie  will  soon  come  home  from  the  field  of 
glory ;  and  you  are  going  to  be  very  proud  of  us  all.  Think 
of  it:  Father,  brother  —  and  shall  I  add,  lover? — all  adding 
luster  to  our  family  name,  and  our  cause !  " 

Her  arm  had  been  about  his  neck  as  she  kissed  him.  But 
there  had  been  no  ring  of  exultation  in  her  voice  as  she  said : 
"  I  am  proud  of  you,  dear  father,  and  oh,  how  I  glory  in 
brother  Leslie's  bravery!     For  he  is  going  to  come  home  cov- 


574  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

ered  with  glory.  But  dou't  mention  lovers.  This  is  not  a 
time  to  think  of  love." 

When  he  was  gone,  Nellie  set  about  the  discharge  of  her 
duties  —  consisting  mainly,  now,  in  assisting  her  mother  in  the 
entertainment  of  visitors,  and  looking  to  the  comfort  of  the 
wounded  men.  Their  presence  at  May  Meadows  drew  many 
callers  to  the  house,  who  came  to  satisfy  their  curiosity.  For 
rumor  had  invested  the  strangers  with  the  nimbus  of  mysterious 
interest,  springing  from  the  desire  to  pry  into  the  relations 
between  them  and  the  May  family.  Speculations  were  freely 
indulged  in,  of  course ;  fated,  for  the  present,  to  remain 
unproved  and  uncontradicted ;  for  the  men  were  much  too  ill 
to  see  or  be  seen  by  any  visitors.  The  military  surgeon,  under 
whose  care  they  had  been  removed  from  the  battlefield,  had 
enjoined  absolute  quiet.  He  had  requested  that  the  family 
physician  be  called  in  to  assume  the  treatment  of  the  patients, 
since  he  himself  might  receive  marching  orders  at  any  moment, 
but  meanwhile  continued  his  visits  together  with  Doctor  Pur- 
ham  with  whom  Nellie  stood  on  excellent  terms.  The  latter 
informed  her,  in  answer  to  her  questions  on  the  subject,  that 
while  there  was  little  of  real  danger  from  the  wounds  as  such, 
the  loss  of  blood,  before  they  had  received  any  attention,  had 
been  so  great  as  to  make  the  condition  of  both  somewhat 
critical.  The  weakness  of  the  old  gentleman,  in  particular, 
gave  him  uneasiness  ;  the  younger  man  would,  he  thought, 
soon  get  well,  although  for  the  present  he  suffered  more 
keenly  from  his  injuries.  He  fully  indorsed  the  orders  of  his 
colleague.  Doctor  Behr,  dwelling  upon  the  absolute  necessity 
of  perfect  quiet  for  both  the  patients  ;  and  Nellie  obeyed  his 
instructions  to  the  letter. 

Cressie  was  installed  as  nurse  in  the  sick  room.  Her  minis- 
trations were  performed  with  a  graceful  ease  and  quiet  self- 
possession,  alike  soothing  to  the  sufferers  and  efficient  in 
carrying  out  the  course  prescribed  by  the  physicians.  When 
Woldemar's  fever  had  somewhat  abated,  he  was  enabled  to 
notice  the  graceful  movements  of  his  young  nurse,  and  followed 


A   STUDY  IN  BLACK  AND    WHITE.  o75 

them  with  admiring  eyes.  He  wondered  who  she  could  l)e. 
Not  a  daughter  of  the  house,  surely?  For  the  features, 
tliough  of  a  beauty  even  more  striking  than  that  of  Miss  May, 
Avere  too  utterly  unlike  those  of  either  of  the  ladies  whom  he 
had  seen  to  admit  of  such  a  thought.  Not  a  hired  servant? 
For  she  carried  herself  with  a  grace  and  dignity  which  Wolde- 
mar  thought  inconsistent  with  the  character  of  a  menial ;  and 
besides,  he  was  well  aware  that  in  the  interior  of  a  slave  State 
hired  help  was  out  of  the  question.  It  must  be  a  guest  — 
some  relative,  perhaps,  on  a  visit  to  May  Meadows,  who  had 
volunteered  her  assistance  in  waiting  on  the  patients.  Daugh- 
ter, perhaps,  of  some  wealthy  Southern  jjlanter.  For  that  soft, 
creamy  complexion,  brightened  by  a  subdued  glow  on  her 
round  cheeks  and  the  vermillion  of  the  exquisitely  shaped 
lips  —  the  dreamy  languor  of  her  dark,  lustrous  eyes  —  the 
intense  blackness  of  her  glossy  hair,  coiled  in  great  plaits 
about  her  shapely  head,  gave  unmistakable  token  of  Southern 
origin  ;  while  the  easy  grace  of  her  carriage  suggested  famili- 
arity with  luxurious  sui'roundiugs. 

Having  settled  on  this  theory,*  he  determined  to  inquire 
about  her  of  his  young  hostess,  for  he  felt  a  strong  desire  to 
become  acquainted  with  the  lovely  girl ;  yet  a  shyness  that 
would  have  astonished  those  who  knew  him  well  —  himself 
most  of  all  —  if  they  had  reflected  on  it,  prevented  him  from 
speaking  to  her  about  herself.  He  was  now  rapidly  improving, 
and  the  opportunity  to  converse  with  Miss  May  soon  offered. 
She  came  into  the  room  one  day  just  after  the  military  surgeon 
had  quitted  the  house,  bringing  with  her  a  bundle  of  stuffs 
and  her  work-box,  evidently  contemplating  to  do  her  sewing  in 
the  sick-room. 

"  The  doctors  have  given  us  a  very  cheering  account  of  their 
patients,"  she  said,  while  a  reassuring  smile  brightened  her 
face  ;  "  and  if  the  gentlemen  have  no  objection,  I  will  change 
places  with  Cressie  for  an  hour  or  two.  And  so  I  have  brought 
my  work  with  me." 

The  face  of  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch  Senior  brightened  percejiti- 


576  THE  BEBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

bly,  as  Miss  May's  pleasant  voice  fell  ou  his  ear.  He,  too,  had 
thrown  off  the  stupor  that  had  held  him  unconscious  ;  but  he 
was  still  very  weak.  "  You  give  us  too  high  honor,"  he  said 
with  feeble  voice,  and  a  pathetic  attempt  to  smile.  "  Your 
face  is  bright  sunshine  ;  and  your  voice  lilve  the  lark-song.  It 
is  pleasure  —  to  be  sick  —  in  your  house." 

"  Why,  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch,"  was  Nellie's  pleasant  answer, 
"  your  politeness  is  overwhelming.  Sir,  I  must  positively  for- 
bid you  such  exertion.  The  doctors  have  strictly  enjoined  rest 
and  quiet  for  you." 

"  It  shall  be  rest  for  me,"  said  the  old  gentleman,  "  if  I 
look  at  you.     And  I  will  be  quiet." 

"  Father  is  very  proud  of  you,"  said  Woldemar,  "  You 
took  his  heart  by  storm  the  first  time  he  saw  you.  And  I  add 
my  grateful  thanks  to  his  for  the  very  great  kindness  that  you 
and  yours  have  conferred  upon  us.  I  am  afraid,  tliat  I  shalj 
never  be  able  to  thank  you  sufficiently." 

"  Your  best  expression  of  thanks,  and  such  as  will  be  most 
highly  appreciated  by  my  parents  and  myself,  will  be  to  show 
us  that  you  are  perfectly  at  home  with  us,  and  say  nothing 
about  thanks.  By  the  way,  are  you  satisfied  with  Cressie's 
waiting  on  you  ?  Does  she  attend  to  your  wants  as  she 
should  ?  ' ' 

"  Cressie !  "  Woldemar  repeated.  "Is  that  the  young 
lady's  name?  She  has  been  untiring  in  her  ministrations,  and 
father  and  I  are  deeply  indebted  to  her  for  her  devoted  care 
and  kindness  to  us,  although  we  are  perfect  strangers  to  her. 
But  —  pardon  me:  Cressie  is  not  the  family  name  of  your 
young  friend,  is  it?  You  have  never  introduced  us,  you 
know." 

Nellie  regarded  the  young  man  with  a  look  of  intense  amuse- 
ment. Her  voice  broke  into  a  ripple  of  pleasant  laughter,  as 
she  replied  to  Woldemar's  question.  "No,"  she  said,  "I 
have  never  introduced  you.  And  Cressie  is  not  her  family 
name." 

"  Of  course  not,"  Woldemar  rejoined. 


c 


A   STUDY  ly  BLACK  AND    WHITE.  511 

"Of  course  not,"  Nellie  repeated.  "And  would  it  sur- 
prise you  very  mueh,  if  I  told  you,  that  I  do  not  know  her 
family  name?" 

"  But  is  she  never  called  by  another  name  besides  that  of 
Cressie?"  asked  Woldemar  wonderingly. 

"Oh,  yes,"  the  young  lady  informed  him,  still  beaming 
with  hardly  concealed  merriment.  ' '  Some  of  the  darkies  call 
her  '  Creeshie,'  and  if  you  wish  to  be  very  accurate  in  i)ro- 
uouncing  her  name,  you  may  call  her  Lucretia." 

Woldemar  looked  puzzled  indeed.  "Is  she  not  —  your 
friend?  "  he  asked, 

"  My  friend?  "  Nellie  repeated.  "  Why,  no,  Mr.  Auf  dem 
liusch  ;  I  am  afraid  I  cannot  call  Cressie  my  friend,  in  the 
senge  in  which  you  evidently  mean." 

"  Not  your  friend?  "  with  emphatic  astonishment. 

"  At  least  Cressie  does  not  stand  on  terms  of  social  equality 
with  me." 

A  feeble  chuckle  was  heard  from  old  Auf  dem  Busch.  "  See 
you  not,"  he  said,  his  features  struggling  with  a  faint  smile  of 
amusement,  "  how  it  is?  " 

"Ah, — but  you  do  not  tell  me,  that  she  is  a — slave?" 
exclaimed  Woldemar. 

"  I  fear  that  I  must  shock  your  moral  sensibility  to  the  ex- 
tent of  admitting  that  Cressie  is  my  bondmaid.  But  I, 
nevertheless,  believe  her  to  be  my  friend." 

"  Your  friend !  "  exclaimed  young  Auf  dem  Busch,  showing 
that  he  was  shocked  indeed.  "Friend — and  slave !  It  is 
difficult  to  understand  how  that  can  be." 

Further  conversation  was  interrupted  by  the  entrance  of 
Cressie  herself,  bearing  a  letter,  which  she  informed  her  mis- 
tress had  been  brought  from  Brookfield  by  Xerxes.  Begging 
permission  from  the  gentlemen,  Nellie  opened  the  letter. 

"  Good  news!  "  she  exclaimed,  as  she  raised  her  eyes  from 
the  page  over  which  she  had  glanced.  "  Good  news  for  you, 
gentlemen,  as  well  as  for  myself.  For  however  glad  you  will 
be   to  greet  your  friends  from  home,  it  is  I  who  will  be  de- 

37 


678  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

lighted  to  welcome  Pauline  Waldhorst  at  May  Meadows.  We 
may  expect  them  here  iu  two  or  three  days.  And  here  is  a 
message  for  you,  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch:  'Tell  Uncle,'  she 
writes,  '  that  Aunt  and  I  are  coming  just  as  soon  as  we  can. 
I  would  have  come  on  at  once  as  soon  as  I  received  your  kind 
invitation,  but  that  I  thought  it  wrong  to  let  Aunt  travel  alone, 
and  she  cannot  be  ready  for  a  day  or  two.  So,  knowing  that 
you  will  kindly  look  to  the  comfort  of  dear  Uncle  and  Cousin 
Woldemar,  I  thought  it  best  to  wait  for  her,  so  that  we  may 
travel  together.'  Now  I  think  that  this  was  very  thoughtful 
of  Pauline  ;  don't  you?  " 

Woldemar  colored  at  mention  of  Pauline's  name.  But  the 
news  of  her  expected  arrival  affected  him  less  than  he  would, 
a  month  or  two  before,  have  believed  possible.  He  said 
nothing  ;  but  his  father  remarked,  sententiously : 

"  Kindred  souls  find  out  themselves  —  on  water  and  on  land. 
Pauline's  generous  soul  —  and  Miss  May's  generous  soul  — 
they  know  one  another.  And  we  know  both."  Then  chuck- 
ling, "  Not  so,  Woldemar?  "  he  added. 

"  Pauline  was  right,  of  course,  to  wait  for  mother,"  said 
Woldemar.  "  I  only  wonder  how  she  finds  the  courage  at  all, 
to  travel  all  the  way  across  the  country,  even  if  Pauline  is  with 
her." 

"  So  I  Avonder,"  said  his  father.  "  I  guess  Pauline  has  the 
merit  of  it.  But  I  find  myself  glad  if  the  old  lady  comes.  If 
it  gives  not — too  much  trouble  to  Miss  May — and  Mrs. 
May." 

"Don't  think  of  such  nonsense,"  Nellie  protested. 
"Trouble,  indeed!  Why,  it  will  be  the  greatest  pleasure  to 
us.     Oh,  it  will  be  just  too  lovely  to  have  Pauline  here." 

Next  day  the  old  gentleman  felt  more  poorly.  But  Wolde- 
mar was  so  much  better,  that  the  physicians  permitted  him  to 
leave  the  room  and  to  spend  a  part  of  the  day  on  the  porch, 
where  Nellie  presently  joined  him.  His  eyes  were  following  the 
motions  of  Cressie,  who  busied  herself  with  some  domestic 
work  a  little  distance  from  the  house. 


A    STUDY  IN  BLACK  AND    WHITE.  .')79 

"  Still  pouderiug  over  Cressie's  auouimity  ?  "  the  young  lady 
inquired,  smiling  mischievously. 

"  Rather  over  the  anomalism  of  her  relations  to  you," 
Woldemar  made  answer,  slightly  coloring  under  her  glance. 

' '  And  have  you  arrived  at  any  conclusion  ?  ' ' 

Woldemar  did  not  take  his  eyes  off  the  slave-girl  as  he  re- 
plied. He  spoke  in  a  dreamy  sort  of  way,  at  lirst.  "  I  had 
begun  to  debate  the  question  with  myself,  when  I  saw  how 
much  in  earnest  the  rebels  are,  whether  it  would  not  be  best, 
after  all,  to  let  the  South  go  in  peace,  and  regulate  the  slavery 
problem  to  suit  themselves.  But  when  you  told  me  yesterday, 
that  this  young  lady  —  pardon  me,  this  girl,  I  mean, —  was  held 
in  bondage  for  life,  my  eyes  were  opened  to  the  enormity  of 
the  crime,  that  has  hitherto  found  sanction  in  the  Federal  con- 
stitution." Then,  turning  his  eyes  on  his  young  hostess,  and 
speaking  with  positive  though  deliberate  emphasis,  he  went  on  .»• 
"Miss  May,  this  war  will  never  end  until  the  country  has 
purged  itself  of  the  foul  stain  on  its  bright  escutcheon.  I 
enlisted  to  vindicate,  so  far  as  my  poor  ability  went,  the 
integrity  of  the  nation ;  I  feel  now,  that  the  grander  task 
before  us  is  the  restoration  of  its  tarnished  honor." 

"  Ah,  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch,"  said  the  hostess,  "  you  are  at 
least  honest  enough  to  confess  the  true  purpose  of  this  wicked 
war,  which  your  government  is  fighting  under  the  false  pretense 
of  upholding  the  constitution.  To  do  you  justice,  I  believe 
that  you  follow  your  conviction." 

Woldemar  bowed.  He  was  about  to  answer,  when  Miss 
May  interrupted,  saying: 

"It  is  a  German  trait,  is  it  not,  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch,  to 
follow  the  dictates  of  conscience  regardless  of  consequences  ? 
I  half  believe,"  she  added,  a  far-off  look  in  her  eyes  and  a 
faint  smile  giving  her  face  a  thoughtful  expression,  "  that  a 
genuine  German  would  refuse  St.  Peter's  invitation  to  enter 
heaven,  if  he  thought  that  duty  called  him  to  the  other  place, 
because  the  recording  angel  had  made  a  mistake  in  casting  up 
his  account." 


580  THE  BEBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

"  You  are  severe  ou  my  eouutrvnien,  Miss  May,"  said 
Woldemar,  "  But  I  grant  you  that  I  abhor  slavery,  as  all 
Germans,  with  rare  exceptions,  do;  and  I  grant  you,  also, 
that  its  abolition,  as  one  of  the  consequences  of  this  war,  is 
confidently  hoped  for  by  us." 

"Wherein,  my  hope  is,  that  you  may  be  disappointed," 
said  Nellie,  a  little  positively.  "  Why  do  you  wish  to  meddle 
with  what  concerns  you  so  little  ?  ' ' 

"  I  trust  that  this  matter  concerns  me  more  than  a  little," 
the  young  merchant  replied,  deferentially,  yet  soberly.  "  The 
honor  and  glory  of  my  country  are  nor  indifferent  to  me. 
Liberty  is  the  proudest  boast  of  American  freemen.  The 
negro  is  a  human  being.  Then  why  is  he  not  as  free  as  the 
white  man  ?  " 

"•  Because,"  said  Nellie,  speaking  in  a  tone  of  earnestness 
that  impressed  Woldemar,  "  there  is  a  practical  as  well  as  a 
theoretical  side  to  this  question.  Theorizing  on  this  subject 
is,  I  suspect,  another  peculiarly  German  trait;  is  it  not?  And 
the  negro  in  America  constitutes  an  interesting  problem,  which 
the  Germans  solve  in  the  abstract,  according  to  the  approved 
methods  of  speculative  reasoning.  Begging  the  premises,  which 
you  so  dogmatically  announce,  that  the  negro  is  a  human 
being,  and  that  human  beings  are  free,  the  conclusion  is  easily 
reached  that  the  negro  is,  theoretically,  free.  But  to  the 
Southern  people,  who  wear  him, — if  you  will  excuse  the 
homely  phrase  —  next  to  the  skin,  this  problem  is  a  most 
practical  one.  We  assign  to  him  the  status,  which  in  the 
monarchical  countries  is  assigned  to  the  people  at  large  — 
obedience,  or  the  lash!  " 

Woldemar  listened  in  wonder  to  the  remarks  of  the  Southern 
belle,  whom  he  had  not  credited  with  the  general  intelligence 
betrayed  by  her  words.  Her  last  remark  about  the  lash  in 
monarchical  countries  nettled  him.  With  a  touch  of  his  old  im- 
periousness,  he  replied  with  the  question  :  "  What  enables  you 
to  speak  in  this  fashion  of  monarchical  governments  ?  Is  it,  that 
you  have  heard,  or  read,  of  Russia,  and  the  barbarous  knout?  " 


A   STUDY  IN  BLACK  AND    WHITE.  581 

"  Chiefly  that,"  she  admitted.  "  Aud  what  little  1  have 
seen  with  my  own  eyes." 

"  Ah,  yes !  You  have  been  to  P^urope,"  he  exclaimed.  "  I 
remember  hearing  your  brother  say  so  at  one  time."  And  with 
increased  interest,  as  if  this  fact  had  added  value  to  her  oihu- 
ions,  he  asked  her  to  state  her  views  as  to  the  relative  merits 
of  P^urope  and  America. 

"  But,  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch,  we  '  did  '  all  Europe  in  scarcely 
more  than  a  year,"  she  apologized.  "  And  we  were  bent  on 
having  a  good  time,  at  that.  Surely,  my  opinion  cannot, 
under  such  circumstances,  be  worth  listening  to?  " 

"  But  still  I  am  eager  to  hear  it." 

"  Then  give  me  Europe  for  a  year  or  two;  America  for  a 
permanent  home." 

"  But  Europe  teems  Avith  culture,  while  America  has  hardly 
put  forth  a  leaf," 

"  I,  for  my  part,  prefer  Spring  to  Summer." 

"  But  not  rudeness  to  culture?  " 

"Manhood,  then,  to  abject  cringing,  Mr,  Auf  dem  Busch," 
said  the  young  lady,  growing  warm  with  the  subject,  "to  me  it 
was  a  humiliating  spectacle  to  see  the  great  mass  of  a  nation 
crawling  in  the  dust  to  the  titled  few.  Counts,  barons,  dukes, 
lords  —  I  have  seen  them  all,  bespangled  hke  gypsy  women, 
and  about  them  the  awed  multitude  gaping  reverence," 

"  And  did  it  not  occur  to  you  that  these  titled  few  have 
acquired  the  skill  to  rule  that  multitude,  and  transmitted  it 
from  father  to  son  through  generations  ?  ' ' 

"Sir,"  said  Nellie,  with  sparkling  eyes  and  eager  voice, 
"  that  touches  the  pith  of  the  difference  between  us,  and  —  I 
submit —  between  the  old  and  the  new  world.  Why  should  one 
man  hold  privilege  over  another  by  virtue  of  some  ancestor's 
deed?  In  America,  thank  God,  the  ruler  is  determined,  not 
by  the  chance  of  birth,  but  by  the  will  of  the  people," 

Woldemar,  forgetting  time  and  place,  grew  warmer.  "  Will 
of  the  people?  "  he  exclaimed  sneeringly.  "Say  rather,  by 
the  will  of  scheming  tricksters,  who  barter  office  for  cash  or 


582  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

l^ledges  to  the  highest  bidder.  If  eternal  watchfulness  be  the 
ouly  price,  liberty  is  a  costlier  article  than  the  average  Ameri- 
can cares  to  pay  for.  He  contents  himself  with  the  counterfeit 
shadow  of  self  rule,  having  long  ago  yielded  up  his  birthright 
to  self-appointed  political  hucksters,  unprincipled  demagogues 
and  bosses,  who  harness  the  sovereign  voters  to  the  hack  of 
partisanship  and  drive  them  with  the  lash  of  party  discipline 
whither  they  will.  No,  Miss  May,  the  will  of  the  people  is  but 
a  small  factor  in  the  machinery  of  determining  our  rulers  in 
America.  How  far  more  rational  is  the  rule  of  the  monarch, 
whose  sole  care  and  purpose  is  the  welfare  of  his  subjects." 

"Poor  souls!"  said  Nellie,  affecting  mock  sympathy. 
"  These  rulers  l)y  the  chance  of  birth,  or,  as  they  themselves 
more  euphoniously  put  it,  by  the  grace  of  God,  are  fully  as 
disinterested  in  governing  their  subjects  as,  I  dare  say,  our 
slave-owners  are  in  dealing  with  their  slaves.  And  on  your 
showing,  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch,  our  slaves  ought  to  be  as  grate- 
ful for  being  ruled  by  their  owners  as  your  subjects  in  mo- 
narchical States  are  to  their  hereditary  masters.  Then  why 
would  you  deprive  them  of  the  protection  they  enjoy,  any  more 
than  you  would  drive  your  countrymen,  for  instance,  into 
revolt  against  their   masters?" 

"  You  are  not  just  in  comi)aring  the  German  subject  with 
the  American  slave.  The  former  have  not  been  robbed  of  their 
human  rights,  as  your  countrymen  are  robbing  the  negro. 
There,  all  men  are  under  the  equal  protection  of  the  law  ;  here, 
you  deny  the  servient  race  that  equality  given  of  God  to  all 
men." 

"  We  are  white  ;  the  negroes  are  black.  Did  we  create  this 
inequality?  Is  not  inequality  ordained  of  God,  rather?  Is 
not  inequality  an  inevitable  condition  of  our  existence?  Let 
not  the  seal-skiuned  Esquimo,  then,  compel  the  Hottentot  to 
wear  his  furs." 

Woldemar  suppressed  what  answer  he  was  about  to  make, 
when  he  saw  Cressie  approaching  her  mistress.  But  in  a  low 
voice  he  remarked ; 


A    STUDY  IN  BLACK  AND    WHITE.  583 

"  Cressie,  at  least,  is  not  black." 

"  No,"  said  the  mistress.  "  But  she  has  enough  of  African 
blood  in  her  veins  to  make  a  most  excellent  servant,  who,  1 
Urmly  believe,  would  spurn  freedom  if  offered  to  her." 

"  It  would  prove  black  ingratitude,  and  the  meanest  treach- 
ery," said  Woldemar,  "  were  I  to  put  the  correctness  of  your 
assertion  to  the  test.  Otherwise  it  might  prove  an  interesting 
experiment." 

The  young  lady  regarded  her  guest  with  the  same  mischievous 
smile  that  had  somewhat  disconcerted  him  when  she  surprised 
him  gazing  at  Cressie. 

"Try  it,  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch !  "  she  exclaimed.  "  You 
may  not  succeed  in  giving  me  cause  for  complaint  or  vexation  ; 
but  it  is  probable  that  you  will  be  both  humiliated  and  disap- 
pointed in  the  attempt.  If  there  is  any  one,  who  can  coax 
Cressie  away  from  me,  pardon  me,  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch,  for 
asserting  that  you  are  not  he." 

Woldemar  did  not  answer;  perhaps,  because  Cressie  had 
approached  and  was  conferring  with  her  mistress  touching 
some  domestic  duty.  Or,  perhaps,  he  was  pondering  Miss 
May's  w^ords,  and  the  meaning  of  the  smile  that  had  accom- 
panied them.  At  any  rate,  he  made  no  reply,  even  after 
Cressie  had  gone  about  her  business ;  but  he  dropped  his  eyes 
before  Nellie's  quizzical  look,  and  suddenly  colored  without 
ostensible  cause. 


XXXVII. 
CONFESSIONS    AND    CONFIDINGS. 

lAULlNE  WALDHORST,  meanwhile,  looked  forward  to 
her  meeting  with  uncle  and  cousin  in  nervous  excite- 
ment. She  loved  her  uncle  and  benefactor  with  a 
fervency  that  made  her  anxiety  for  his  safety  as  keen,  jjerhaps, 
as  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch's  apprehension  for  her  husband's  con- 
dition, while  the  dread  of  meeting  her  Cousin  Woldemar  added 
to  her  agitation.  She  was  to  meet  him,  too,  in  the  midst  of 
the  May  family  ;  whom,  she  felt,  he  must  cordially  hate.  Then 
there  was  the  prospect  of  meeting  Nellie,  for  whom  she  had 
conceived  a  fond  affection,  which  excited  her  eager  expectation  ; 
and  the  possibility  —  how  her  heart  fluttered  to  think  it !  —  of 
meeting  Leslie  May. 

To  these  exciting  topics  the  prospect  of  traveling  through  a 
comparatively  wild  tract  of  country,  that  might  now  be  swarm- 
ing with  soldiers  and  marauders  belonging  to  either  of  the 
belligerent  armies,  added  another  element  of  uneasiness.  She 
had  written  to  her  brother  in  this  respect,  on  receiving  Nellie's 
letter,  inquiring  as  to  the  feasibility  of  making  the  journey 
with  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch  ;  and  Victor,  answering  promptly, 
had  informed  her  that  the  military  governor,  taking  a  warm 
interest  in  the  members  of  the  Auf  dem  Busch  family,  had  so 
arranged  as  to  send  him  with  an  important  commission  to 
Brookfield,  directing  him  at  the  same  time  to  take  the  ladies 
with  him  under  military  escort.  This  gave  Pauline  comforting- 
assurance  in  one  direction  ;  but  when  Victor  after  his  arrival  in 
the  city,  indicated  to  her  the  nature  of  his  commission  at 
Brooktield,  a  new  and  more  poignant  anxiety  racked  her  mind, 
overshadowing  for  the  time  every  other  emotion.  The  very 
(584) 


CONFESiSIONS  AND   CONFIDISGS.  o85 

mention  of  the  word  "  court-martial  "  la  connection  with 
Leslie  May  struck  terror  to  her  soul. 

Under  these  circumstances  the  journey  to  Brooklield  was 
not  a  cheerful  one  for  Pauline ;  nor  indeed,  for  Mrs.  Auf  dem 
Busch.  The  ill-humor  of  the  latter  sprang  not  alone  from 
anxiety  for  her  husband  and  son,  though  she  fretted  much 
about  them,  but  lay  in  a  different  direction.  She  bemoaned 
the  unpardonable  weakness  that  had  led  her  husband  to 
acquiesce  in  Woldemar's  enlistment,  as  well  as  the  inconceiv- 
able folly  of  his  enlisting  himself,  thus  bringing  all  this  trouble 
on  his  helpless  wife.  And  she  laid  a  heavy  grievance  at  the 
door  of  Victor  Waldhorst,  holding  him  responsible,  in  some 
vague  fashion,  for  this  unholy  war,  with  all  its  train  of 
suffering  and  trouble. 

But  Victor,  too,  was  glum  and  taciturn.  He  had  seen 
neither  Leslie  nor  his  sister  since  the  day  he  parted  from  them 
at  the  capitol,  save  as  he  had  caught  a  glimpse  of  them  on  the 
next  day,  when  the  final  vote  was  taken,  by  which  Colonel 
May  had  been  elected  to  the  United  States  Senate.  The  stirring 
events  that  agitated  the  country,  as  w^ell  as  the  new  sphere  of 
action  into  which  he  had  been  removed  by  enlisting  in  the  Union 
army  had  served  to  distract  his  thoughts  from  the  disappoint- 
ment that  had  burned  into  his  heart.  But  now,  when  again 
approaching  Brookfield  on  the  road  he  had  traveled  in 
Yahkop's  company,  memories  crowded  ujion  him  thick  and 
fast.  He  showed  his  sister  the  steejo  declivity  down  which  he 
had  rushed  with  headlong  impetuosity,  eager  to  rescue  the 
child  that  had  charmed  him  with  her  silvery  laughter ;  and  the 
place,  on  the  other  side  of  the  creek,  where  he  had  intercepted 
the  runaway  horses.  A  pensive  smile  flitted  over  his  face,  as 
he  recounted  the  incidents  following.  A  far-off  look  came 
into  his  eyes  as  he  ceased  speaking.  His  thoughts  dwelt  on 
the  dreams  of  bygone  days.  Pauline  had  listened  with  rapt 
interest  to  his  words,  and  would  gladly  have  lured  him  into 
further  confidences  on  this  topic,  but  for  Victor's  obvious 
preoccupation.     Only  when  they  reached  the  ford  where  they 


586  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

must  cross  the  creek,  swollen,  just  now,  to  unusual  fullness 
by  recent  rains,  she  asked  him  whether  the  child  had  really 
been  alone  in  the  wagon,  when  the  runaway  horses  dashed 
through  the   water. 

Victor's  eyes  sparkled  with  enthusiasm,  as  he  answered. 
"  She  had  no  equal  as  a  child,  even  as  she  has  no  peer  as  a 
woman.  You  have  seen  her,  Pauline.  You  have  been  attracted 
by  the  personal  magnetism  she  exerts  upon  all  who  come  within 
her  influence.  You  have  been  charmed  by  her  witching  beauty, 
and  won  by  her  sweet  loveableness.  And  you  will  see  her  again, 
Pauline ;  and  I  know  her  well  enough  to  be  sure  that  she  will 
not  let  you  feel  the  resentment  that  fills  her  heart  against  me  —  ' ' 

"  Resentment?  "  Pauline  exclaimed. 

"For  my  base  ingratitude,  as  she  must  judge  it,  to  her 
father.  Yes,  Pauline ;  and  she  is  rights  from  her  standpoint. 
She  had  set  her  heart  on  her  father's  election  to  the  Senate, 
and  I  promised  him  my  vote  and  influence.  She  will  never 
forgive  me  for  opposing  him,  for  she  does  not  comprehend  the 
cruel  necessity  that  made  it  my  duty  to  vote  against  him.  To 
her,  the  cause  of  the  South  is  a  just  and  holy  cause  ;  and  she  is 
enthusiastic  in  her  loyalty.  She  is  a  woman,  and  a  woman's 
opinion  is  unreasoning  and  immovable.  It  will  be  better, 
believe  me,  that  I  should  see  as  little  of  her  as  may  be  com- 
patible with  my  duty  in  conducting  the  trial.  When  we  have 
reached  Brookfield  I  will  remain  at  the  hotel,  while  you  proceed 
to  May  Meadows  with  aunt.  You  will  explain  matters  to 
uncle.  I  Avould  like  to  call  on  him  ;  but  I  must  not  intrude 
my  unwelcome  presence  on  Miss  May." 

"You  wrong  Nellie!  "  Pauline  asserted,  with  an  assurance 
that  Victor  wished  might  rest  on  a  more  substantial  foundation 
than  her  admiration  of  Leslie's  sister.  "  I  know  her  better 
than  to  believe  her  capable  of  harboring  ill  will  against  any 
one  for  simply  doing  his  duty.  Nellie  is  as  proud  as  she  is 
beautiful:  but  she  possesses  a  bright  intellect,  and,  aboA^e  all, 
a  warm,  generous  heart  that  would  (^ause  her  to  blush  at  the 
mere  suspicion  of  u  mean  thought  or  impulse." 


CONFESSIONS  AND   CONFIDINGS.  587 

Victor  looked  at  his  sister  with  eager  approval.  "  How 
wonderful  is  Avomau's  intuition!"  he  exclaimed.  "Your 
estimate  of  Miss  May's  character,  based  on  an  hour's  conver- 
sation with  her,  is  as  unerring  and  accurate  as  my  knowledge 
of  her,  based  on  an  intercourse  of  years." 

Pauline  blushed  as  she  smilingly  replied:  "  But,  remember, 
that  you  have  told  me  all  you  know  about  her,  and  perhaps 
more.  So  that  I  have  all  your  knowledge,  besides  my  own,  as 
well  as  my  '  woman's  intuition,'  as  you  call  it,  to  guide  me. 
And  believe  me,- this  instinct  is  more  reliable,  sometimes,  than 
the  deliberate  judgment  of  a  man ;  at  least  so  far  as  a  woman 
is  in  question." 

A  faint  reflection  of  Pauline's  smile  stole  into  Victor's  face. 
But  instead  of  brightening  his  features,  it  served  rather  to 
accentuate  their  somber  earnestness. 

"You  are  right,"  he  said;  "and  just  because  you  are 
right,  Miss  May  must  despise  me.  No  one  knows  better  than 
I  her  warm-hearted  generosity.  She  has  proved  it  to  me  in 
ways  that  I  can  never  forget.  It  is  this  very  enthusiasm  of 
her  nature  that  must  condemn  me  in  her  eyes.  Were  she  less 
womanly  in  her  disposition,  could  she  judge  from  the  glacier 
realms  of  prosaic  intellect,  —  could  she  look  down  on  and  reason 
upon  the  patriotism  that  makes  her  an  enthusiastic  —  I  may 
say  a  fanatic  —  rebel,  and  the  bitter  duty  which  cruelly  de- 
mands of  me  to  see  in  her  and  hers  but  traitors  and  enemies, 
she  might  forgive  my  course  against  her  father,  and  respect 
me  at  least  for  doing  my  duty.  As  it  is,  I  am  to  her  a  per- 
jured, ungrateful  wretch,  who  betrayed  her  father's  interest 
and  her  own  confiding  trust  in  my  promise.  —  No,  Pauline  ;  I 
will  not  annoy  her  by  entering  her  house  as  a  guest,  and  put- 
ting her  to  the  necessity  of  refusing  me  that  whole-souled  hos- 
pitality, which  it  is  her  nature  to  extend  to  all  whom  she 
welcomes  there." 

Pauline  shook  her  head  doubtingiy  over  Victor's  self-dis- 
paraging words.  She  remembered  Nellie's  gracious  smile,  that 
evening  among  the  philosophers,   as  she  presented  him  with  a» 


588  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

"  posie  for  old  acquaintance'  sake,"  and  Victor's  vivid  blush 
on  receiving  it ;  and  she  was  too  thoroughly  convinced  of  her 
brother's  sterling  qualities  to  believe  it  possible  that  either 
Nellie  or  any  other  girl  should  look  down  upon  him.  But  what 
Victor  said  about  their  being  enemies,  set  her  to  thinking.  If 
Nellie  and  Victor  were  enemies,  then  were  not  Leslie  and  she 
enemies  too  ?  And  if  she  were  to  meet  him  now  what  would 
be  his  attitude  toward  her?  And  what  is  the  attitude  of 
Cousin  Woldemar  toward  Leslie  May  ? 

Anxiously  she  pondered  these  questions,  and  soon  became 
as  silent  as  Victor.  It  was  well  for  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch 
that  she  made  no  demand  on  the  conversational  powers  of  her 
companions  ;  for  she  would  have  been  poorly  entertained  by 
them . 

When  the  travelers  arrived  at  Brooklield,  Victor  ordered  the 
guard  to  proceed  with  the  ladies  to  the  May  Mansion,  not- 
withstanding the  vehement  protest  of  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch, 
who  insisted  on  Victor's  accompanying  them  to  the  end  of 
their  journey.  But  Victor  quietly  left  them  to  pursue  their 
way  to  May  Meadows  while  he  himself  reported  to  General 
Seele  at  the  hotel  headquarters. 

The  guests  were  received  by  Mrs.  and  Miss  May  with  the 
courtesy  to  be  expected  of  them.  Mrs.  May  was  polite,  though 
Pauline,  if  she  had  not  been  so  preoccupied,  might  have  fancied 
her  to  be  a  trifle  condescending  in  her  manner ;  but  Nellie  was 
very  gracious  to  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch,  while  she  embraced  and 
kissed  Pauline  with  the  warmth  of  sincere  friendship.  The 
two  girls  were  at  once  on  terms  of  perfect  ease  with  each  other, 
and  exchanged  their  small  confidences  with  great  gusto. 

Uncle  Auf  dem  Busch  received  his  wife  in  bantering  mood, 
though  as  yet  unable  to  leave  his  bed.  "Come  you  all  the 
way  to  Brookfield,"  he  inquired  of  her,  "to  curry  my  grey 
hairs,  and  tie  my  cravat,  when  I  come  on  my  legs  once  more?  " 
And  after  a  feeble  chuckle,  made  pathetic  by  his  weakness,  he 
added:  "  Ah,  these  ladies  shall  know  how  proud  I  can  be  of 
my  caresome  wife ;  and  how  I  shall  be  thankful  to  her,  when 


coyFESsioys  and  confidinqs.  589 

she  shall  make  me  to  look  well,  before  them.  Or,"  with  a 
comical  grimace,  "at  least,  so  well  as  she  cau  make  me  to 
look." 

When  Pauline  bent  over  him  to  kiss  him,  he  grasped  her  by 
both  arms  and  holding  her  away  from  him,  said:  "  Stop,  little 
girl !  I  like  your  kiss  better  as  sugar  or  honey.  But  if  you 
got  not  more  as  one  to  spare,  better  you  give  it  to  that  hungry 
boy  there,  looking  at  you  like  if  he  wants  to  eat  you  with  his 
eyes." 

"  Oh,  I  am  not  sting}-  with  kisses,"  said  Pauline,  blushing 
deeply,  however,  as  she  pressed  her  lips  upon  those  of  the  old 
gentleman.  "  And  I  have  one  to  spare  for  my  cousin,"  she 
added,  as  she  turned  to  embrace  and  kiss  Woldemar,  who  had 
risen  from  the  lounge  on  which  he  had  been  reclining.  "  I  am 
so  glad.  Cousin  Woldemar,  to  lind  you  so  much  better  than  I 
feared,  from  the  news  we  had  of  you.  You  will  soon  be  well 
enough,  will  you  not,  to  escort  us  home?  " 

Woldemar  responded  to  the  kiss  and  embrace  with  a  cool- 
ness that  surprised  both  his  father  and  himself.  The  suffering 
from  his  wound  must  have  drained  his  vitality  very  low,  so  his 
father  feared,  if  Pauline's  kiss  failed  to  bring  the  slightest 
color  to  his  cheeks.  Bat  Pauline  felt  grateful  to  her  cousin 
for  his  admirable  bearing  under  the  circumstances,  and  Nellie, 
not  appearing  to  notice  at  all,  indulged  in  a  furtive  smile  to 
herself. 

"I  would  gladly  escort  mama  and  you,"  said  Woldemar, 
in  answer  to  Pauline's  remark,  "if  they  would  let  me.  But 
when  I  get  well,  which  I  hope  to  be  in  a  few  days,  I  must  re- 
join my  company.  My  term  of  enlistment  will  not  expire  for 
some  weeks  yet." 

"  We  shall  have  a  word  to  say  about  that,  will  we  not, 
Pauline?"  Nellie  interposed.  "For  the  present,  you  are  a 
prisoner  of  war,  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch ;  and  I,  under  orders 
from  my  superior  officer,  am  your  inexorable  jailer.  Do  not 
flatter  yourself,  sir,  that  I  am  so  tame  a  rebel,  or  so  recreant  to 
my  trust,  as  to  send  a  redoubtable  warrior  back  to  swell  the 


590  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

ranks  of  the  enemy,  before  he  is  exchanged,  or  at  least 
paroled." 

"  Old  lady,"  said  Auf  deni  Busch,  Sr.,  with  a  sly  wink  at 
his  wife,  "  it  has  the  seeming  that  you  go  home  with  uueffected 
purpose.  Because,  see  you  not,  if  Miss  May  be  jailer,  then  I 
am  a  prisoner  in  her  hands,  too?  " 

"  Of  course  you  are,"  said  Nellie,  with  smihng  emphasis. 
"  And  I  shall  put  you  under  strict  surveillance,  as  well  as  my 
other  prisoner.  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch,  I  appoint  you  my  dep- 
uty and  give  it  you  strictly  in  charge  to  keep  a  watchful  eye 
over  the  safety  and  comfort  of  your  husband.  And  you, 
Pauline,  shall  bear  the  responsibility  for  the  younger  pris- 
oner." 

"  Ah,  what  strategy  in  a  petticoat!  "  mused  the  old  gen- 
tleman, regarding  his  young  hostess  with  admiring  eyes.  "  It 
is  great  luck  for  our  side  that  Miss  May  wears  not  gray 
trousers  and  some  stars  on  her  shoulders.  She  would  be  unre- 
sistible  as  an  enemy.  What  brave  hojs  in  blue  would  stand 
before  the  artillery  of  her  eyes,  they  would  be  overcome  with 
her  strokes  of  genius." 

"  Look  to  your  prisoner,  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch !  "  the  young 
lady  commanded.  "  He  is  evidently  delirious,  and  needs  an 
application  of  cold  water."  Turning  to  Pauline,  she  con- 
tinued, with  mock  severity:  "  Miss  Waldhorst,  I  warn  you  to 
keep  strict  v/atch  on  your  prisoner  also.  I  suspect  him  of 
entertaining  treasonable  designs  on  one  of  our  '  contrabands,' 
as  the  Yankees  now  call  our  'peculiar  institution.'  Mind,  I 
shall  hold  you  responsible  for  the  safety  of  our  domestics. 
There  is  one,"  she  went  on,  nodding  slightly  in  the  direction 
of  Cressie,  and  smiling  mischievously,  "  upon  whose  rescue  the 
Yankee  warriors,  including  your  gallant  cousin  Auf  dem  Busch, 
seem  intent.  Your  task  in  guarding  her  will  not  be  a  very 
arduous  one,  however.  For  I  suspect  that  she  will  not  willingly 
be  carried  off  b}^  any  of  them,  save  by  one,  who  has  not  shown 
up,  so  far." 

Pauline  looked  at  Nellie  as  if  she  did  not  understand.     She 


CONFESSIONS  AND    CON  RIDINGS.  591 

looked  at  her  cousin,  and  the  distinct  blush  of  embarrassment 
on  his  face  puzzled  her.  It  was  so  unusual  a  thing  in  Cousin 
Woldemar  to  blush,  on  any  occasion.  From  Woldemar  she 
turned  her  eyes  on  the  octoroon  maiden,  and  was  struck  by 
her  marvelous  beauty.  As  Victor  had  asked  on  first  seeing 
her,  Can  she  be  a  slave?  So  now  Pauline,  shocked  by  what  to 
her  appeared  a  monstrous  incongruity,  whispered  in  her 
friend's  ear  "  Is  she — ?  " 

"Yes,"  Nellie  answered,  loud  enough  to  be  heard  by  all, 
not  excepting  Cressie,  "  she  is  a  bounden  slave  ;  my  own  special 
property.     Shocking,  is  it  not?  " 

"It  is !  "  Pauline  exclaimed,  still  gazing  in  wonderment  at 
the  slave  girl,  who  was  j)erforming  some  menial  office  with  the 
unconscious  grace  of  a  well-bred  lady. 

'-'■  It  is!  "  Nellie  echoed  with  mock  solemnity,  enjoying  for  a 
second  Pauline's  eloquent,  though  silent  protest.  Then  she 
broke  into  a  ripple  of  musical  laughter,  and  continued :  "I 
think  it  is  your  brother's  voice  I  hear  saying  these  words,  and 
your  brother's  face,  on  which  I  see  the  horror  that  seizes  you 
on  this  discovery.  Oh,"  she  went  on,  more  soberly,  as  if 
indulging  in  reminiscence,  "  it  was  a  sight,  when  he  bravely 
defended  Cressie  from  the  lash  of  the  brutal  overseer !  His 
blazing  cheeks  and  flashing  eyes  made  him  look  really  hand- 
some, when  he  told  father  that  he  ought  not  to  permit  Cressie 
to  be  flogged." 

A  swift  glance  at  Victor's  sister  from  Cressie's  eyes,  and  a 
tell-tale  blush  coloring  her  cheeks  with  crimson  glow,  betrayed 
that  she  had  not  forgotten  the  episode  in  her  lowlj^  life,  that 
had  thrown  her  into  contact  with  her  master's  guest. 

But  Nellie  continued:  "By  the  by,  that  brutal  overseer 
is  now  one  of  the  loyal  patriots  defending  your  government, 
and  therefore  Victor's  comi-ade  in  arms.  What  a  curious  pair 
of  patriots!  Jeffreys,  whom  Victor  has  made  an  enemy  for 
life,  and  who  hates  him  worse  than  he  can  hate  any  rebel  — 
unless  it  be  brother  Leslie  —  fighting  alongside  of  Cressie's 
brave    champion,    in   Lincoln's  army,   which    is    fighting,    as 


592  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

Mr.  Aul  dera  Busch  here  admits,  for  the  liberation  of  the 
slaves !  ' ' 

"  Only  because  the  rebels  compel  us,"  said  Woldemar. 
"  If  they  laid  down  their  arms  to-day  I  fear  that  our  govern- 
ment would  not  only  forgive  them,  but  secure  them  more  firmly 
iu  the  possession  of  their  slaves." 

"  You /ear  so,  "  Nellie  repeated.  "  Yes  ;  you  are  a  German, 
and  would  prefer,  I  suppose,  to  he  a  slave  —  to  your  gracious 
master  by  the  grace  of  Clod  —  than  to  see  one  in  a  free  coun- 
try. Well,  you  are  at  least  a  little  better  than  the  Yankees  in 
this  respect :  You  Germans  fight  slavery  on  instinct,  as  Don 
Quixote  fought  the  wind-mill,  while  the  Yankees  grudge  us 
our  slaves  on  the  principle  of  the  dog  in  the  manger." 

"  I  guess  Miss  May  has  right  with  the  Yankees,"  Mr.  Auf 
dera  Busch  Senior  remarked.  "  The  Yankees  make  blue  laws 
for  Sunday,  because  they  feel  blue  on  Sunday,  and  it  makes 
them  mad  when  some  folks  be  jolly  on  Sunday,  and  they  make 
laws  to  make  everybody  feel  blue  on  Sunday." 

"  Come  Pauline,"  said  Nellie,  taking  her  guest  by  the 
hand,  "  I  see  that  mama  is  ready  to  show  Mrs.  Auf  dem 
Busch  to  her  room,  and  I  must  take  you  to  yours.  Which 
is  also  mine,"  she  added,  as  the  two  girls  were  leaving 
the  room.  "  You  do  not  object  to  me  as  a  room-mate,  do 
you?  " 

"  Oh,  how  kind  of  you  !  "  Pauline  exclaimed,  regarding  her 
friend  with  a  radiant  face.  "  You  don't  know  how  glad  you 
make  me  to  take  me  to  your  own  room." 

"  My  kindness  in  this  respect  as  in  most  others  has  a  selfish 
basis,"  Nellie  confessed,  in  a  confiding  way.  "  I  want  you 
to  myself  as  much  as  I  can  get  you  ;  and  I  give  you  fair 
warning,  that  I  shall  monopolize  as  much  of  your  time  as  you 
will  let  me." 

"  Command  me!  "  Pauline  replied,  as  the  girls  reached  the 
privacy  of  their  chamber.  "I  only  fear  that  you  will  soon 
get  tired  of  me.  My  conversational  talent  is  poorly  developed, 
and  when  my  small  stock  of  gossiping  news  is  exhausted,  the 


CONFESSIONS  AND   CONFIDINOS.  593 

burden  of  colloquial  entertainniont  Ijetweeii  us  will  rest  chiefly 
on  you." 

"  Have  no  fear,"  said  Nellie,  "  but  that  we  will  fully  de- 
velop your  dormant  talent  in  that  direction.  You  shall  learn, 
before  you  leave  May  Meadows,  not  only  how  to  chat,  but  to 
chatter  like  a  magpie.  Meanwhile,  let  us  draw  on  what  you 
call  your  small  stock  of  gossipping  news.  Tell  me,  for 
instance,  where  is  your  brother,  Mr.  Waldhorst,  and  what  is  he 
doing?  " 

"Why,  don't  you  know?"  Pauline  asked  in  surprise. 
"  He  is  here,  —  I  mean  in  Brooktield,  —  to  act  as  judge  advo- 
cate in  the  trials  before  the  court-martial." 

"Judge  advocate?"  counter-queried  Nellie,  in  equal  sur- 
prise. "I  did  not  know  that  he  was  a  commissioned  officer. 
I  heard  of  him  last  as  the  military  governor's  private  secre- 
tary." 

"I  don't  know  about  his  being  a  commissioned  officer," 
Pauline  informed  her.  "They  call  him  Captain,  I  believe; 
and  he  was  the  governor's  adjutant  until  he  was  sent  here  to 
conduct  the  trial  of  your  brother." 

"Trial  of  my  brother?"  exclaimed  Nellie,  turning  pale. 
"  You  mean  the  trial  of  Jeffreys, — that  miscreant  who  came 
here  to  carry  off  Cressie,  and  against  whom  Leslie  is  detained 
as  a  witness,  —  do  you  not?  " 

Pauline  was  startled  by  Nellie's  vehemence.  It  was  a  genu- 
ine surprise  to  her  to  learn  that  Leslie's  sister  had  been  left  in 
ignorance  of  the  charge  against  him. 

"  Have  you  not  been  informed?"  she  inquired,  in  a  voice 
tender  with  genuine  sympathy.  "  Where,  then,  is  your 
brother?  " 

"Ha!  "  exclaimed  Nellie,  aghast,  and  white  as  a  sheet, 
"  that  is  the  miserable  secret  of  Leslie's  protracted  absence, — 
ever  since  the  horrible  day  when  he  marched  oil  with  the 
guards  that  arrested  Jeffreys !  And  I  —  simpleton  that  I 
was  !  —  thought  he  was  detained  as  a  witness  when  he  was  him- 
self a  prisoner !     He  has  been  in  vile   durance  all   this  time, 

38 


594  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

and  neither  his  mother  nor  his  sister  as  much  as  dreamed  of 
visiting  him !  Oh,  this  was  a  cruel  kindness^  father,  to  keep 
us  uninformed  as  to  my  brother's  fate!  " 

"  How  careless  I  have  been!  "  Pauline  lamented.  "  I  am 
so  sorry, — your  father  must  have  had  good  reason  to  conceal 
the  truth  from  you  ;  and  by  my  awkwardness  I  have  thwarted 
his  intention." 

"Hush  !"  said  Nellie  waving  her  hand  in  a  peremptory 
gesture.  "Don't  be  silly.  As  if  you  could  have  suspected  ! 
And  besides,  I  nmst  have  heard  all  about  it  in  a  day  or  two, 
at  all  events."  Then,  as  if  wishing  to  put  her  visitor  at  ease, 
she  added:  "So  your  brother  is  in  Brookfield,  and  I  have 
heard  nothing  of  it !  " 

"  Wiiy,  yes.  He  came  with  us.  It  was  he  that  escorted 
us  to  this  place." 

"  And  why  have  I  not  seen  him?  " 

"Aunt  audi  both  endeavored  to  persuade  him;   but — " 

Pauline  had  it  on  her  tongue's  end  to  repeat  to  Nellie  the 
reason  Victor  had  given  her  for  refusing  to  visit  May  Meadows  ; 
but  she  thought  better  of  it.  She  finished  the  sentence  by 
adding:  "  But  his  business  with  the  commanding  general  was 
too  pressing  to  allow  him  time  to  accompauy  us  here." 

"  No  ;  of  course,"  her  friend  remarked.  "  Victor,  you  say, 
is  judge  advocate.  Then  it  will  be  his  office  to  prosecute 
Leslie,  —  to  urge  the  court  to  couvict  him.  Convict  him  of 
what,  Pauline?"  And  in  her  sisterly  anxiety  she  addressed 
herself  to  her  visitor  in  the  eager  hope  of  learning  from  her  her 
brother's  opinion  of  the  case.  "  He  has  done  nothing,  has  he? 
Nothing  that  is  wrong,  that  a  court-martial  can  punish  ?  To 
be  sure,  he  has  tried  to  raise  a  company  for  the  war.  But 
they  cannot  punish  him  for  that?  " 

"  No,  of  course  not,"  said  Pauline,  timidly.  For  while  iier 
interest  in  the  fate  of  Leslie  May  was  fully  as  deep  as  that  of 
his  sister,  she  had  gathered  from  some  of  her  brother's  remarks, 
tliat  tlie  charge  on  whicli  Leslie  May  would  be  tried  was  a 
serious  one,   involving  danger  to  his   lil)erty,    if  not  his    life. 


CONFES, SIGNS  AND   CONFIDING^.  595 

And  she  naturally  shrank  irom  imparting  her  own  apprehen- 
sions to  the  anxious  sister. 

But  Nellie,  in  the  instinctive  hope  of  being  contradicted  by 
Pauline,  went  on:  "  .Surely  they  cannot  call  him  to  account 
for  shooting  that  odious  beast  that  came  here  to  rob  us,  and 
insult  me?  Tell  me,  Pauline,  they  cannot,  surely,  hurt  him 
for  that?" 

''  You  forget,  dear  Nellie,  that  I  know  nothing  at  all  about 
what  happened  here.  But  this  I  know,  that  Victor  will  never 
permit  injustice  to  your  brother  —  " 

"  Why  yes  ;  "  she  interrupted.  "  Victor  is  to  be  his  pros- 
ecutor. And  think,  Pauline,  Leslie  has  mortally  offended 
him  —  has  offended  him  beyond  forgiveness  —  ' ' 

"  Don't  you  believe  it,  Nellie  !  "  Pauline  broke  in.  "  Leslie 
could  not  offend  my  brother  so  deeply,  but  that  he  would 
readily  forgive.  Oh,  you  do  not  know  how  he  idolizes  every 
member  of  your  family !  ' ' 

"  But  Victor  is  the  soul  of  honor  —  Oh,  don't  I  know  it?  — 
And  Leslie  and  I  too,  have  reviled  him  as  base,  and  ungrate- 
ful, and  treacherous!  " 

Pauline  drew  herself  up  to  her  full  height.  Her  cheeks 
reddened  ;  her  eyes  flashed .  ' '  Treacherous  ?  ' '  she  repeated 
with  the  emphasis  of  indignant  surprise  and  amazement. 
"  My  brother  Victor,  treacherous?  And  you,  Miss  May, 
you,  —  and  your  brother,  —  you,  both  of  yoii^  —  of  all  the 
people  in  the  world,  you  had  the  heart  to  tell  him  that?  " 

As  Pauline  stood  there,  the  very  embodiment  of  indignant 
protest  against  the  cruel  wrong  to  her  brother's  character, 
Nellie  regarded  her  with  undisguised  admiration.  "  How  like 
your  brother  you  are  !  "  she  said.  "  And  yet  how  unlike !  If 
he  had  your  spirit,  what  a  man  he  would  be !  " 

"  You  will  find  that  he  has  plenty  of  spirit  on  occasion," 
Pauline  retaliated.  "  But  you  need  fear  no  return  of  evil  for 
evil  from  him,"  she  added,  regarding  Miss  May  with  lofty 
pride.  "  He  will  be  all  the  more  scrupulous  in  shielding  3'our 
brother    against    injustice    and  wrong   for  the  cruelty  he  has 


596  THE   BEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

suffered  at  your  hands.  You  have  said  it,  Miss  May,  and  you 
spoke  truly  when  you  said  it,  —  my  brother  is  the  soul  of 
honor." 

"  Can  any  one  in  the  wide  world  know  it  better  than  I?  " 
the  young  lady  emphasized.  There  was  exultation  in  her  voice 
and  bearing,  as  she  said  it,  yet  a  tone  of  resignation  withal, 
which  caused  Pauline  to  wonder.  "  But  there  is  little  comfort 
in  that,"  she  continued,  "  either  for  me  or  for  Leslie.  He  is 
loyal  to  his  government.  In  his  eyes  Leslie  is  a  traitor ;  we 
are  enemies.  His  nice  sense  of  duty  in  conducting  the  trial 
will  take  alarm  at  every  memory  or  sentiment  of  ten- 
der regard  or  affection  into  Avhich  his  warm  and  generous 
heart  may  betray  him.  He  will  do  his  duty  all  the  more  sternly 
and  inexorably  —  he  will  prosecute  Leslie  as  rigorously  as  if  — 
he  had  never  known  us." 

There  was  a  tone  of  anguish  in  Pauline's  voice,  as  she 
answered,  "I  dare  say  he  will,  Nellie!"  For  she,  too, 
trembled  for  the  fate  of  Leslie  May, 

"  He  will !  —  He  loves  you,  Pauline,  —  I  know  how  tenderly  ! 
But  he  would  sacrifice  you  as  surely  as  he  would  Leslie  or  me, 
if  he  thought  the  interest  of  his  cause  demanded  it." 

"  Oh,  no,  Nellie!  Only  \t  justice  demanded  it.  Be  Of  good 
cheer,  dear;  for  I  am  as  certain  as  I  am  of  m}^  OAvn  life,  that 
your  brother  has  done  nothing  that  is  not  high-minded,  and 
honorable  and  right.  So  if  Victor  be  his  judge,  you  ought  not 
to  fear  for  him." 

"You  are  right,  my  dear!"  said  NeUie,  impulsively 
embracing  aud  kissing  her  friend. 

Y'et  neither  of  the  gii'ls  felt  assured.  The  issue  of  a  trial 
before  a  court  composed  of  enemies  of  the  accused  was  looked 
forward  to  by  both  of  them  with  awe  and  trepidation. 


XXXVIII. 

JUDGE   AND    ADVOCATE. 

^HEN  Captain  Waldhorst  —  that  being  now  A'ictor's 
military  title  —  delivered  the  disi)atehes  of  which  he 
was  the  bearer  from  Governor  Rauhenfels,  General 
Seele  detained  him  for  a  lengthened  interview  in  which  the 
contents  of  the  dispatches  were  under  discussion.  They  con- 
tained the  order  directing  the  general  in  command  of  the  Fed- 
eral forces  of  the  Department  of  the  Southwest  to  convene  a 
general  court-martial  for  the  speedy  trial  of  the  prisoners  in 
custody.  Sergeant  Jeffreys  was  charged  with  attempted  kid- 
naping and  provoking  an  aggravated  breach  of  the  peace, 
and  conduct  unbecoming  a  soldier.  The  civilian  Leslie  May 
was  arraigned  for  the  nuirder  of  Sergeant  Obenaus,  an  officer 
of  the  United  States  army  in  the  lawful  discharge  of  his  duty 
as  such.  There  was  a  further  order  detailiug  Captain  Wald- 
horst of  the  governor's  staff,  to  be  attached  to  said  court,  when 
convened,  as  judge  advocate. 

Victor  was  agreeably  surprised  to  find  how  much  interest  the 
general  evinced  in  the  case  of  the  prisoners.  The  questions 
put  by  him  elicited  from  the  young  captain  a  rather  full  account 
of  all  that  Victor  knew  about  the  matter.  His  every  word 
became  a  glowing  tribute  to  the  sterling  character  of  father  and 
son  ;  and  though  he  never  mentioned  the  name  of  Miss  May 
further  than  was  necessary  to  explain  her  attitude  toward  Jef- 
freys in  regard  to  the  threatened  flogging  of  Cressie,  yet  it  was 
not  difficult  for  the  general  to  guess  the  secret  that  Victor 
thought  he  was  safely  hiding. 

"  I  learn  from  our  surgeon.  Doctor  Behr,  who  attends  the 
patients  at  the  house  of  Senator  May,  that  his  daughter  is  a 
most  estimable  lady,  whose  cheerful  devotion  to  the  comfort  of 

(597) 


598  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

the  sufferers  goes  far  in  aiding  their  recovery.  I  also  learn 
from  the  doctor,  that  she  is  ignorant  of  the  real  charge  against 
her  brother,  believing  him  to  be  detained  merely  as  a  witness." 

"  What  a  fearful  shock  it  will  be  to  her,  to  learn  of  the  peril 
of  her  idolized  brother!  "  Victor  exclaimed. 

"  It  will  be  your  task  to  help  her  to  bear  it,"  said  General 
Sede,  a  scarcely  perceptible  humorous  smile  lighting  up  his 
countenance.  "The  governor's  action  in  selecting  you  as 
judge  advocate  in  these  trials  seems  to  l>e  a  most  fortunate 
thing  for  the  May  family.  Do  you  happen  to  know  whether  he 
is  acquainted  with  them?  " 

"  He  is." 

"  Ah,  that  explains  it.  I  am  very  glad  ;  for  1  feel  that  with 
you  to  conduct  the  proceedings,  no  injustice  will  be  done." 

"  I  shall  certainly  do  my  duty.  General." 

"  1  know  you  will.  Since  you  have  made  me  aware  of  the 
high  esteem  in  which  you  hold  your  friend  May,  your  conduct 
in  the  senatorial  election  challenges  my  unqualified  admiration. 
In  voting  against  your  old  benefactor,  you  must  have  felt 
something  of  the  anguish  of  Junius  Brutus  when  he  signed  the 
death  warrants  of  his  sons  for  treason  to  the  State." 

"  I  might  have  truly  said,  in  the  words  of  that  other  Brutus, 
Cajsar's  friend  and  assassin,  '  Not  that  I  loved  my  benefactor 
less,  but  my  country  more.  '  " 

"Go  now,"  urged  the  general,  "and  confer  with  the 
prisoners,  so  as  to  be  ready  to  go  on  with  the  trial  at  the 
earliest  possible  moment.  You  are  aware,  I  suppose,  that  we 
may  receive  marching  orders  at  any  time,  and  it  would  be 
awkward  if  the  trials  were  begun  and  not  concluded  before  we 
leave  here.  The  enemy  is  concentrating  an  overwhelming 
force,  and  if  he  should  think  of  attacking  us,  nothing  but  a 
speedy  retreat  would  save  our  forces  from  annihilation. 
Besides,  it  would  be  a  cruel  thing  to  the  prisoners  to  be  dragged 
hence  under  guard,  and  remain  in  (uistody  for  an  indefinite 
time." 

"  Not  to  speak  of  the  anxiety   of  his  mother  and  sister," 


JUDGE   AND  ADVOCATE.  599 

Victor  added,  thinking  of  but  one  of  the  prisoners.  "  1  will 
enter  on  my  dnty  at  once,  if  your  Excellency  will  grant  me 
access  to  the  prisoners." 

"  Self -evidently,"  said  the  general.  "  You  have  unlimited 
authority  to  visit  or  cause  to  be  brought  before  you  not  only 
the  prisoners,  but  any  witness  or  other  person  from  whom  you 
may  wish  to  obtain  any  information.  I  have  one  request  to 
make  of  you,  hoAvever.  One  of  the  witnesses,  is,  I  infer,  the 
young  lady,  his  sister,  and  I  would  not  like  to  have  her 
frightened  b}^  being  dragged  here  under  military  escort.  Could 
you,"  he  added,  a  humorous  twinkle  again  appearing  in  his 
eye,  "  manage,  perhaps,  to  pay  your  visit  to  her  without  taking 
a  squad  of  soldiers  with  you  ? ' ' 

"  1  may  as  well  admit  to  you,  General,  that  the  fear  I  have 
of  meeting  with  Miss  May  would  not  be  relieved  if  not  only  a 
squad,  but  a  whole  regiment  of  soldiers  were  to  accompany  me." 

"  Fear?  "  the  general  repeated  in  surprise.  "  Why,  what  a 
strange  man  you  are  for  a  soldier !  I  learn  that  she  is  a  most 
charming  young  lady,  and  must  be  a  friend  of  yours.  And 
your  uncle  and  cousin  are  in  the  house,  too.  I  must  say,  that 
these  May  people,  although  they  are  rebels,  have  acted  most 
handsomely  in  taking  to  their  home  two  wounded  Federal 
soldiers,  and  caring  for  them  as  if  they  were  dear  friends 
instead  of  enemies." 

"  But  I  am  not  a  wounded  soldier,"  the  young  man  replied, 
with  a  sad  smile  of  resignation.  "I  will  be  to  her  only  the 
enemy  in  the  hated  uniform,  and  the  prosecutor  of  her  idolized 
brother.  It  will  not  be  a  pleasant  task.  General,  to  bring  to 
her  the  tiding  of  the  grave  accusation  against  him." 

"  Still,  it  will  give  her  comfort  that  it  is  you  and  not  some 
hated  Yankee  that  is  to  be  the  judge  advocate  at  her  brother's 
trial." 

Victor  made  no  answer,  but,  on  being  dismissed,  hurried  to 
the  room  in  which  Leslie  May  was  kept  under  guard. 

The  meeting  between  the  young  men  was  characteristic. 
Leslie,  having  already  been  informed  of  the  nature  of  Victor's 


600  THE  BEBEUS   DAUGHTER. 

errand,  cordially  shook  hands  with  him,  and  said,  with  that 
winsome  smile  which  had  always  won  Victor's  heart,  more 
touching  now  for  an  eager,  expectant  look  that  accompanied 
it:  "I  may  truly  say,  Victor,  that  I  am  glad  to  see  you! 
Very  glad,  indeed,  in  view  of  the  errand  that  brought  you 
here.     You  came  to  prosecute  me,  did  you  not?  " 

"  To  try  you,  Mr.  May,"  said  Victor.  "  I  assure  you  that 
I  deeply  feel  the  painful  necessity  of  this  visit." 

A  dark  look,  as  of  keen  disappointment,  crossed  Leslie's 
face.  Dropping  the  hand  he  had  held  in  his  own  while  speak- 
ing, he  said  :  "  Mr.  May,  is  it?  "  And  with  icy  politeness  he 
added:  "Then  pardon  me,  Captain  Waldhorst — that,  I  take 
it,  is  your  military  rank  ?  —  for  my  seeming  disrespect  in 
addressing    you    by  a  name  that  was  once  familiar  to  me." 

"Do  not  misjudge  me,  Mr.  May,"  was  Victor's  quiet 
answer.  "  It  is  not  your  friend  or  comrade  that  stands  before 
you  — ' ' 

"No,  I  should  say  not,"  Leslie  interrupted,  a  touch  of 
sneering  sarcasm  in  his  voice.  "  I  suppose  that  I  dismissed 
that  friend  and  comrade  some  time  ago.  But  we  are  liable  to 
make  fools  of  ourselves  sometimes.  Captain  Waldhorst ;  and 
so  I  forgot  for  a  moment  that  a  newer  influence  has  come 
between  us.  It  is  not  your  fault ;  your  stubborn  persistence 
in  tantalizing  us  — my  sister  and  me,  I  mean,  and  I  have  no 
doubt  yourself,  also, — ought  to  make  it  plain  enough,  that 
you  wished  no  further  friendship  with  us." 

"  You  wrong  me,  Mr.  May,  as  you  did  on  that  awful  occa- 
sion you  speak  of.  Your  father,  at  lea^st,  understood  that  I 
could  not  act  otherwise  than  I  did.  If  you  had  not  been  pas- 
sionately absorbed  in  your  ambitious  purpose,  you  might  have 
known  what  it  cost  me  to  vindicate  my  honor  and  self-respect,  — 
what  anguish  it  gave  me  to  lose  your  and  Miss  May's  friend- 
ship, to  be  looked  upon  by  both  of  you  as  perfidious  and  basely 
ungrateful.  But  I  may  say,  without  humiliating  myself,  that 
your  cruelty  on  that  occasion  abated  not  one  jot  of  my  regard 
and  admiration  —  I  may  add,  of  my  affection  — for  you  —  " 


JUDGE  AND  ADVOCATE.  601 

'  Then  why  address  me  as  '  Mr.  Maj^ '  ?  " 

"  Because,  as  I  was  about  to  say  when  you  interrupted  me, 
I  stand  before  you  as  an  officer  with  the  duty  of  prosecuting 
you  on  a  serious  indictment.  I  come  to  request  of  you  an 
accurate  statement  of  the  circumstances  attending  the  death 
of  the  Federal  officer,  so  that  I  may  know  how  best  to  con- 
duct the  examination  of  the  witnesses." 

Leslie  smiled  and  looked  at  Victor  with  a  puzzled  mien. 
"  Cool,  that,  is  it  not?  "  he  said.  "  You  soberly  tell  me,  that 
you  come  not  as  a  friend,  but  as  an  officer  charged  with  the 
duty  of  prosecuting  me  —  possibly  on  an  indictment  for  a 
felony,  for  there  is  no  telling  to  what  extent  the  facts  may 
have  been  exaggerated  and  distorted  —  and  you  ask  of  me  to 
help  you  convict  me  ?  Does  it  not  strike  you  that  you  are 
trenching  on  the  sacred  privilege,  guaranteed  by  mcujua  charta 
and  the  constitution,  according  to  which  no  man  shall  be  com- 
pelled to  testify  against  himself  ? ' ' 

Victor  cast  a  reproachful  glance  at  the  prisoner.  He  was 
about  to  answer,  when  Leslie  hastily  added : 

"There  —  don't  think  that  I  believe  you  capable  of  any 
intention  of  taking  advantage  of  me.  I  know  you  so  well,  that 
I  am  perfectly  sure  you  would  not  have  called  on  me  with  any 
sinister  motive  ;  for  you  would  ten  times  rather  suffer  than  do 
wrong.  Only  it  appears  so  outlandishly  absurd  to  me  that  the 
prosecuting  officer  should  consult  with  the  prisoner.  It  looks  — 
would  look  in  any  one  else  but  you,  I  mean  —  so  much  like  a 
cowardly  attempt  to  trick  him  into  an  unguarded  statement,  to 
be  used  against  him  on  the  trial." 

"  You  seem  to  forget,  Mr.  May,  that  courts-martial  do  not 
proceed  according  to  the  course  of  the  common  law.  In  all 
but  English-speaking  communities,  the  examination  of  the 
pi-isoner  himself  is  a  most  important  factor  in  ascertaining  guilt 
or  innocence.  Under  rare  circumstances,  only,  could  his 
statement  militate  against  him,  if  he  were  really  innocent,  as, 
permit  me  to  say,  I  believe  you  to  be —  " 

Leslie's  hand  sought  Victor's  and  pressed  it. 


602  THE  BEBEVS  DAUQHTEli. 

"  Nevertheless  I  must  do  my  duty.  And  you  will  pardon 
me,  will  you  not?  for  the  suggestion,  that  your  situation  is  not 
entirely  free  from  an  element  of  danger.  Men  are  liable  to  err. 
The  officers  that  are  to  compose  the  court  to  try  you,  are  men, 
of  whom  it  would  be  expecting  too  much  to  imagine  them 
exempt  from  bias,  prejudice,  or  even  passion.  You  see,  then, 
that  it  is  not  enough  for  safety  to  know  yourself  to  be  innocent 
of  the  charge  laid  against  you,  nor  that  I,  tlie  judge  advocate, 
am  convinced  of  the  justice  of  your  cause.  It  behooves  us  to 
disarm  suspicion,  remove  prejudice,  and  cancel  unfavorable 
bias.  Remember  that  your  judges  will  be  men  who  took  up 
arms  from  a  sense  of  duty,  to  crush  out  a  reliellion  which  they 
deem  unholy  and  wicked,  and  to  which  you  and  yours  are 
lending  powerful  aid.  Do  you  see  how  a  mistaken  sense  of 
duty  may  turn  their  very  patriotism  into  injustice  against  you  ?  ' ' 

The  prisoner's  eyes  flashed.  "Victor!"  he  exclaimed, 
"  do  you  mean  to  tell  me,  that  men  who  wear  a  soldier's  uni- 
form, who  hold  commissions  from  your  government,  who  pro- 
fess to  be  flghting  for  a  righteous  cause,  can  be  guilty  of  the 
pusillanimous  tyranny  you  suggest?  Do  you  want  me  to 
believe  that  you  would  associate  with  men,  who  would  trample 
right  and  justice  under  foot,  and  call  it  patriotism —  " 

"  Calm  yourself,  Mr.  May,"  said  Victor,  laying  his  hand 
gently  on  Leslie's  arm.  "  I  but  caution  you  against  over- 
weening confidence  ;  and  I  again  remind  you  that  a  court- 
martial  is  a  different  thing  from  a  nisi  prius  court  at  common 
law.  What  I  have  suggested  is  a  remote  possibility ;  but  a 
possibility  that  should  be  taken  into  account." 

"  More  the  shame  for  a  cause  that  is  supported  by  men  whom 
you  deem  capable  of  such  things !  ' '  exclaimed  the  prisoner 
indignantly.  "  Why,  you  might  scour  the  South  from  end  to 
end  in  vain  for  a  man  so  low  as  not  to  spit  at  a  tribunal  sus- 
pected of  the  possibility  you  suggest." 

"  And  yet,"  said  Victor  with  a  sad  smile,  "  I  mistrust  that 
under  similar  circumstances  a  tribunal  in  your  Secession  might 
iiKHir   similar  suspicion.     Human  nature,  I  suspect,  is  much 


JUDGE  AND  ADVOCATE.  603 

the  same  whether  it  manifests  itself  under  a  bhie,  or  under  a 
gray,  uniform." 

Leslie  was  about  to  answer,  but  closed  his  lips  firmly  with- 
out uttering  what  may  have  been  in  his  mind. 

"You  demand  justice,"  Victor  added.  "Then  try  to  be 
just.  Remember  that  these  men  are  nursing  a  wrath  against 
you,  —  as  one  of  the  originators  of  this  wanton  and  reckless 
assault  on  our  common  country,  —  that  appears  to  them  as 
just  and  as  patriotic,  as  does  the  fierce  indignation  to  you, 
which  incenses  you  against  the  government,  to  destroy  which 
you  are  honestly  doing  your  best.  Passion,  though  in  the 
garb  of  patriotic  indignation,  clouds  the  judgment :  What  they 
might  excuse  as  justifiable  homicide  in  a  non-combatant,  may 
seem  to  them  a  heinous  murder  when  committed  b}^  one  en- 
gaged in  recruiting  for  the  enemy  in  this  unholy  war." 

Leslie  seemed  illy  pleased  with  Victor's  homily.  But  with 
something  of  an  effort  he  forced  a  smile,  and  said:  "It  is  of 
less  importance  to  me,  just  now,  which  side  is  right  or  wrong ; 
or  even  whether  the  judges  that  are  to  pass  on  my  case  are 
patriots  or  bigots.  The  one  thing  needful  is  to  show  them, 
that  justice  requires  my  acquittal.     What  am  I  to  do?  " 

"  For  the  present,"  said  Victor,  soberly,  "you  are  to  tell 
me  all  you  know  about  the  facts." 

When  Victor  was  announced  at  May  Meadows,  it  was  late  in 
the  afternoon.  The  convalescents,  —  for  the  old  gentleman  had 
also  recovered  sufficiently  to  be  able  to  leave  his  bed  at  times  — 
had  been  enjoying  the  open  air  on  the  porch,  for  an  hour  or 
two,  in  the  company  of  the  ladies,  but  had  retired  just  before 
Victor's  arrival,  to  their  room,  followed  by  Mrs.  May  and  Mrs. 
Auf  dem  Busch ;  while  Nellie  and  Pauline  had  gone  to  their 
own  room.  Cressie  handed  Victor's  card  to  her  mistress,  her 
face  flushed,  her  voice  in  a  tremor  of  excitement,  as  she  told 
her  that  Captain  Waldhorst  desired  a  few  moments  of  conver- 
sation with  Miss  May. 

'■'■  Captain  Waldhorst!  "     Mrs.    May   read    from  the  card, 


604  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

with  an  emphasis  on  the  title  as  if  it  was  an  offense  that  must 
be  resented.  "  Well,  show  him  into  the  drawing-room,  and  tell 
your  mistress  ta  join  him  there,"  When  Cressie  had  left  the 
room,  taking  the  card  with  her,  Mrs.  May  added,  conciliat- 
ingly :  "  I  must  say  for  the  young  man,  that  it  is  quite  con- 
siderate in  him  to  send  in  his  card,  considering  that  he  used 
to  be  perfectly  at  home  here,  and  that  his  whole  family  is  at 
home  here  now.  What  business  can  he  have  with  my  daughter, 
I  wonder?  " 

Nellie  held  Victor's  card  in  her  hand  when  she  entered  the 
drawing-room.  He  had  for  days  been  schooling  himself  for 
this  meeting ;  and  now,  as  she  approached  him  with  extended 
hand,  her  eyes  seeking  his,  that  exquisite  smile  wreathing  the 
lips  that  bid  him  a  hearty  welcome,  once  more,  to  May 
Meadows,  —  now  he  could  not  control  the  vivid  flush  that 
mounted  to  his  very  forehead,  leaving  his  face,  as  it  receded  — 
as  white  as  marble.  But  with  a  herculean  effort  he  steadied  his 
voice,  as  he  replied  to  her  greeting,  bowing  very  low,  —  so  low 
that  it  might  seem  as  if  he  had  not  seen  the  hand  so  gracefully 
proffered.  "  I  thank  you.  Miss  May,  for  j^our  kindness  in 
replying  so  readily  with  my  request  for  an  interview.  I  shall 
trouble  you  no  longer  than  will  be  absolutely  necessary  for  a 
proper  discharge  of  my  duty." 

Nellie  noted  the  vivid  flush,  and  a  faint  reflex  of  it  shone  on 
her  cheeks  ;  for  it  enabled  her  to  see  that  she  had  not  become 
indifferent  to  him.  She  noted,  too,  the  ignoring  of  her  ex- 
tended hand,  and  the  color  deepened;  for  this  seeming  act  of 
impoliteness  assured  her  that  he  had  been  schooling  himself  to 
self-control  and  self-reliance.  The  discovery,  however,  did  not 
diminish  whatever  regard  she  might  have  entertained  for  the 
young  soldier,  nor  increase  her  anxiety  for  the  fate  of  her 
brother.  But  she  answered  promptly  :  "  We  highly  appreciate 
the  honor  you  are  conferring  upon  us  by  this  call,"  as  she 
placed  a  chair  for  him.  "  Your  sister  has  already  informed  us 
of  the  nature  of  your  duties  here.  I  am  so  glad,  Captain,  that 
it   is  you    into  whose  hands  the  conduct  of  the  trial  against 


JUDGE  AND   ADVOCATE.  605 

brother  Leslie  has  been  intrusted.  For  I  know  that,  c^onie  what 
will,  3'ou  will  not  let  him  suffer  unjustly." 

"  If  Pauline  has  told  you  the  nature  of  the  charge  against 
your  brother,  I  am  spared  the  painful  task  of  doing  so,"  said 
Victor,  with  a  look  of  relief  at  his  hostess.  "  It  remains,  then, 
only  for  you  to  tell  me  the  circumstances  preceding  the  arrest. 
May  I  beg  of  you  to  do  so  as  fully  and  as  accurately  as  pos- 
sible, distinguishing  between  what  you  saw  and  heard  yourself, 
and  what  you  may  infer,  or  have  learned  from  others?  " 

The  account  which  Nellie  gave  was  clear,  succinct  and 
graphic,  commencing  with  the  intense  excitement  produced 
among  the  inhabitants  of  Brookfield  by  news  of  the  battle  going 
on  at  Winslo's  Run,  and  her  own  nervousness  in  the  morning, 
when  her  father  and  brother  had  gone  to  Brookfield.  She  re- 
lated even  her  conversation  with  Cressie,  dwelling  smilingly  on 
the  octoroon's  pensive  renunciation  of  a  possible  lover.  Of 
course,  she  grew  indignant  over  the  memory  of  the  insults  that 
had  been  heaped  upon  her  by  Sergeant  Obenaus  ;  her  feelings 
carried  her  away  to  such  extent,  that  she  did  not  hesitate  to 
repeat  the  strong  language  she  had  used,  until  she  suddenly 
checked  herself,  remembering  that  she  was  addressing  a  Union 
soldier.  "  Pardon  me,"  she  said  then,  "  I  ought  to  bear  in 
mind  that  I  am  speaking  to  a  fellow-officer  of  the  miscreant,  — 
to  a  representative  of  the  same  government  which  he  professed 
to  serve." 

Victor  had  listened  with  rapt  attention  to  the  fiery  flow  of 
her  words.  So  fully  did  he  share  the  speaker's  indignation, 
that  he  jumped  up  as  she  ceased,  exclaiming:  "  You  are  right. 
Miss  May !  Such  a  scoundrel  disgraces  the  army  and  the  gov- 
ernment. A  bullet  in  his  heart  from  an  honest  man's  weapon 
is  too  much  honor  for  the  coward." 

Nellie  had  also  risen.  She  regarded  him  with  a  triumphant 
sparkle  of  her  eyes.  "  Could  my  brother  do  otherwise  than 
shoot  him?  "  she  exclaimed,  fixing  an  eager,  questioning  look 
upon  the  young  officer. 

Victor  gazed  at  her  admiringly,  but  made  no  answer. 


606  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

"  Not  tliat  be  would  have  found  me  an  unresisting  victim," 
she  continued,  speaking  proudly,  her  lips  curled  with  ineffable 
disdain,  while  drawing  from  her  pocket  and  displaying  before 
her  visitor  a  revolver  of  proportions  rather  formidable  for  a 
lady's  toy.  "  This  faithful  friend  would  have  laid  him  low, 
if  need  had  been ;  or,  failing  in  that,  —  though  I  am  no  poor 
shot  —  it  would  have  held  in  reserve  one  friendly  bullet  to 
place  me  beyond  his  power." 

"  Ah,  you  were  armed  !  "  exclaimed  Victor. 

"  Yes.  My  father  and  brother  both  insisted  on  my  carrying 
this  reliable  protector,  and  themselves  instructed  me  how  to 
use  it.  The  cowardly  villain  was  in  greater  danger  than  he 
knew,  even  before  brother  Leslie  appeared.  But  it  was  Leslie 
that  fired,  with  probably  surer  aim  than  mine  would  have  been 
the  next  moment." 

From  this  point  on,  the  account  given  by  Nellie  was  but  in 
corroboration  of  what  he  had  akeady  learned  from  Leslie. 
But  Victor  questioned  her  closely  as  to  the  minutest  details,  so 
as  to  be  sure  of  what  the  prisoner's  sister  would  testify  to  at 
the  trial. 

He  had  not  yet  ceased  questioning  when  Cressie  appeared, 
announcing  that  supper  had  been  served,  and  that  the  com- 
pany were  waiting  in  the  dining-room  for  the  honor  of  being 
joined  by  Captain  Waldhorst  and  Miss  Nellie.  This  was  a 
move  in  the  game  on  which  Victor  had  not  counted.  He  had 
resolved  to  confine  his  intercourse  with  the  members  of  the 
May  family  to  the  merest  formalities  dictated  by  the  rules  of 
common  politeness.  To  sit  down  at  table  with  them  was  far 
from  his  purpose.  His  absorption  in  the  gathering  of  the 
facts  for  the  trial  had  prevented  him  from  noting  the  approach 
of  meal-time.  Greatly  annoyed  as  he  was  at  his  inadvertence 
in  this  res^ject,  he  saw  at  once  that  to  decline  participation  in 
the  meal  would  not  only  be  in  shockingly  bad  taste,  but  would 
amount  to  a  confession  of  weakness  which  would  humble  him 
before  the  woman,  to  whom  of  all  others  he  did  not  wish  to 
appear  weak.     Steeling  his  nerves  for  the  trying  ordeal  await- 


JUDGE   AND  ADVOCATE.  607 

iug  him,  he  bowed  to  the  young  lady  and  offered  his  arm  to 
escort  her  to  the  supper  table. 

Nellie  acknowledged  the  courtesy  with  a  graceful  smile ;  but 
Victor  remained  stolidly  indifferent.  Her  graphic  account  of 
the  occurrences  in  which  she  had  played  so  conspicuous  a  part, 
had  stirred  up  his  very  soul,  so  that  it  had  required  all  his 
mental  resources  to  steer  clear  of  an  open  betrayal  of  his  deep 
feeling.  Now,  when  her  soft  hand  rested  daintily  on  his  arm, 
her  bright  face  upturned  trustingly  to  his,  as  they  walked 
toward  the  sujjper  room,  he  felt  more  than  ever  the  dire  need 
of  fortitude  to  maintain  the  bari'ier  of  reserve  behind  which  he 
proposed  to  intrench  himself  against  the  dangerous  fascina- 
tion. He  would  rather  incur  the  imputation  of  churlishness, 
than  hazard  the  succumbing,  once  more,  to  the  witching  charms 
that  had  so  often  enthralled  his  whole  being.  So  her  spright- 
liest  sallies  elicited  but  monosyllabic  answers,  and  her  sweetest 
smiles  met  seeming  indifference.  But  it  was  a  seeming  that 
cost  him  heavily. 

They  found  the  company  already  assembled,  Mrs.  May  hav- 
ing, in  honor  of  their  military  guest,  persuaded  the  convales- 
cents to  join  the  family  at  the  general  table,  at  which  Mr.  Auf 
dem  Busch  Senior  appeared  for  the  first  time.  Mrs.  Auf  dem 
Busch  and  Pauline  were,  of  course,  present  also  ;  and  so  it  was 
quite  a  little  party  that  Nellie  and  Victor  sat  down  to. 

The  conditions  for  a  free  tlow  of  conversation  were  not  the 
most  favorable.  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch  felt  constrained  by  the 
recognition  of  the  obligation  both  she  and  her  husband,  as  well 
as  her  son,  were  under  for  the  generous  hospitality  and  unre- 
mitting kindness  that  had  been  extended  to  them,  yet  lacked 
the  grace  to  show  her  gratitude  in  any  acceptable  manner. 
Mrs.  May,  on  her  part,  in  no  wise  came  to  her  aid  :  on  the 
contrary,  she  added  to  her  chagrin  and  annoyance  by  the  cool 
display  of  her  superior  elegance  and  polish,  doing  the  honors 
at  table  with  the  air  of  a  princess,  until  Nellie,  in  very  pity,  by 
a  well-directed  question  or  two,  put  her  at  comparative  ease. 

The  relations  between  Woldemar  and  Pauline    had   under- 


608  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTEB. 

gone  no  perceptible  change  since  the  day  on  which  Woklemar 
had  been  rejected  as  a  lover ;  at  least  on  the  part  of  Pauline. 
The  cool,  dignilied  demeanor  on  his  part,  studiously  calculated 
to  impress  her  with  his  profound  misery  and  heroic  attempt  not 
to  hold  her  responsible  for  his  suffering,  was  met  on  her  side 
by  unvarying  friendliness,  such  as  might  be  expected  from  a 
loving  sister.  Some  hope  he  had  entertained  that  Pauline 
would  relent  on  learning  of  his  resolution  to  enlist  in  the  service 
of  the  country ;  some  hope,  too,  —  when  he  had  learned  of  the 
invitation  to  his  mother  and  Pauline,  —  that  the  wound  he  had 
received  on  the  field  of  honor  would  enlist  Pauline's  sympathy, 
and  with  it,  perhaps,  a  warmer  feeling  in  his  favor.  vSuch 
hope  he  now"  no  longer  entertained.  And  though  it  surprised 
him  that  he  felt  no  keener  pang  of  disappointment  on  settling 
down  to  the  conviction  that  Pauline  was  irretrievably  lost  to 
him,  yet  he  felt]  sufficient  resentment  to  make  pleasant  conver- 
sation between  him  and  her,  for  the  present,  at  least,  extremely 
difficult. 

The  only  person  at  the  table  that  was  on  entirely  pleasant 
terms  with  every  other,  was  the  old  gentleman  Auf  dem  Busch. 
He  rallied  Victor  on  having  monopolized  Miss  May  to  an  un- 
christian extent.  "  Just  like  he  was  master  here,  or  general- 
issimo," he  suggested.  "You  will  clip  him  the  wings,  Mrs. 
May,  if  he  takes  too  soaring  a  flight.  What  say  you  to  it, 
Miss  May  ?  ' ' 

"  I  don't  think  Mr.  Waldhorst  is  in  a  soaring  mood  this 
evening,"  the  latter  replied,  with  a  sidelong  glance  at  Victor 
before  she  looked  at  the  old  gentleman.  "He  seems  to  be 
carrying  a  burden  that  might  crush  a  weaker  man.  But 
being  an  ardent  rebel,  I  am  glad  that  he  is  not  generalissimo 
of  the  Union  army,  although,  as  Leslie's  sister,  I  might  wish 
him  to  be." 

The  others  looked  at  Nellie  as  if  they  did  not  understand. 
But  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch  remarked  with  a  chuckle,  "  I  guess 
our  Victor  has  been  in  Leslie  May's  sister's  company  and  has 
not  talked  with  a  rebel   at  all,  this  afternoon.     I   guess  the 


JUDGE   AND  ADVOCATE.  609 

sister's  wish  for  him  to  be  generalissimo  is  the  burden  what 
he  carries.     What,  Victor?  " 

"  Nay,"  said  Victor,  with  a  weak  attempt  to  smile  it  off  as 
a  joke,  "  I  fear  that  Miss  May's  honesty  as  a  rebel  has  been 
getting  the  better  of  Leslie  May's  sister  in  that  wisli  of  hers. 
Her  wish  to  see  the  rebel  forces  victorious  is  perfectly  natural ; 
and  she  is,  of  course,  right  in  supposing  such  an  event  prob- 
bable,  if  I  were  generalissimo  of  the  Union  forces.  And  she 
is  right,  too,  in  supposing  that  such  an  apprehension  on  my 
part  would  be  a  heavy  burden  to  carry." 

For  a  wonder,  Nellie  seemed  annoyed  at  Victor's  sally. 
"Sir,"  she  retaliated,  rather  more  warmly  than  was  her  wont 
in  conversation,  "  I  protest  that  you  are  most  unjust  to  your- 
self, and  ungenerous  and  unfair  to  me,  in  the  construction  you 
put  upon  my  Avords.  We  are  enemies,  it  is  true;  but  neither 
of  us  can  help  that.  But  you  will  not  persuade  me,  Mr. 
Waldhorst,  that  even  as  an  eneni}^,  one  may  not  be  generous 
and  just.  Then  why  should  I  not  rejoice  to  find  my  enemy 
a  man  of  probity  and  sterling  worth,  though  it  pain  me  that 
he  is  an  enemy  ?  ' ' 

"  Miss  May  has  surely  right!  "  exclaimed  the  elder  Auf 
dem  Busch  enthusiastically.  "  She  has  hammered  that  nail 
square  on  the  head.  It  is  a  miserable  shame,  that  we  shall  be 
enemies  of  Colo-nell  May,  and  of  his  excellent  lady,  and  of 
his  charming  daughter.  But  must  I  be  blind  to  Miss  May's 
beauty,  and  a  blockhead  to  her  wisdom,  and  a  fool  to  her  wit,  only 
because  her  father  is  on  the  other  side  of  our  fence  in  this  war, 
or  because  her  brother  would  like  to  shoot  Yankee  hypocrites  ?  " 
Just  then  the  slave  Xerxes  entered,  bringing  the  mail  for 
which  he  had  been  sent  to  town.  There  was  one  letter  each 
for  Mrs.  and  for  Miss  May. 

"  My  letter  is  from  Washington,"  said  Mrs.  May ;  and  then 
added  with  an  apologetic  bow  to  the  company,  "  You  will 
please  excuse  me  for  a  few  moments,  until  I  see  what  the 
senator  has  to  say  to  me." 

While  Mrs.   May  left  the  room,   Nellie  opened  her  letter, 

39 


610  THE  REBEL'S  DAUQETER. 

saying,  "  You  will  pardon  me,  gentlemen,  and  you,  Pauline, 
for  opening  ray  letter  in  your  presence." 

Victor  thought  that  he  recognized  the  handwriting  of  Ralph 
Payton  on  the  back  of  the  letter,  and  closely  watched  her  face 
as  she  perused  its  contents.  She  turned  pale,  and  a  frown 
settled  on  her  features. 

"  I  have  unpleasant  news,"  she  said  presently,  without  tak- 
ing her  eyes  off  the  paper.  "  Mr.  Payton  informs  me  that 
the  Senate  is  about  to  expel  a  number  of  the  Southern  senators , 
and  that  although  father  is  not  yet  named  among  them,  still  it 
is  probable  that  he  will  share  the  fate  of  all  of  those  who  will 
not  bow  before  the  tyrannical  majority.  The  same  treatment 
is  in  store  for  Mr.  Payton,  and  both  he  and  father  are  debating 
the  propriety  of  resigning  before  either  the  Senate  or  House  has 
acted  on  their  cases." 

"  I  wonder  me,"  said  the  elder  Auf  dem  Busch,  "  that  Mr. 
Payton  has  not  long  ago  resigned.  If  I  understood  him  not 
false,  he  is  not  honest  to  sit  in  a  Congress  that  he  is  willing  to 
conquer." 

"  I  have  no  doubt  but  that  he  will  enter  the  army  as  soon  as 
he  leaves  Washington,"  said  Nellie,  dropping  the  hand  with 
the  letter  into  her  lap,  and  looking  at  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch  in  a 
pensive  mood.  "Is  it  not  strange,  that  government  should 
wantonly  drive  its  best  friends  into  the  ranks  of  its  enemies  ? 
For  I  know  father  well  enough  to  be  certain  that  he,  too,  will 
offer  his  sword  to  the  Confederacy,  if  he  can  no  longer  serve 
the  country  in  Congress." 

"  Congress  has  right  when  it  throws  out  Mr.  Payton,"  Mr. 
Auf  dem  Busch  asserted.  "  He  can  do  more  harm  with  his 
vote,  as  he  can  do  with  his  sword.  But  Senator  May  —  ah,  it 
is  a  great  sadness  that  his  wise  counsel  shall  be  lost  for  the 
nation.  The  country  needs  much  the  counsel  of  good  and 
wise  men  in  these  times." 

Nellie  was  touched  by  Auf  dem  Busch's  tribute  to  the 
character  of  her  father,  even  though  she  may  have  resented  the 
reflection  on  Payton 's  integrity. 


JUDGE   AND   ADVOCATE.  611 

Victor  cast  a  grateful  look  at  his  uncle  for  the  opiuiou  ex- 
pressed by  him,  which  so  completely  agreed  with  his  owu ;  but 
he  contented  himself  by  saying  that  it  was  sad  to  know  that 
such  men  as  Senator  May  and  his  son  Leslie  must  be  found  in 
the  ranks  of  the  enemy. 

"  And  yet  I  could  wish  that  he  were  there  now,"  said  Nellie. 
"  My  brother  Leslie,  I  mean." 

"  And  Mr.  Payton?  "  suggested  Woldemar. 

"  I  was  not  thinking  of  him,"  the  girl  replied.  "  He  will 
take  care  of  himself." 

"  Yes,"  chuckled  the  old  gentleman,  "  better  as  Mr.  Leslie. 
Mr.  Payton  knows  the  German  sa\nng,  that  •  Far  away  is  wise 
in  danger.'  " 

Nellie  made  no  answering  remark,  and  it  was  impossible  for 
Victor  to  tell, — though  he  watched  her  features  ever  so 
sharply  —  whether  she  was  offended  by  his  uncle's  remark. 


XXXIX. 

JUSTICE    AT   THE    DRUM-HEAD. 

'HE  trial  of  the  two  prisoners  at  Brookfield.  before  a  verit- 
able court-martial,  had  for  some  days  been  the  talk  of  the 
town  and  the  country  around,  among  civilians  as  well  as 
in  the  tents  of  the  Federal  army.  The  town  was  rife,  of  course, 
with  wild  speculations  and  rumors.  It  had  become  known  tliat 
the  former  overseer  of  Senator  May  was  to  be  tried  for  the 
attempted  kidnaping  of  one  of  his  slaves  ;  and  was  vaguely 
connected^  with  the  emancipation  proclamation  by  the  znajor- 
general  commanding  the  Department  of  the  West,  which  had 
just  been  promulgated ;  and  that  Leslie  May  was  under 
charges  for  shooting  a  Federal  otticer  implicated  in  the  kidnap- 
ing. Busy  was  Bob  Rountree  in  explaining  the  condition  of 
affairs  to  the  numerous  customers,  in  those  days,  at  Burden's 
bar-room  ;  for  Leslie  May  was  very  popular,  and  the  recruits 
he  had  enlisted  were  impatient  to  take  pai't  in  the  fighting, 
uuder  his  leadership.  But,  though  so  pronounced  a  seces- 
sionist, he  was  hardly  less  popular  in  the  Dutch  Store,  where 
Van  Braaken  still  presided,  —  neutral,  he,  in  the  quarrel  between 
the  belligerent  sections,  remembering  that  he  still  owed  alleg- 
iance to  the  King  of  Holland,  but  proud  of  his  young  appren- 
tice, that  had  now  arisen  to  the  dignity  of  a  judge  advocate. 
Popular,  too,  was  Leslie  May,  even  at  the  Yankee  store, 
whose  proprietor  was  one  of  the  staunchest  adherents  to  the 
Union  cause  ;  not  to  mention  his  popularity  at  the  establish- 
ment of  the  old  pioneer,  Mr.  Barnes.  In  all  these  places  the 
expected  trial  was  talked  over,  and  if  the  voice  of  the  people 
could  foreshadow  the  judgment  of  the  court,  there  was  no  doubt 
as  to  the  fate  of  either  of  the  prisoners  ;  for  the  indignation 
(012) 


JUSTICE   AT    THE   DBUM-IIEAD.  613 

agaiust  Jeffrej^s  was  at  least  equal  to  the  favor  in  which  Leslie 
was  held. 

Thus,  expectation  stood  on  tip-toe  ;  and  when  at  last  the 
court  assembled,  a  crowd  of  eager  people  filled  the  Square 
around  the  courthouse.  The  gathering  would  undoubtedly 
have  been  far  more  numerous  and  turbulent  but  for  the  prox- 
imity of  the  Union  army,  and  for  the  imposing  array  of  military 
guards  stationed  about  the  Square. 

The  court,  presided  over  by  the  commanding  general  by 
virtue  of  his  rank  and  by  the  terms  of  the  commission  from  the 
governor,  was  composed  of  officers  chosen  by  lot.  One  of 
them  was  Colonel  Scheffel,  commanding  the  Second  Regiment 
of  the  Metropolitan  Volunteers,  whose  acting  adjutant  had 
been  Sergeant  Obeuaus. 

The  trial  of  Jeffreys  was  taken  up  first.  The  facts  in  this 
case  were  simple.  The  testimony  of  Miss  May,  given  in  dig- 
nified, straightforward,  candid  answers  to  the  questions  pro- 
pounded to  her,  seemed  to  impress  the  court  favorably,  and 
left  no  doubt  on  the  minds  of  all  unbiased  hearers  that  there 
had  been  a  conspiracy  between  the  two  sergeants  to  carry  off 
the  octoroon  girl  and  rob  the  house  of  its  valuables.  Victor 
debated  with  himself  whether  to  rest  the  case  on  Nellie's  testi- 
mony alone,  or  to  corroborate  her  statement  by  the  evidence  to 
be  given  by  the  soldiers  whom  Obenaus  had  taken  with  him. 
But  he  soon  found  that  he  was  not  to  be  alone  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  case. 

Colonel  Scheffel  had  noted  with  displeasure  the  evidently 
favorable  disposition  of  his  brother  officers  toward  the  witness, 
and  determined  to  break  the  force  of  her  testimony.  So,  when 
Victor  signified  that  he  had  no  further  questions  to  ask  of  her, 
the  colonel  took  her  cross-examination  into  his  own  hands. 

"  You  know  we  got  war,  ain't  it?  "  he  asked  the  witness, 
with  a  severity  of  tone  that  effectually  dispelled  any  notion 
that  he  was,  possibly,  joking. 

"I  have  rejisou  to  be  aware  of  that  fact,  sir,"  Nellie 
answered. 


614  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

"  Und  you  kuow,  oss  sclehfs  be  conterbaud?  " 

"  I  do  not  know  that  slaves  are  contraband,"  she  answered, 
her  clear,  sweet  voice  contrasting  strongly  with  the  harsh, 
almost  angry  tone  of  the  colonel.  "  The  girl  is  my  property  ; 
and  I  have  not  made  war  on  the  United  States." 

"  You  be  a  rejibe'll,  ain't  it?  " 

Nellie's  eyes  sparkled,  as  she  replied  ;  but  her  voice  did  not 
lose  its  musical  accent,  and  her  serene  dignity  did  not  forsake 
her.  "  If  I  were  a  man,"  she  said,  "  I  think  you  would  be 
right  in  calling  me  a  rebel ;  for  I  would  try  to  prevent  the 
wrong  that  is  beiiig  inflicted  on  the  South  by  the  Federal 
government.  Being  a  woman,  I  can  do  nothing  for  the  South, 
but  give  it  my  sympathy." 

The  frown  on  the  colonel's  face  grew  darker.  "  A  repbell' 
in  a  petticoat  do  worser  mischief  oss  a  he-repbell !  "  he 
exclaimed.  "  Und  your  brodder  ish  a  repbell?  Und  your 
fahder  ish  a  repbell,  ain't  it?  " 

"  But,  sir,  I  am  not  my  brother ;  and  my  father  is  a  United 
States  senator." 

"Und  a  high  traitor!"  added  the  colonel,  flinging  the 
words  at  the  witness  with  triumphant  defiance,  as  if  with  this 
accusation  he  had  canceled  the  whole  of  her  testimony,  and 
thrown  upon  her  the  crime  with  which  the  prisoner  stood 
charged . 

But  the  judge  advocate  interfered  with  his  triumph.  He 
suggested  that  Miss  May  was  not  on  trial,  nor  was  Senator 
May. 

' '  Und  it  ish  right  oss  his  sclehf s  be  confiskehted !  ' '  added 
the  colonel,  not  heeding  Victor's  words. 

Victor  arose  and  addressed  himself  to  the  presiding  officer. 

"  I  feel  bound  to  interpose  my  objection,  please  your 
Honors,"  he  said,  "to  the  course  pursued  by  his  Honor, 
Colonel  Scheffel,  and  wish  this  objection  to  be  noted  on  the 
record.  I  need  not  explain  to  your  Honors  the  impropriety  of 
the  court's  bandying  arguments  with  a  witness,'  not  to  mention 
the  display  of  bias  in  favor  of  the  accused," 


JUSTICE  AT   THE   DRUM-HEAD.  615 

The  general  presidiug  promptly  sustained  the  objection,  and 
ruled  Colonel  Scheffel's  questions  to  be  out  of  order. 

The  decision  had  been  rendered  so  promptly,  as  to  cut  off 
any  debate  on  the  objection.  This  aroused  the  fierce  wrath  of 
the  colonel ;  but  the  energetic  use  of  the  president's  gavel 
effectually  prevented  him  from  giving  expression  to  his  opinion 
on  the  subject.  So  he  had  to  content  himself  with  the  eloquent 
protest  that  lay  in  the  black  scowl  with  which  he  regarded  the 
insolent  young  judge  advocate. 

The  latter  cast  a  swift  glance  in  the  direction  of  Miss  May, 
to  note  the  effect  upon  her  of  the  ruling  of  the  court.  It  net- 
tled him,  somewhat,  to  see  upon  her  face  the  expression  of 
vexation,  rather  than  of  relief.  Perhaps  she  deemed  herself 
fully  able  to  cope  with  her  unfriendly  interrogator,  and  re- 
sented Victor's  interference  in  her  behalf.  But  Leslie,  who 
had  watched  the  proceedings  with  breathless  interest,  was 
fully  in  accord  with  the  course  pursued.  He  felt  greatly  re- 
lieved, therefore,  by  the  prompt  ruling  of  General  Seele ;  but 
he  also  knew,  as  well  as  Victor,  that  the  real  danger  was  still 
to  be  met. 

Jeffreys  had  listened  with  unbounded  satisfaction  to  the 
questioning  of  Colonel  Scheffel.  A  grin  of  malicious  triumph 
had  settled  on  his  face,  and  he  feasted  his  eyes  in  turn  on  the 
anxiety  depicted  in  the  features  of  Leslie  and  Victor.  But  the 
grin  changed  to  a  scowl  of  hatred  as  the  president  of  the  court 
ruled  on  Victor's  objection.  When  asked  whether  he  had  any 
witnesses  that  he  wished  to  have  examined,  he  asserted,  with 
an  insolent  swagger,  that  he  was  a  "  truly  I'y'll  "  man  ;  that 
Colonel  May  was  well  known  to  be  a  rebel  and  a  traitor  ;  and  — 
taking  his  cue  from  the  remarks  that  he  had  heard  Colonel 
Scheffel  make  —  he  was  about  to  justify  the  "  confiscation  "  of 
Colonel  May's  slaves,  when  he  was  interrupted  by  Colonel 
Scheffel,  who  called  for  the  reading  of  the  proclamation  of  the 
major-general  in  command  of  the  Federal  forces  of  the  Depart- 
ment of  the  West  emancipating  the  slaves  of  such  rebels  as 
had  taken  up  arms  against  the  Union, 


616  THE   BEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

This  was  what  Victor  feared  as  the  most  dangerous  element 
in  the  case  against  Leslie.  He  determined  to  meet  the  ques- 
tion in  the  outset  and  rose  to  object.  He  put  forward  every 
argument  he  could  think  of  to  induce  the  court  to  rule  out  all 
evidence  touching  the  proclamation,  suggesting  that  the  Presi- 
dent had  promptly  disavowed  and  retracted  the  proclamation 
the  moment  it  had  come  to  his  knowledge.  To  which  the  zeal- 
ous colonel  replied  vehemently,  that  the  President's  foolish 
retraction  of  his  general's  wise  order  could  not  affect  the  valid- 
ity of  an  act  done  before  such  retraction. 

Colonel  Scheffel  was  deaf  to  all  considerations  militating 
against  the  prisoner's  innocence  and  insisted  vehemently  on 
the  reading  of  the  proclamation,  while  Mctor,  in  his  anxiety 
for  the  life  of  Leslie  May,  cared  little  for  the  outcome  of  the 
trial  of  Jeffreys,  save  as  it  might  affect  the  case  of  the  other 
prisoner.  He  therefore  jjurposely  abstained  from  emphasizing 
any  of  his  arguments,  contenting  himself  with  the  dry  state- 
ment of  the  point  which  it  might  seem  his  duty  as  judge  advo- 
cate to  urge,  and  offered  no  further  resistance  to  the  reading 
of  the  proclamation. 

After  it  had  been  read,  Colonel  Scheffel  could  not  forbear 
the  remark,  uttered  triumphantly,  that  a  soldier,  who  obeyed 
the  orders  of  a  superior  officer,  ought_]to  be  commended,  and 
not  punished. 

The  acquittal  of  Jeffreys  surprised  neither  Victor  nor  Les- 
lie ;  but  it  did  surprise  both  that  the  court  had  spent  nearly 
an  hour  in  deliberating,  with  closed  doors,  over  their 
judgment. 

''  So  ish  it  right!  "said  Colonel  Scheffel,  when  the  judgment 
had  been  announced.  "  Und  now  will  we  see,  w'y  de  young 
repbeir  shot  mine  adshutant."  He  was  eager  to  proceed  on 
the  spot:  l)ut  the  court  voted  an  adjournment  until  after  the 
dinner  hour. 

To  Nellie  May  and  her  mother  the  iiupunity  of  the  criminal 
Jeffreys  appeared,  more  impressively^,  j^erhaps,  than  to  the  in- 
habitants  generally,  in  the  light  of  an  unparalleled   outrage. 


JUSTICE  AT    THE  DltUM-IIEAD.  617 

It  was  inconceivable  to  Miss  May,  how  the  blackest  crime 
known  to  a  Southern  consciousness,  —  a  crime  for  the  com- 
mission of  which  the  legislature  had  enacted  the  death  penalty  — 
should  be  condoned  by  a  tribunal  calling  itself  a  court.  For 
the  first  time  she  saw  herself  confronted  with  the  terrible 
reality  of  civil  war.  She  had  not  reckoned,  hitherto,  with  the 
dark  side  of  the  dreams  of  glory  Avhich  her  enthusiasm  in- 
dulged in,  as  involving  the  peril  of  life  and  limb  to  the  gallant 
defenders  of  the  South,  as  well  as  woe  and  tears  of  anguish  to 
their  mothers  and  sisters.  Deep  down  in  her  heart  a  glimpse 
of  the  possibility  that  she  might  be  called  on  to  yield  up, 
on  the  altar  of  her  country,  her  idolized  brother,  or  even  her 
adored  father,  would  sometimes  insist  on  being  recognized,  to 
be  bravely  fought  off  by  resolute  cheer.  But  this  thing  shook 
her  very  faith  in  human  nature.  That  a  court,  armed  with 
the  power  over  life  and  death  of  fellow-men,  —  organized  to  ad- 
minister justice !  —  should  prostitute  itself  and  its  high  trust 
by  making  common  cause  with  evil-doers,  rewarding  hypocrit- 
ical protestations  of  loyalty  with  immunity  from  punishment 
for  cowardly  crime  !  This,  — so  it  seemed  to  her  —  was  put- 
ting a  premium  upon  hypocrisy,  and  inviting  atrocious  crime 
to  hold  high  revel  in  the  land.  The  deptli  of  iniquity  thus 
revealed  staggered  and   dumfounded  her. 

But  the  shock  to  her  moral  instincts  soon  gave  way  to  fierce 
indignation.  Her  wrath  still  grew  with  the  contemplation  of 
her  utter  heljjlessness  against  the  brutal  power  of  the  soldiery, 
and  the  wish  burned  into  her  heart,  that  the  Southern  army 
might  appear  and  avenge  this  outrage,  crush  the  tyrannical 
court  into  nothingness.  The  barbarous  brogue  in  which  Colo- 
nel Scheffel  had  hurled  at  her  his  offensive  epithets,  intensified 
her  vindictive  resentment,  so  that,  for  once,  she  gave  way  to  the 
popular  prejudice  of  Southerners  against  Germans,  on  account 
of  their  almost  universal  loyalty  to  the  Union  cause,  hating 
Colonel  Scheffel  for  a  "  cowardly  Dutch  infidel  "  even  more 
cordially  than  she  hated  the  cold-blooded  Yankee  abolitionists. 

The  young  judge  advocate  was  no  less  deeply  excited.     His 


618  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

anxiety  was  for  Leslie.  He  knew  —  none  better  than  lie,  save 
Leslie  himself  —  that  the  young  man's  life  hung  trembling  in 
the  balance,  and  that  a  hair's  weight  might  incline  the  scales 
for  life  or  death.  He  felt  deeply  the  responsibility  resting 
upon  him  as  the  advisor  of  the  court  —  a  responsibility  all  the 
heavier  because  he  was  conscious  of  his  bias  in  favor  of  the 
prisoner,  as  well  as  of  that  of  the  majority  of  the  court  against 
him.  To  stand  between  Leslie  May  and  an  unjust  sentence,  — 
to  shield  the  family  of  his  early  benefactor  from  sorrow  and 
deep  humiliation,  —  to  place  Nellie  May  under  obligations  of 
gratitude  for  the  life  of  her  idolized  brother,  —  these  were 
motives  powerful,  irresistible.  But  while  not  ashamed  of 
them,  he  felt  them  to  be  personal  and  selfish.  A  higher,  more 
exalted  consideration  was  suj)eradded :  He  must  prove  loyal 
to  his  country's  cause.  So  unjust  an  act  as  the  punishment  of 
Leslie  May  would  be  looked  on  by  fair-minded  men  of  all  par- 
ties, would  prove  a  heavier  blow  to  the  Union  cause,  than  the 
loss  of  a  great  battle.  The  army  that  was  battling  for  the 
rights  of  humanity  must  be  protected  against  the  obloquy  and 
shame  of  so  odious  an  act.  And  so  Victor  was  nerving  him- 
self for  the  encounter  with  Colonel  Scheffel ;  for  he  felt  that 
nothing  could  save  Leslie  May  from  conviction  and  death 
sentence  by  that  court-mai'tial ,  unless  Colonel  Scheffel's 
influence  over  it  could  be  broken. 

.  It  was  in  this  frame  of  mind  that  Victor,  after  the  adjourn- 
ment, approached  Miss  May  and  her  mother,  having  promised 
to  procure  for  them  permission  for  an  interview  with  the  pris- 
oner. The  ladies  received  him  in  sullen  silence,  —  Mrs.  May 
with  icy  politeness,  her  daughter  with  eyes  flashing  angrily. 
Victor,  whose  heart  Avas  heavy  with  his  own  trouble,  failed  to 
take  warning  by  their  hostile  demonstration,  addressing  them 
with  his  usual  deference.  But  Nellie,  smarting  under  the  sense 
of  wrong  and  personal  insult  at  the  haiids  of  that  tyrannical 
Dutch  court,  identified  Victor  with  his  brother  officers,  and  he 
was  the  only  one  upon  whom  she  could  vent  her  wrath.  She 
accosted  him  with  a  look  of  superb  scoi-n. 


JUSTICE  AT    THE    DRUM-HEAD.  619 

"  Sir,"  said  she,  "  I  suppose  you  expect  to  be  congratulated 
on  the  victory  you  have  gained." 

"  I  fail  to  understand,"  he  answered,  regarding  her  with 
questioning  eyes.     "Victory?     Congratulated?" 

' '  Are  you  not  proud  of  what  you  have  done  ?  ' '  she  contin- 
ued, sneeriugly.  "  You  and  the  rest  of  yo\w  outlandish  court 
of  Dutch  rutfians?  Oh,  it  was  so  brave  in  you  all  to  insult 
women,  who  have  no  one  to  defend  them!  " 

"Brave?  Proud?"  Victor  asked,  his  astonishment  in- 
creasing.    "  What  do  you  mean?  " 

"  Pardon  me.  Bravery  is  an  American,  —  at  least  a  South- 
ern quality.     Perhaps  you  do  not  understand." 

Victor  colored  violently. 

"  Let  me,  then,  congratulate  you  on  your  success  in  vindi- 
cating negro-thieves.     Do  you  understand  that?  " 

"  Madam,"  said  Victor,  drawing  himself  up  to  his  full 
height,  regarding  her  with  a  look  of  commanding  superiority, 
and  addressing  her  in  a  stern  voice,  such  as  she  had  never 
heard  from  him  before,  "  I  understand  nothing,  except  that 
you  wish  to  wound  and  insult  me.  But  I  am  not  in  the  mood 
to  pose  as  your  toy,  nor  to  submit  to  your  splenetic  abuse,  or 
to  humor  you  in  this  silly  outburst  of  a  childish  fit  of  passion." 

"Sir!"  exclaimed  Nellie,  amazed  at  Victor's  earnestness. 

"  To  hold  me  responsible  for  the  act  of  the  court  is  not  only 
cruelly  unjust,  but  ridiculously  silly." 

"  Mr.  Waldhorst,  I  —  " 

But  Victor  paid  no  heed  to  her.  "I  will  not  forget 
that  you  have  been  wronged,"  he  continued  more  gently,  but 
with  unabated  firmness  and  dignity.  "  In  the  intensity  of 
your  anger  you  have  permitted  yourself  to  be  caiTied  beyond 
the  control  of  your  judgment.  You  may,  when  your  mad  pas- 
sion has  cooled,  be  thankful  to  remember  what  I  now  say  to 
you  — that  your  unjust  words  have  not  so  deeply  wounded  me, 
but  that  I  can  distinguish  between  them  and  your  usual  high- 
minded,  lady-like  self.  I  shall  not  hold  you  responsible  for 
them,  further  than  to  suggest  that  if  you  really  believed  me  the 


620  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

coward  you  represent  me,  you  might  feel  that  your  taunts 
would  but  poorly  serve  the  cause  of  your  brother,  who  is  now 
to  be  tried  for  his  life." 

Nellie's  anger  had  rapidly  abated  on  hearing  Victor's  indig- 
nant reproof.  Once  more,  this  man  had  shown  her,  that  his 
will  was  stronger  than  his  passion.  No  man  had  ever  dared  to 
openly  rebuke  and  humiliate  her  before ;  this  man  had  chided 
her  Hke  a  naughty  child,  yet  her  feeling  was  rather  one  of 
wonder  and  awe,  than  resentment.  But  when  Victor  had 
reminded  her  of  the  peril  of  her  brother,  the  words  smote 
heavily  on  her  ear.  As  she  realized  their  awful  significance, 
the  revulsion  of  her  emotion  was  terrible.  She  knew  as  well 
as  did  Victor,  that  Leslie's  trial  before  that  court  meant  con- 
viction and  —  death!  Death  —  to  her  brother  Leslie.  Not 
the  glorious  death  he  had  reckoned  with,  on  the  field  of  glory, 
battling  for  his  country's  right,  but  the  death  of  a  convicted 
f  elou ! 

"  I  have  promised  to  conduct  you  and  your  mother  to  his 
room,"  Victor  continued,  not  noticing  her  agitation  ;  "there 
is  no  time  to  spare.  He  doubtlessly  expects  your  coming. 
The  sympathy  of  a  mother  and  loving  sister  will  not  fail  to 
cheer  him  and  add  to  the  fortitude  with  which  he  is  facing  his 
fate." 

Her  brother  was  waiting  for  her  —  waiting  for  the 
cheering  words  of  a  loving  sister !  And  he  had  reminded 
her  of  a  sister's  duty,  —  he  whom  she  had  studiously 
reviled  and  wounded  to  the  quick!  The  contrition  under 
which  she  writhed,  and  that  had  so  suddenly  followed  on  her 
towering  passion,  produced  a  shock  that  tried  her  nerves.  It 
required  all  her  energy  for  the  effort  to  keep  her  feet ;  for  a 
second  or  two  the  power  of  speech  forsook  her.  But  by  exert- 
ing all  her  strength,  she  recovered  herself  sufficiently  to  say  to 
Victor,  though  with  trembling  lips  : 

"  You  will  despise  me,  Mr.  Waldhorst,  as  I  deserve  that 
you  should.  But  you  will  not  forsake  vaj  brother  whom  you 
love?" 


JUSTICE  AT   THE   DRUM- HE  AT).  021 

"  Madam,"  he  luiswered,  "you  know  well,  that  1  shall  do 
my  duty,  to  your  brother,  —  aud  to  my  country." 

"You  are  right!"  she  mused.  "Yes,  I  know  that  you 
will  do  your  duty.  But  oh,  God,  is  it  your  duty  to  condemn 
my  brother  ?  ' ' 

"It  is  not  I  that  will  condemn  or  acquit,"  said  Victor. 
"  And  I  have  already  informed  you,  that  I  do  not  believe  your 
brother  guiltj^  of  any  wrong." 

A  look  of  gratitude,  of  bright  .hope,  withal,  aud  of  trusting 
confidence,'  suddenly  transfigured  Nellie's  face,  as  she  begged 
Victor  in  a  voice  so  gentle  and  humble  that  he  mistrusted  his 
senses,  to  bring  them  to  him. 

Victor  silently  complied.  Though  his  heart  beat  tumultuously, 
he  hushed  its  jubilant  promptings  with  unrelenting  sternness. 
' '  How  dearly  she  loves  her  brother !  "  he  mused ;  and  he 
remembered  that  he  had  no  place  in  the  heart  of  the  haughty 
woman,  who  now  walked  so  meekly  by  his  side.  Nothing 
more  was  said  between  them  until  he  brought  the  ladies  into 
the  presence  of  Leslie. 

But  he  never  forgot  the  glorious  beauty  of  her  face,  when 
she  had  electrified  him  with  a  look  of  radiant  hope,  and  thank- 
fulness, and  trusting  faith,  on  repeating  to  her  his  belief  in  her 
brother's  innocence. 

There  was  some  delay  in  the  reassembling  of  the  court  after 
the  dinner  hour.  Victor  was  engaged  in  an  earnest  conversation 
with  the  prisoner,  which  Colonel  Scheffel,  who  was  promptly 
in  his  seat  at  the  hour  to  which  the  court  had  adjourned, 
noted  with  undisguised  displeasure.  The  opening  remarks  of 
the  judge  advocate,  when  the  case  against  Leslie  May  had  been 
called,  did  not  serve  to  sweeten  the  colonel's  ruffled  temper. 
He  informed  the  astonished  oflicers,  that  the  prisoner  demurred 
to  the  jurisdiction  of  the  court,  as  a  court-martial,  observing 
that  he,  the  judge  advocate,  concurred  in  the  defendant's  view 
that  it  was  at  least  doubtful  whether  a  military  court  had 
power  to  try  a  civilian,  or  non-combatant,  on  a  charge  of 
felony,  while  access  was  open  to  civil  courts,  to  whom  the  ju- 


622  THE  BEBEUS  DAUOHTEB. 

risdiction  clearly  belonged.  After  a  brief  discussion  carried  on 
mainly  by  Colonel  Scheffel,  and  in  which  Victor  participated 
no  further  than  to  quietly  state  his  points  and  answer  such 
questions  as  he  was  asked  by  different  members  of  the  court, 
the  demurrer  was  overruled. 

Colonel  Scheffel,  after  the  announcement  of  the  ruling, 
called  for  the  reading  of  the  charges  and  specifications  with 
evident  impatience,  concluding  his  remarks  with  the  expression 
of  his  hope,  that  "  we  don't  will  haf  no  more  foolishness." 

But  if  objection  to  the  power  of  the  court  over  the  prisoner 
was  the  foolishness  of  which  Colonel  Scheffel  wanted  no  more, 
he  was  disappointed  ;  for  the  judge  advocate  next  read  the 
prisoner's  plea  to  the  jurisdiction  of  this  particular  court, 
alleging  that  by  the  trial  of  Jeffreys,  involving  many  facts 
bearing  on  the  case  of  Leslie  May,  they  had  disqualified  them- 
selves from  granting  the  prisoner  that  fair  and  impartial  trial 
to  which  he  was  entitled  under  the  constitution,  and  according 
to  fundamental  principles  of  justice.  Victor  volunteered  no 
opinion  himself  ;  and  on  being  questioned  directly,  stated  that 
he  believed  the  plea,  in  the  shape  in  which  the  prisoner  had 
presented  it,  to  be  groundless.  Whereupon  the  court  made 
short  work  of  overruling  the  plea,  to  the  obvious  gratification 
of  Colonel  Scheffel,  who  now  again  demanded  the  reading  of 
the  charges. 

But  the  colonel's  patience  was  put  to  the  strain  once  more. 
The  judge  advocate  was  not  through  with  the  presentation 
of  the  prisoner's  objections  to  the  competency  of  the  court. 
He  now  announced  his  intention  to  challenge  one  of  its 
individual    members. 

This  was  too  much  for  the  colonel.  "  Mishter  Bresident!  " 
he  shouted  in  great  wrath,  "  der  shutsh  adfocaht  shall  be  put 
in  arresht  fur  foolen'  mit  der  kohi-t.  Der  kohrt  be  here  fur 
bissness,  und  der  shutsh  adfocaht  be  here  fur  foolen'.  Shet 
him  up  in  arresht,  odder  he  pull  der  kokrt  on  der  nose." 

' '  Colonel  Scheffel  will  come  to  order !  ' '  the  president  pro- 
claimed.    "  Captain  Waldhorst  is  an  officer  of  the  court,  and 


JUSTICE  AT   THE   DBUM-IIEAD.  G23 

must  be  respected  as  such."  He  gave  emphasis  to  his  ruling 
with  a  vigorous  rap  of  his  gavel. 

But  the  colonel  was  too  angry  to  heed  the  president's  call  to 
order.  "  Who  ish  dis  Capt'n  Milkbeardt,"  he  thundered 
forth,  "  Wot  got  no  hair  on  his  teefs,  and  comes  here,  in  ke- 
hoot  mit  a  repbell'  murdtrer  fur  foolen'  mit  I'y'l  shutshes — " 

• '  Colonel  Scheff el  will  take  his  seat !  ' '  the  president  again 
shouted,  using  his  gavel  vigorously. 

The  colonel,  though  with  ill  grace,  obeyed  ;  and  Victor  pro- 
ceeded to  state  the  grounds  upon  which  the  prisoner  denied 
the  competency  of  Colonel  Scheff  el  as  one  of  the  judges. 
"Besides,"  he  concluded  his  statement,  "the  prisoner  in- 
forms me  that  Colonel  Scheff  el  will  be  needed  as  one  of  the 
witnesses." 

Whether  the  grounds  for  the  challenge  mentioned  b}'  Victor 
had  staggered,  or  the  prisoner's  unheard-of  audacity  in  ques- 
tioning his,  Scheffel's,  fitness  as  a  judge,  had  dumfounded  him 
so  that  he  forgot  to  answer,  the  colonel  himself  w'as  not  per- 
haps quite  sure.  For  it  is  proper  to  say,  that  although  his 
hatred  of  rebels  was  as  deep  as  his  contempt  for  lawyers,  yet 
he  was  not  impervious  to  considerations  of  justice  presenting 
themselves  in  the  garb  of  common  sense.  At  any  rate  he  said 
nothing  in  refutation  of  the  challenge,  but  contented  himself 
by  calling  "  fur  a  wote,  Mishter  Bresident !  "  in  which  he  had 
the  grace  not  to  participate. 

It  was  an  unfortunate  circumstance  for  the  success  of  the 
challenge  that  the  rule  demanded  the  vote  to  be  taken  viva 
voce,  and  according  to  the  seniority  of  the  officers,  the  young- 
est voting  first.  For  these,  —  whether  moved  by  their  es;»v'^ 
de  corps^  or  in  deference  to  their  senior  in  command  —  voted 
in  favor  of  the  prominent  military  magnate,  until  a  majority 
had  been  recorded  against  his  disqualification  —  the  votes  of 
the  older  generals,  including  General  Seele,  whose  name  was 
called  last,  coming  too  late  to  change  the  result.  General 
Seele  announced  with  evident  reluctance,  that  the  challenge 
was  overruled. 


624  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

Victor  had  couuted  on  this  result.  But  although  he  was 
profoundly  impressed  with  the  peril  menacing  Leslie  May  he 
did  not  fully  share  the  generally  expressed  opinion,  produced 
by  the  hostile  attitude  assumed  by  the  court  toward  the  pris- 
oner, that  his  conviction  was  a  foregone  conclusion.  Even 
Mrs.  May,  whose  proud  consciousness  of  superiority,  as  a 
descendant  of  one  of  the  first  families  of  Virginia,  as  well  as 
the  wife  of  a  United  States  senator,  had  hitherto  befogged  her 
judgment,  so  as  to  hide  from  her  vision  her  son's  danger, 
began  to  realize  that  he  was  in  a  critical  position.  The  tenac- 
ity with  which  she  clung  to  a  fond  mother's  hope  was  giving 
way  to  the  agony  of  fear. 

Nellie's  distress,  though  borne  with  brave  firmness,  was  none 
the  less  poignant.  She  had  hitherto  placed  unreasoning  con- 
fidence in  Victor's  ability  to  save  her  brother.  Even  while 
flinging  at  him  those  stinging  taunts,  she  had  not  for  a  moment 
doubted  his  unwavering  loyalty  to  the  May  family.  But  now 
it  occurred  to  her  that  his  efforts  to  rescue  Leslie  from  the 
grip  of  that  ruthless  court-martial  had  been  lukewarm  and 
perfunctory,  and  a  sickening  dread  crept  into  her  heart  that 
Victor,  too,  might  believe  her  brother  guilty,  in  spite  of  his 
assurance  to  the  contrary.  Then  she  realized,  more  fully  than 
ever,  to  what  extent  her  confidence  in  Leslie's  acquittal  had 
rested  on  her  faith  in  Victor's  friendship ;  and  with  heart- 
crushing  weight  the  thought  came  to  her  of  that  day  at  th? 
Capitol,  when,  the  perspiration  of  agony  pearling  his  forehead, 
he  yet  with  unbending  firmness  sacrificed  to  duty  his  hope  of 
earthly  bliss.  She  felt  now,  with  contrition  and  shame,  how 
superficial  and  unthinking  had  been  her  remark  to  Pauline, 
that  she  knew  well  that  he  would  do  his  duty ! 

She  looked  at  Leslie.  He  bore  up  bravely,  and  she  could 
not  repress,  e^en  in  her  agony  of  suspense,  a  thrill  of  sisterly 
pride  on  beholding  his  undaunted  courage. 

Unconsciously,  almost,  her  eyes  turned  again  to  Victor. 
He,  too,  looked  brave,  as  he  confronted  the  frowning  officers 
of   the    court.     How    proud  he  stood  there,  his  mouth  com- 


JUSTICE   AT   THE   DRUM-HEAD.  625 

pressed  with  stem  determiuation,  his  eyes  ablaze,  his  very 
stature,  toweriug,  as  if  upborne  by  the  strength  of  indomitable 
purpose !  Nellie  Avondered.  Never  had  she  seen  hiui  so 
moved,  save  that  once,  when  he  afforded  her  a  glimpse  of  the 
intensity  of  his  passion,  and  had  compelled  her  admiration  of 
the  might  by  which  he  mastered  it  at  the  call  of  honor.  And 
her  wonder  changed  to  horror  at  the  thought,  that  Victor  was 
nerving  himself  for  the  performance  of  a  duty  even  more  awful 
to  him  than  that  of  voting  against  her  father  had  been, — the 
duty,  if  so  he  deemed  it,  of  prosecuting  her  brother  to  the 
death  !  For  she  knew  that  he  would  do  it ;  do  it  with  anguished 
heart,  indeed,  suffering  in  the  doing  more  keenly  than  the 
prisoner  himself,  but  do  it  —  if  he  deemed  it  his  duty,  —  if  he 
thought  Leslie  guilty. 

Oh,  how  could  he ! 

The  young  judge  advocate  was  indeed  deeply  stirred.  He 
loas  nerving  himself  for  the  discharge  of  a  solemn  duty.  A 
duty  imposed  by  his  sense  of  gratitude  and  of  obligation  to 
the  friends  of  his  youthful  days,  —  by  his  strong  sense  of 
justice,  —  and  above  all,  by  his  i^atriotic  love  for  the  cause 
of  his  country.  To  shield  the  Federal  army  from  the  disgrace 
and  odium  that  would  surely  follow  the  sacrifice  of  Leslie  May 
to  the  vindictive  animosity  of  this  court-martial  he  had 
determined,  if  need  be,  to  sacrifice  himself.  For  he  was  well 
aware  that  by  the  course  he  had  resolved  on  he  would  incur  the 
hatred  of  a  number  of  the  officers  of  the  court,  and  the  deadly 
enmity  of  Colonel  Scheffel. 

The  trial  began.  After  the  reading  of  the  charges  and  speci- 
fications, for  which  Colonel  Scheffel  had  so  long  clamored,  the 
witnesses  were  examined  ;  first  of  all  Jeffreys,  Neither  Leslie 
nor  Victor  were  surprised  by  the  perverted  account  he  gave  of 
the  affair  in  which  Sergeant  Obenaus  had  found  his  death. 
Of  the  actual  facts  he  stated  just  enough  to  serve  as  a  frame- 
work on  which  to  hang  the  web  of  malicious  falsehoods  he  wove 
for  the  gratification  of  his  spite.  Aided  by  the  suggestions 
conveyed   through  the    leading  questions   put  to   him  by  the 

40 


626  THE  BEBEU8  DAUGHTER. 

colonel  here  and  there,  he  made  out  a  strong  ease  of  willful 
murder  against  the  prisoner.  His  mother  and  sister  stood 
appalled.  Though  Nellie,  for  her  part,  was  not  surprised  by 
the  outrageous  lies  of  Jeffreys,  —  for  she  had  never  looked 
upon  him  in  any  other  light  than  that  of  a  brutal  slave-driver 
devoid  of  principle  or  honor.  But  that  the  Avitness  should  be 
permitted  to  pursue  other  members  of  the  May  family  with  his 
scurrilous  aspersions,  —  that  he  should  be  encouraged  to  tra- 
duce her  absent  father,  and  to  besj^atter  with  the  venom  of  his 
ribald  tongue  the  prisoner's  mother  and  sister,  against  whom 
no  charges  had  been  pref ered  —  this  was  an  outrage  on  com- 
mon decency  for  which  not  even  the  experiences  of  the  morn- 
ing had  prepared  her.  And  so,  when  in  answer  to  one  of  the 
colonel's  suggestive  questions,  he  repeated  a  foul  defamation 
against  her  mother  and  herself,  it  exasperated  her  beyond  quiet 
endurance.  She  rose  from  her  seat  with  glowing  cheek  and 
blazing  eyes. 

"  Gentlemen  —  "  she  said,  and  paused  for  a  second,  as  if  in 
doubt.  "You  Avi  11  pardon  me  if  I  use  a  wrong  term  in  ad- 
dressing you.  But  you  seem  to  forget,  that  you  have  placed 
neither  my  mother  nor  myself  under  charges." 

Leslie  was  startled  by  his  sister's  unexpected  outburst.  As 
to  Victor,  though  her  honest  indignation  exactly  suited  the 
plan  he  had  outlined  to  himself  in  conducting  the  trial,  yet  he 
saw  in  her  flashing  eyes  the  same  reckless  spirit  she  had  dis- 
played toward  him  an  hour  or  two  before,  and  feared  lest  she 
might  destroy  the  sympathy  in  the  breast  of  some  of  the  officers 
upon  which  he  so  largely  counted  to  attain  his  end. 

He  turned  sharply  upon  her.  "  Madam,"  he  whispered  into 
her  ear,  in  stern  rebuke,  "  please  remember  we  are  not  posing 
in  your  drawing-room.  Those  men  are  to  cast  the  lot  of  your 
brother  for  life  or  death.  Do  you  mean  to  destroy  his  one 
chance  for  liberty,  by  giving  way  to  a  babyish  flt  of  temper?  " 

Once  more  Victor's  allusion  to  her  brother  blenched  the 
cheeks  that  had  burned  with  flerce  indignation.  Nellie  sat 
down  leaving  unsaid  what  she  had  commom^ed  to  say. 


JUSTICE  AT   THE   DRUM-HEAD.  627 

But  Colonel  Scheffel.  scenting  some  new  indignity  to  the 
majesty  of  the  court,  inciuired  gruffly:  "  Wat  means  de  she- 
repbeir  ?  ' ' 

Victor,  turning  toward  the  speaker,  encountered  the  eyes  of 
several  of  the  officers  of  the  court,  and  noted  in  them  an  ex- 
pression of  disapproval.  He  lost  no  time  in  utilizing  what  he 
deemed  a  favorable  mood  for  his  pui'pose.  "  She  means,"  he 
said,  speaking  slowly  and  with  emphasis,  and  fixing  his  eyes 
on  Colonel  Scheffel,  "  that  it  is  an  outrage  on  justice  and  de- 
cency for  a  court  not  only  to  permit,  but  to  invite  a  scurrilous 
scoundrel  to  revile  defenseless  women,  because  they  are  of  kin 
to  the  accused." 

''  You  mean,"  retorted  the  colonel  sharply,  and  with  a  black 
frown,  "  yoti  mean  so  yourself?  " 

' '  Your  honor  is  right, ' '  Victor  answered  deliberately  ;  ' '  that 
is  most  certainly  my  meaning.  But  I  only  answered  your 
honor's  question  as  to  the  young  lady's  meaning.  It  excited 
her  wonder  —  she  herself  may  mistake  the  feeling  for  righteous 
indignation  —  that  a  court  should  delight  in  listening  to  the 
venomous  gossip  of  a  malicious  slanderer,  even  if  they  did  not 
know,  or  find  sufficient  proof  in  the  eager  pruriency  with  which 
he  details  his  foul-tongued  calumnies,  that  he  lied  out  of  whole 
cloth." 

Victor  anxiously  scrutinized  the  faces  of  the  judges,  to  note 
what  effect  this  thrust  at  the  colonel  produced.  He  thought 
that  he  detected  signs  of  acquiescence  on  the  faces  of  some  of 
the  younger  members,  and  the  rage  depicted  in  the  colonel's 
face  taught  him,  that  he  had  fully  accomplished  his  purpose  in 
that  direction. 

The  cross-examination  of  Jeffreys  was  conducted  by  Leslie 
in  person.  The  situation  which  Jeffreys  had  boasted  of,  had 
come  about :  Leslie  May  stood  arraigned  before  a  court-mar- 
tial of  "  loyal  "  officers,  charged  with  the  murder  of  a  "  loyal  " 
soldier,  and  he,  Jeffreys,  was  a  witness  against  him,  and  there 
was  no  hired  lawyer  to  bother  the  witnesses  and  fool  the 
jai'y.     But  he  soon   found,  that  Leslie    May   was  not  more 


628  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

easily  dealt  with  in  his  character  as  a  defendant,  than  he  had 
found  him  when  he  had  acted  in  the  defense  of  another. 
Under  his  shrewd  questioning  the  contradictious  in  his  testi- 
mony were  made  conspicuous.  His  deep-seated  hatred  of  all 
the  May  family  appeared  in  a  strong  light.  He  was  driven  to 
narrate  his  former  experiences,  his  threats  of  revenge  against 
Colonel  May,  his  daughter,  and  even  against  the  slave  girl  her- 
self. To  the  iuiluite  chagrin  of  Colonel  Scheffel,  the  malig- 
nant witness  was  trapped,  cajoled,  and  frightened  into  so 
many  significant,  though  involuntary  statements  conceruing  the 
presence  of  the  two  sergeants  at  May  Meadows,  that  no  one 
could  for  a  moment  doubt  the  nefarious  scheme  they  had 
concocted  for  the  robbery  of  Senator  May's  house. 

The  testimony  of  Miss  May  and  that  of  two  or  three  of  the 
soldiers  that  had  accompanied  Sergeant  Obenaus  concUided  the 
trial,  so  far  as  the  taking  of  evidence  was  concerned. 

Victor  now  arose,  pale  with  the  responsibility  resting  upon 
him,  and  addressed  the  court. 

"  May  it  please  your  Honors,"  he  said,  "  I  beg  of  you  to 
pardon  the  presumption  which  impels  me  to  a  step  that  may 
appear  to  you  as  a  breach  of  olHcial  etiquette  and  decorum. 
The  rules  of  the  service  require,  that  any  argument  as  to  the 
guilt  or  the  innocence  of  the  accused  must  be  made  iu  writing. 
The  prisoner,  I  have  no  doubt,  will  do  so  on  his  part,  and  I 
shall  give  you  my  views,  why  the  prisoner  ought  to  be  acquitted, 
in  writing  also.  But  preliminary  thereto  I  wish  to  explain  to 
you  my  views  of  the  duties  incumbent  upon  me  as  the  law 
oflficer  of  this  tribunal.  And  I  crave  your  patient  hearing 
for  what  I  may  say  to  you,  as  an  officer  of  this  court,  — 
as  a  soldier,  loyal  to  the  fiag  aud  to  the  sacred  cause  to  which 
you  have  all  sworn  allegiance,  —  but  above  all,  as  a  man, 
demanding  justice  for  a  fellow  man.  I  do  so  iu  the  sincere 
hope  that  I  may  thereby  assist  you  in  deliberating  on  the 
judgment  which  you  are  so  soon  to  render. 

"  My  position  imposes  upon  me  a  twofold  duty.  Mark 
the  title — Jiidf/e  —  Adroeate.     As  judge,  which  term  implies 


JUSTICE  AT   THE  DRUM-HEAD.  629 

merely,  that  I  am  the  legal  advisers  of  your  Honors,  it  be- 
hooves me  to  declare  the  law  applicable  to  the  case  before 
you.  I  conceive  it  to  be  my  solemn  duty,  in  this  capacity,  to 
act  with  the  most  scrupulous  impartiality,  with  an  eye  single 
to  the  accomplishment  of  justice  as  embodied  in  the  law, 
advising  you  without  fear,  favor  or  affection.  I  trust,  that  to 
the  extent  of  my  poor  ability,  I  have  done  so,  and  shall  con- 
tinue to  do  so  in  discharging  the  duties  yet  remaining  to  be 
performed. 

"  But  as  the  advocate  I  am  to  represent  the  interests  of  the 
prisoner,  —  alwaj's  under  the  law,  keeping  in  view  the  para- 
mount duty  to  accomplish  justice,  as  defined  by  the  law.  It 
is  not  my  duty,  as  I  understand  it,  to  press  the  prisoner's 
guilt  ujjon  your  minds,  unless  I  believe  him  to  be  guilt}^  My 
office  is  not  to  demand  conviction,  but  to  see  that  justice  be 
done.  I  am  not  the  prisoner's  advocate  against  the  court, 
nor  yet  the  advocate  of  the  court  against  the  prisoner ;  but 
emphatically  the  representative  of  the  State  between  them 
both." 

Victor  was  deeply  in  earnest.  His  purpose  was  not  so 
much  to  persuade  the  judges,  as  to  convince  himself,  that  his 
championship  of  Leslie  May  had  a  legal,  as  he  knew  it  to  have 
a  moral,  sanction.  For  he  was  perfectly  sure  of  this  one 
thing,  —  that  in  securing  the  acquittal  of  the  prisoner,  he 
would  sei've  his  country's  cause,  even  while  serving  his  friend. 

' '  And  now  let  me  remind  you  of  the  high  and  sacred  char- 
acter of  the  function  you  are  called  on  to  perform.  Do  you 
assist  me  —  I  implore  you!  — in  the  discharging  of  my  duty, 
by  dismissing  from  your  minds  all  side-considerations,  all 
passion,  all  prejudice.  Concentrate  your  energies  to  rightly 
answer  this  one  question  :  What  does  justice  demand  of  30U  r 
Remember,  that  the  wish  to  redress  a  fancied  wi'ong  may 
itself  become  a  grievous  wrong,  if  indulged  at  the  cost  of 
impartiality.  Remember,  that  even  patriotism  affords  no 
excuse  for  injustice  ;  that  it  is  not  the  function  of  the  court  to 
avenge,  but  to  judge.     Remember,  that  in  illegally  convicting 


630  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

the  prisoner  you  would  none  the  less  perjure  yourselves, 
degrade  yourselves  as  soldiers  and  gentlemen,  and  prostitute 
your  sacred  otlice  as  judges,  though  your  motive  were  to  van- 
quish an  enemy,  or  to  punish  a  rebel." 

Victor  had  addressed  the  last  few  remarks  singly  to  Colonel 
Scheffel.  So  pointed  was  his  manner  in  doing  so,  that  a  num- 
ber of  his  fellow-oflflcers  turned  their  eyes  in  his  direction. 
Perceiving  this,  the  colonel  colored  violently. 

"  Mean  you  me?"  he  inquired,  wrathfully.  "  W'y  mean 
you  me?  " 

"  Because,"  said  Victor,  deliberately,  "  I  believe  you  to  be 
the  only  officer  on  that  bench  who  needed  to  be  told." 

"  Wat?  You  young  puppy!  Wen  der  kohrt  isli  out,  den 
I  shpauk  you  mit  mine  flat  sahbel !  " 

The  colonel's  face  was  blue  with  rage  when  he  roared  out  his 
threat.  If  it  had  been  Victor's  purpose  to  rouse  him  into 
fiercest  auger,  he  had  fully  accomplished  it.  But  he  himself 
turned  as  white  as  his  wristband,  as  he  retorted: 

"  If  you  mean  tight.  Colonel,  I  shall  not  accommodate  you. 
For  if  your  arm  be  no  truer  than  your  judgment,  it  would  be 
murder  in  me  to  accept  your  challenge." 

The  president  rapped  vigorously  for  order.  "  Gentlemen," 
he  said,  "I  regret  that  justice  to  the  prisoner  demands  that 
this  trial  shall  be  brought  to  a  close  before  you  can  be  dealt 
with  as  your  highly  indecorous  conduct  deserves.  I  now 
•adjourn  court  until  —  shall  it  be  to-morrow  morning?  Mr. 
May,  and  Mr.  Waldhofst,  will  you  have  sufficient  time  to  pre- 
pare your  flTitten  arguments  by  to-morrow  ?  ' ' 

And  it  was  so  determined. 


^•^^ 


XL. 

A    WOOER'S    WILE, 

HERE  was  rejoicing  at  May  Meadows.  Colonel  May, 
having  resigned  his  seat  in  the  United  States  Senate, 
had  returned  home  in  time  to  participate  in  the  jubila- 
tion over  the  acquittal  of  his  sou  Leslie.  Great  was  Nellie's 
joy  in  welcoming  home  her  father.  Never  had  his  daughter's 
greeting  been  so  tender,  —  never  her  smile  so  radiant,  as  when 
he  pressed  her  to  his  heart  on  his  return  from  Washington. 

Mrs.  May,  too,  was  abundantly  happy.  Not  only  because 
she  had  her  husband  home  once  more,  nor  because  her  son 
had,  so  to  speak,  been  snatched  from  the  jaws  of  death  ;  there 
was  other  cause  for  exultation  in  the  glorious  news  her  husband 
brought  from  Richmond :  he  had  been  offered  a  seat  in  the 
cabinet  of  President  Davis.  This  was  cause  for  rejoicing  in- 
deed !  She  had  found  it  hard  to  forgive  him  for  refusing  to 
take  her  with  him  to  Washington,  as  a  senator's  wife.  Now 
she  would  be  compensated.  To  shine  a  star  of  the  first  mag- 
nitude in  that  glorious  galaxy  of  Southern  women  that  would 
be  assembled  at  Richmond  almost  filled  the  measure  of  her 
ambition.  To  be  looked  up  to  as  the  leader  of  the  most  select 
circles  of  society  in  her  native  State,  at  the  capitol  of  the  new 
republic,  whose  splendor  would  eclipse  the  waning  light  of 
sleepy  old  Washington,  was  a  dazzling  prospect  to  con- 
template. 

Leslie  May's  spirits,  rebounding  from  the  depression  of  the 
last  few  days,  had  risen  high.  He  too,  like  his  mother,  felt 
elated  by  the  prospect  of  seeing  his  father  a  cabinet  minister 
of  the  new  government.  But  the  exuberance  of  his  joy  was 
less  demonstrative  than  it  would  have  been  before  his  late  ex- 
periences.    Neither  he,  nor  his  sister  Nellie,   were  so  enthusi- 

(631) 


632  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

astic  over  the  distinction  as  Mrs.  May.  There  was  a  tinge  of 
sober  thoughtfulness  in  both  of  the  children  which,  thongh 
nnusual  in  them,  accorded  too  nearly  with  his  own  mood  to 
challenge  their  father's  notice. 

The  liberation  of  Leslie  May  gave,  self-evidently,  great  sat- 
isfaction to  all  the  Auf  dem  Busches,  —  not  excepting  Wolde- 
mar,  who  had  come  to  look  upon  the  persecution  of  his  enemy 
as  unwarrantable  tyranny,  unworthy  of  the  cause  for  which  he 
had  joined  the  army.  To  the  old  gentleman  it  gave  great 
pleasure,  too,  to  shake  hands  with  Colonel  May,  express  to 
him  his  heartfelt  thanks  for  his  generous  hospitality,  and  con- 
gratulate him  on  the  vindication  of  his  son. 

But  what  of  Pauline?  Though  not  so  demonstrative,  her 
joy  shone  brightly  forth  from  every  lineament  of  her  radiant 
face.  She  had  impulsively  hugged  Nellie  to  her  heart  and 
kissed  her  fervently  when  news  of  Leslie's  acquittal  came  to 
them.  "  Oh,  Nellie!  "  she  had  exclaimed,  "  I  am  so  happy! 
Because,"  she  quickly  added,  with  a  scarlet  face,  "I  am  sure, 
that  Victor  did  his  best  to  help  him  !  ' ' 

Nellie  responded  to  the  kiss  and  embrace  with  warmth  ;  but 
even  in  the  exuberance  of  her  joy  Pauline  noticed  that  at  the 
mention  of  Victor's  name  her  friend's  face  sobered.  A  shadow 
passed  over  it,  as  of  a  summer  cloud  mellowing  the  brightness 
of  a  sunny  landscape.  "  Yes,"  she  said,  "  he  did."  And  as 
she  spoke,  she  took  her  eyes  off  Pauline's  face,  gazing  beyond 
her  into  vacuity.  "No  one  but  he  could  have  saved  my 
bi'other  from  ignominious  death." 

"  How  happy  it  will  make  him  to  think,  that  he  has  been 
able  to  repay,  to  some  slight  extent,  the  great  debt  of  grati- 
tude he  owes  you  all !  " 

"  Only  the  debt  happens  to  be  the  other  wa}^  if  your  brother 
but  knew  it,"  said  Nellie,  still  with  the  absent  look  in  her  eyes. 
"  But  he  is  not  one  to  keep  tally  of  generous  deeds,  if  they 
swell  the  credit  side  of  his  account." 

Pauline's  heart  beat  tumultuously,  just  then,  for  Leslie  May 
entered   the   room.     Though   she  had  looked  forward  to  this 


A    WOOER'S    WILE.  633 

meeting  iii  feverish  expectation,  now  tliat  tiiey  Iiad  met,  her 
maidenly  instincts  put  her  on  her  guard,  and  she  seemed  the 
more  self-possessed  of  the  two. 

Leslie  May,  of  course,  was  profuse  in  his  protestations  of 
delight  to  see  Miss  Waldhorst  in  his  home.  But  Pauline 
missed  the  spontaneous  expression  of  his  pleasure,  —  the  in- 
voluntary kindling  of  his  eye  which,  on  former  occasions,  had 
spoken  more  eloquently  to  her  heart  than  his  choicest  com- 
pliments, or  his  most  delicately  Mattering  speeches.  He 
pressed  her  hand,  but  withdrew  his  own  more  readil}'  —  at 
least  less  reluctantly  —  than  had  been  his  wont  when  accosting 
her.  Pauline  yearned  to  congratulate  him  on  his  honorable 
discharge;  but  his  manner,  —  decidedly  more  deferential  and 
respectful  towal'd  her  than  she  had  ever  known  him  —  chilled 
her  enthusiasm,  and  her  words  came  with  a  hesitancy  that  de- 
prived them  of  the  candor  and  spontaneity  otherwise  natural  to 
her. 

Nellie  was  quick  to  note  that  something  was  amiss,  and 
meant  to  come  to  Pauline's  aid  by  taking  part  in  the  conversa- 
tion. 

"  I  have  just  been  telling  Miss  Waldhorst,  Leslie,  how 
deeply  we  are  indebted  to  her  brother  for  the  favorable  issue 
of  this  terrible  trial.  Never  shall  I  forget  the  fearful  suspense 
we  were  under  during  the  last  hours  of  the  examination,  nor 
the  reassuring  confidence  inspired  in  our  hearts  by  Mr.  Wald- 
horst's  powerful  support  of  Leslie's  cause." 

"  You  are  right,  Nellie,"  said  Leslie,  speaking  with  unusual 
warmth.  "  If  any  other  Federal  officer  had  conducted  the 
trial  as  judge  advocate,  or  if  Mr.  Waldhorst  had  not,  at  his 
own  personal  peril,  dared  to  show  up  the  iniquity  and  despotic 
t;yi'anny  of  this  Colonel  Scheffel,  the  court  would  have  made 
short  work  of  ordering  me  to  be  shot.  I  fear  that  he  has 
incurred  the  deadly  enmity  of  that  officer. 

"  1  am  glad,"  said  Pauline,  "  that  his  duties  will  demand 
his  presence  at  the  capital,  so  that  he  will  not,  probably,  meet 
with  Colonel  Scheffel  very  soon." 


634  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

"  Ah?  "  queried  Nellie,  her  swift  look  iuto  Fauliue's  face 
betraying  an  eagerness  not  indicated  by  the  tone  of  her  voice. 
"Is  he  called  away  from  here ?  ' ' 

"I  do  not  know  whether  he  has  received  any  special  order," 
Pauline  answered.  "But  Governor  Rauhenfels  commissioned 
him,  so  he  informed  me,  to  attend  the  trials  here  as  judge 
advocate  ;  and  of  course,  now  that  the  trials  are  over,  there  is 
nothing  to  detain  him  longer.  Unless,"  she  added,  "  he  will 
wait  to  escort  us  back  home.  For  it  was  also  part  of  his  duty 
to  protect  Aunt  Auf  dem  Busch  and  myself  on  our  way  here 
from  the  city." 

"  I  am  glad  to  know  that  your  brother  will  not  have  Colonel 
Scheffel  as  an  immediate  superior  officer,"  said  Leslie.  "  He 
might  make  the  service  a  burden  to  Victor,  even  if  he  did  not 
jeopard  his  life.  I  am  glad,  too,  to  know  that  you  will  be  under 
your  brother's  protection  on  your  way  to  the  city.  And  so  you 
intend  to  leave  us  so  soon  ?  ' ' 

"  It  will  depend  on  brother  Victor,"  Pauline  answered. 
"  Since  our  patients  are  now  strong  enough,  in  the  opinion  of 
the  doctors,  to  travel,  there  can  be  no  reason  to  further  tax 
your  generous  hospitality.  I  expect  notice  from  Victor,  now 
at  any  moment,  to  get  ready  for  the  homeward  journey." 

Ralph  Payton  had  likewise  returned  from  Washington,  He 
had  made  of  necessity  a  virtue,  and  resigned  his  seat  in  Lin- 
coln's Congress  to  avoid  expulsion.  Before  paying  his  respects 
at  May  Meadows  he  called  on  his  friend  Bob  Rouutree,  at  the 
groggery  on  the  Boonville  Road.  The  garrulous  barkeeper 
professed  to  be  overjoyed  to  see  the  ex-congressman,  whom  he 
hailed  as  a  persecuted  victim  of  Lincoln's  tyrannical  govern- 
ment. He  was,  of  course,  full  of  important  news  to  communi- 
cate. The  court-martial  and  the  trials  of  Jeffreys  and  of 
Leslie  May,  were  graphically  depicted.  Payton  listened 
eagei'ly. 

"And  so  Jeffreys  got  off  scot-free?"  he  asked,  when 
Rountree  had  related,  not  without  liberal  embellishments,  the 


A    WOOER'S    WILE.  635 

iucideuts  of  his  trial.  "  He's  a  lucky  dog  to  escape  iu  this 
way." 

"Lucky?"  Bob  repeated.  "He's  a  dirty  scalawag! 
That's  what  he  is.  He  joined  the  abolitiou  army  just  to  get 
even  with  Colonel  May,  and  to  get  that  smart  wench  Cressie 
into  his  clutches.  The  judges  that  tried  him  were  d — d 
abolitionists  themselves,  and  so  they  thought  it  no  harm  to  steal 
a  nigger." 

"  How  did  May's  women-folks  behave  when  they  acquitted 
Jeffreys?  "  Pay  ton  inquired.     "  Didn't  it  rouse  their  anger?  " 

"  Anger?  Why  anger's  no  name  for  it.  It  was  a  treat  to 
see  Miss  May.  I  thought  her  blazing  eyes  would  burn  a  hole 
in  the  face  of  that  Dutch  colonel  that  quizzed  her  while  she 
gave  her  testimony.  But  that  was  nothing  to  what  happened 
at  the  trial  of  her  brother.  Why,  she  absolutely  insulted  the 
court,  telling  them  they  were  no  gentlemen." 

"  Miss  May,  do  you  mean?     She  is  a  trump !  " 

"You  bet  she  is !  "  the  barkeeper  assented.  "But  that 
Dutch  storekeeper  of  old  Van  Braaken's  spoiled  it  all.  I 
guess  it  made  him  mad  to  hear  his  Dutch  colleagues  talked  to 
in  that  way ;  he  turned  on  Miss  May  with  a  black  frown,  and 
frightened  her  into  silence.  You  know,  he  was  what  they  call 
the  judge  advocate,  and  had  a  good  deal  to  say." 

"The  insolent  boor!"  scolded  Paytou.  "To  forget  his 
manners  in  the  presence  of  Miss  May !  ' ' 

"  He  is  an  insufferable  upstart!  "  was  the  judgment  of  Bob 
Rouutree.  "  But  I  guess  that  Colonel  Seheffel  will  take  him 
down  a  peg  or  two." 

' '  What  do  you  mean  by  that  ?  ' ' 

"  Why  the  conceited  puppy  undertook  to  lecture  the  judges, 
and  told  Colonel  Seheffel  about  as  much  as  that  he  was  a  preju- 
diced tyrant.  That  riled  the  colonel,  and  I  guess  he  will  make 
sparks  fly  from  the  young  Dutchman  yet." 

"  Are  they  going  to  fight,  do  you  think?  " 

"  Well,  there's  no  telling.  The  old  fellow  is  full  of  mad- 
ness, and  threatened  to  spank  Victor  with  the  flat  of  his  sword  ; 


636  THE  BE  BE  V  8  DAUGHTEB. 

but  Victor  told  him  that  he  could  not  accommodate  him  by 
fighting  a  duel.     What  a  little  coward  he  is !  " 

"But  Leslie  May  was  acquitted!  "  said  Payton.  "How 
far  has  he  got  with  his  company  ?  Have  they  been  sworn  in 
yet?  " 

"  How  could  they?  "  Bob  asked  back,  "  when  the  town  has 
been  in  possession  of  the  Federal  army  all  the  time  ?  But  the 
boys  are  boiling  over  with  impatience  to  join  General  Ciper's 
army ;  and  now  that  their  captain  is  at  liberty,  I  guess  they 
Avill  find  some  way  of  getting  out  of  town." 

"  If  they  do,  they  can  easily  reach  General  Ciper's  men," 
say  Payton.  "  The  general  himself  was  at  Richmond  when  we 
were  there  —  ' ' 

"  Were  you  at  Richmond?  "  asked  Bob  Rountree,  interrupt- 
ing the  congressman.  "  How  in  the  world  did  you  get 
there  ?  ' ' 

"  Well,  you  see.  Colonel  May,  as  soon  as  he  had  determined 
to  resign  from  the  Senate,  wrote  a  letter  to  Jeff  Davis,  who  is 
an  old  friend  of  his,  and  the  President  invited  him  to  Rich- 
mond. So  I  resigned  my  seat  too,  and  accompanied  the  colo- 
nel, thinking  that  there  might  be  a  chance  for  some  place  for 
me,  or  at  least  for  a  commission  to  command  some  regiment  in 
the  army,  to  be  had  from  the  government  of  the  Confederacy." 

"  I  see !  "  said  Bob  with  a  smile  of  intelligence. 

"  But  they  are  as  stingy  with  their  favors  at  Richmond  as 
they  are  at  Washington,"  the  ex-congressman  continued, 
frowning  at  the  obtuseness  of  the  new  President  in  failing  to 
divine  his  merits.  "  Don't  you  think,  old  Jeff  had  the  mu- 
nificence to  offer  me  a  —  lieutenancy!  'Yes,'  says  he,  'I 
think  there  will  be  no  trouble  in  giving  you  a  second,  perhaps 
even  a  first  lieutenancy  in  one  of  the  new  regiments  forming 
beyond  the  Mississippi.'  And  that,  too,  when  Colonel  May 
had  himself  introduced  me,  and  when  there  was  talk  of 
appointing  him  Postmaster  General,  in  the  place  of  that  Texas 
man  of  whom  Jeff  Davis  would  like  to  get  rid." 

Mr.  Rountree  was  about  to  offer   a  severe  criticism  on  the 


A    WOOER'S    WILE.  637 

inefficiency  of  the  Confederate  government,  l)ut  was  pi-evented 
by  the  entrance  of  no  less  a  personage  than  Orlando  Jones, 
who  burst  into  the  barroom  with  the  triumphant  announcement : 

"'The^-  are  moving!  The  d — d  Dutch  invaders  are  leaving! 
I  guess  old  Ciper's  boys  are  after  them.  Hurrah  for  Jeff 
Davis !  ' ' 

As  if  in  corroboration  of  the  news  brought  by  Orlando 
Jones,  drums  were  heard  to  beat  the  long  roll,  and  bugle 
signals  resounded  near  and  far.  Rountree  and  Pa^i;on  rushed 
to  the  door.  There  was  lively  commotion  of  the  Federal  army  ; 
officers  were  seen  to  repair  to  their  tents  and  orderlies  and 
adjutants  hurried  to  and  from  the  headquarters.  It  was  evi- 
dent that  some  important  and  sudden  movement  was  going  on. 

"  They  are  running  away,  sure  enough!  "  cried  Paytou,  in 
high  glee.     "  The  pitiful  cowards!  " 

"  Oh,  if  we  had  our  arms  now!  "  exclaimed  Orlando  Jones. 
"  What  a  glorious  chance  for  our  boys  it  would  be !  " 

"  What  a  glorious  chance  it  is,  you  mean,"  suggested  Pay- 
ton.  "  Leslie  May,  if  he  is  the  man  I  take  him  for,  will  lose 
no  time  to  march  at  the  head  of  his  company  and  take  revenge 
for  the  wrong  they  have  done  him  and  his  folks." 

"By  George,  that  is  so!"  exclaimed  the  barkeeper. 
"  Now,  I  wish  I  could  join  Leslie's  company.  Wouldn't  it 
be  fun  to  run  after  the  Dutch  cowards !  " 

"  Why  don't  you?  "  said  Orlando  Jones.  "  There's  room 
yet  in  our  company ;  and  if  General  Ciper  comes  along  with 
his  quartermasters,  we  will  soon  be  uniformed  and  sworn  in." 

"  Can't  leave  the  old  man,"  Mr.  Rountree  replied,  with  a 
sly  wink.  "Besides  we  want  some  folks  to  tend  to  matters 
at  home.  There  are  some  things  that  can  be  done  without 
wearing  a  uniform." 

"  Yes,"  Orlando  Jones  admitted,  his  brows  contracting 
into  a  frown  of  discontent,  "  we  might,  as  Leslie  May  once 
said,  be  appointed  to  guard  the  henroosts  and  oversee  the 
niggers,  —  if  any  of  them  are  left  when  the  abolition  army 
gets  awa}^  from  here.     That's  not  my  style  of  service." 


638  THE  BEBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

"  Talking  about  niggers,"  said  Payton,  "  I  wonder  whether 
Jeffreys  is  going  to  leave  here  without  making  another  grab  for 
that  yellow  wench  - —  ' ' 

"Yellow!"  exclaimed  Orlando  Jones.  "She's  a  heap 
whiter  than  he  is,  any  day." 

"  Well,  white  or  yellow,"  continued  Payton,  "  she's  a  nig- 
ger ;  and  he  is  making  himself  a  crazy  fool  about  her.  I  would 
not  be  at  all  surprised  if  he  repeated  the  maneuver  for  which 
he  was  court-martialed.  He  might  have  better  success  this 
time." 

"If  so  he'd  better  be  about  it!  "  remarked  Bob  Rountree. 
"  He  will  stand  a  mighty  poor  show  in  this  neighborhood,  once 
the  Lincoln  army  has  left." 

"  I  hope  it  will  be  our  turn  soon,"  Orlando  remarked.  "  I 
am  fairly  burning  to  do  something  against  this  d — d  Dutch 
Dictator  that  is  lording  it  over  free-born  Americans  at  the 
State  capital.  It  makes  me  mad  to  see  that  pet  of  his  strut- 
ting about  in  his  captain's  uniform  insulting  his  superiors  and 
putting  on  airs,  as  if  he  owned  the  universe." 

"I  wouldn't  mind  taking  down  his  pride  anytime,"  said 
Rountree.  "  And  who  knows,"  he  added,  winking  knowingly 
at  Payton,  "  but  that  our  chance  is  coming?  Waldhorst  does 
not  belong  to  the  army  of  General  Seele,  but  came  here  long 
afterward  to  prosecute  Leslie  May.  He  may  not  leave  with 
them.     If  we  could  catch  him  na2)ping —  !  " 

"But  you  won't!  "  said  Orlando  Jones,  sullenly.  "We 
tried  that  once  before.  I  should  think  you  would  remember 
that  for  the  balance  of  your  days." 

"  It  was  not  he  that  beat  us  that  time,"  Rountree  replied. 
"  It  was  Leslie  May ;  and  Leslie  is  with  ?fs  now." 

"  Not  against  Victor  Waldhorst,"  said  Payton.  "  As  I 
understand  you.  Captain  Waldhorst  insulted  the  officers  of  the 
court-martial,  in  the  defense  of  the  prisoner,  Leslie  May  will 
not  forget  that  soo'i." 

"Nor  will  he  forget  that  Waldhorst  is  an  enemy,  and 
a     sneaking     al)olitionist,"     Rountree     continued    doggedly. 


A    WOOER'S    WILE.  639 

"  Somebody  might  make  a  good  haul  by  bagging  the  whole 
family,  with  that  outlandish  name,  that  has  been  quartering  at 
May  Meadows  for  a  mouth  or  more.  Victor  Waldhorst's  uncle 
and  cousin,  and  his  aunt  and  sister." 

Paytou  looked  at  Rountree  as  if  struck  with  the  suggestion. 
"  What  do  you  mean?  "  he  asked. 

"Oh,  nothing  in  particular,"  said  Rountree.  "Except 
that  if  Leslie  is  not  a  sentimental  fool,  he  might  initiate  his 
company  into  the  Confederate  service  by  a  coup  that  would  put 
the  Confederate  authorities  under  great  obligations  to  him." 

"Yes,"  mused  Paytou.  "  The  Auf  dem  Busehes  are 
among  the  richest  merchants  of  the  metropolis.  They  would 
be  exceedingly  valuable  to  hold  as  hostages,  and  to  exchange 
for  prisoners  taken  from  our  side.  But  Leslie  won't  do  any- 
thing of  the  kind.  He  is  entirely  too  high-toned  to  lend  his  aid 
to  what  might  be  looked  on  as  a  breach  of  hospitality ;  for 
these  people  are  guests  at  his  father's  house." 

"  And  don't  you  forget  that  Victor  Waldhorst  is  on  hand," 
Mr.  Jones  jjut  in.  "If  he  goes  with  General  Seele's  army 
corps,  you  may  bet  high  that  he  is  going  to  take  his  folks  along 
with  him ;  and  if  he  stays  behind,  he.  will  have  a  detachment 
of  soldiers  to  guard  them." 

"  I  wish  he  would  just  stay  behind  until  General  Ciper 
arrives,"  said  Bob  Rountree,  maliciously.  "  Our  friend  Pay- 
ton  might  lay  a  trap  for  him,  even  if  Leslie  May  should  be 
mean  enough  to  betray  his  cause  and  his  country  for  the  favors 
of  a  Dutch  sweetheart,  that  he  is  fooling  with  just  to  make  her 
Dutch  lover  jealous." 

"  How  did  you  learn  this  ?  "   demanded  Paytou. 

' '  Learn  what  ?  ' ' 

"  That  Leslie  May  is  sweet  on  that  Dutch  girl?  " 

"  Oh,  well,  don't  let  on,  now,"  said  Rountree.  "  I  guess 
you  knew  it  before  I  did.     Leastwise  it  was  you  that  told  me." 

' '  Yes ;  I  certainly  thought  so  when  I  saw  them  down  at  the 
city,"  Paytou  said.  "  But  now,  you  say,  Victor's  sister  is 
still  at  Mav  Meadows  ?  ' ' 


640  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

"  A  nice  cosy  arraugemeut,  now,  isn't  it?  "  Orlando  Jones 
broke  in.  "  The  sister,  as  Miss  May's  guest,  ogling  with  the 
new-fledged  captain,  while  pretending  to  wait  on  her  uncle  and 
cousin ;  and  her  brother,  prosecuting  Leslie  May  before  a 
Dutch  court-martial,  all  the  while  casting  sheep's  eyes  at  Les- 
lie's sister.  If  I  were  you,  Ralph  Payton,  I  would  stir  my 
stumps  in  laying  siege  to  the  beautiful  heiress.  There  is  no 
telling  what  may  happen,  if  you  are  an  Honorable  M.  C." 

"  Pshaw!  "  exclaimed  Payton,  making  a  show  of  confidence 
he  was  far  from  feeling.  "  The  idea  of  Miss  May  throwing 
herself  away  on  a  Dutch  simpleton !  And  he  one  of  Lin- 
coln's hirelings,  wearing  the  hated  Yankee  uniform!  " 

"  I  guess  she  is  playing  with  the  silly  cub,  as  Leslie  is 
playing  with  Waldhorst's  sister,"  Rountree  remarked  con- 
solingly. 

But  Ralph  Payton,  whether  sure  of  his  game  or  not,  thought 
it  not  amiss  to  put  in  an  appearance  at  the  house  of  his  lady- 
love. So  he  excused  himself  to  his  friends,  and  started  out 
into  the  Square  on  his  way  to  May  Meadows. 

Rountree's  suggestion  of  a  coup  to  be  executed  by  making 
prisoners  of  war  of  the  guests  at  Senator  May's  mansion,  kept 
haunting  him  as  he  walked  on.  And  what  was  still  more  ex- 
citing in  the  prospect,  a  trap  to  be  laid  for  Victor  Waldhorst. 
To  be  sure,  it  might  be  of  great  advantage  to  Leslie  May's 
company  of  volunteers,  if  they  began  their  military  career  by 
so  signal  a  service  as  would  be  the  capture  of  such  prominent 
personages  as  prisoners  of  war,  as  the  two  Auf  demBusches,  — 
men  of  heavy  weight  on  'change  at  the  metropolis.  And  the 
ladies  —  Payton  wondered  if  the  usages  of  war  jjermittM  the 
capture  of  women.  But  it  occurred  to  him,  that  whether  this 
were  so  or  otherwise,  Leslie  would  never  sanction  it.  He 
doubted,  whether  Leslie,  indeed,  would  have  anything  to  do 
with  the  taking  of  his  father's  guests  as  prisoners  of  war  — 

Then  Leslie  need  not  know  anything  about  it. 

Indeed,  it  would  be  of  much  more  value  to  him,  by  way  of 
iuoratiating:   himself    with    the    Confederate  areneral,    than    it 


A    WOOER' i^    WILE.  641 

could  possibly  be  to  Leslie  May  or  his  company.  If  he  suc- 
ceeded, perhaps  the  general  would  not  refuse  him  the  commis- 
sion to  a  colonelcy  which  he  had  in  vain  expected  of  President 
Davis,  through  the  influence  of  ex-Senator  May. 

And  the  trap  to  catch  Victor  Waldhorst ! 

"  1  suppose  Bob  Rountree  meant  that  I  should  bag  him 
along  with  the  balance  of  that  Dutch  crowd.  That  would 
indeed  be  a  feather  in  my  cap !  But  how  set  the  trap  ?  I 
must  consult  with  Bob  about  it." 

"  Meanwhile  I  will  keep  my  eyes  open  to  see  how  the  land 
lies." 

Ruminating  thus,  he  was  suddenly  accosted  by  a  horseman, 
who  overtook  him  on  the  way  to  May  Meadows. 

"  Hello!     Back  home  again?  "  he  addressed  the  pedestrian. 

"  Hello  !     What  are  you  doing  in  town?  "  was  the  reply. 

"I  have  a  message  for  Senator  May,"  said  the  horseman, 
' '  and  meanwhile  I  want  to  find  out  what  the  Feds  are  doing 
here." 

A  conversation  ensued  between  the  two,  which  lasted  until 
they  came  within  a  short  distance  of  the  house,  and  they  sep- 
arated, each  continuing  his  w'ay  alone.  When  Payton  reached 
May  Meadows,  he  found  things  rather  lively.  There  was  stir 
and  preparation.  News  had  been  received  that  the  Federal 
army  had  been  ordered  to  evacuate  the  town  and  fall  back  ou 
Division-General  Freeberg's  corps,  and  that  General  Ciper's 
army  was  approaching  with  the  evident  purpose  of  engaging 
the  Federals.  Victor  Waldhorst  had  sent  a  note  to  his  uncle, 
informing  him  that  he  himself  had  been  ordered  to  report  to 
Governor  Rauhenfels,  to  escort  the  ladies  back  to  the  city,  and 
to  take  along  the  wounded  men,  if  able  to  travel.  He  had  in- 
closed a  few  lines  to  his  sister,  requesting  her  to  express  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  May  his  high  appreciation  of  their  generous 
kindness  to  his  relatives  ;  and  to  say  to  them,  how^  sorry  he  felt 
that  official  duties  made  it  impossible  for  him  to  make  his 
adieux  to  them  in  person.  In  a  postscript  he  informed  her, 
that    she  must    hold   herself    and  the   others  in    readiness  to 

41 


642  THE  BEBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

accompany  an  officer  that  would  be  detailed  to  escort  them  to 
headquarters  as  soon  as  the  body  of  the  army  had  passed  from 
the  towu. 

Nellie  May  coaxed  the  letter  away  from  Pauliue,  who,  for  a 
reason  not  quite  clear  to  herself,  felt  a  reluctance  to  let  Nellie 
see  her  brother's  note;  but,  as  usual,  she  found  herself  unable 
to  resist  her  friend's  playful  cajolery. 

Nellie  read  and  reread  the  few  lines.  Pauline  noted  a  slight 
increase  of  color  in  her  cheeks.  It  might  have  meant  vexation 
at  being  so  closely  watched  by  Pauliue  ;  or  it  might  have  meant 
something  else.  She  laughed  as  she  handed  the  paper  back. 
A  rather  loud,  merry  laugh  ;  but  it  sounded  unsympathetic  in 
Pauline's  ears. 

"So  the  young  captain  is  too  busily  engaged  to  And  time 
for  a  farewell  visit  to  May  Meadows!  "  she  presently  said. 
"  What,  think  you,  can  it  be  that  keeps  him  away,  now  that 
the  mission  which  brought  him  here  has  been  accomplished?  " 

'•  Why,  he  is  a  soldier,  Nellie,"  said  the  sister,  wondering 
why  her  friend  had  laughed,  and  why  she  put  the  idle  ques- 
tion. "  He  must  obey  orders.  Now  that  the  army  is  on  the 
move,  there  must  be  much  to  do ;  and  with  him,  you  know, 
duty  is  always  first." 

' '  Yes  ;  I  suspect  that  he  is  deeply  wrapped  up  in  solving 
the  problem  as  to  what  officer  he  is  going  to  send  to  take  you 
away  from  here."  There  was  a  faint  smile  on  her  lips,  and 
just  a  touch  of  resentment,  as  Pauline  thought,  in  her  voice, 
as  she  spoke  these  words.  "  Do  you  imagine  that  it  will  be  a 
subaltern?  Or  will  he  honor  us,  by  sending  some  one  of  rank 
superior  to  his  own?  Your  brother  Victor  is  so  deferential, 
you  know.  It  would  not  surprise  me,  if  he  sent  the  com- 
manding general  of  the  Union  army  to  hand  you  to  your 
carriage  in  person," 

Pauline  felt  hurt.  "I  do  not  think  this  levity  becomes 
you,"  she  said,  looking  reproachfully  into  Nellie's  eyes. 
"  However  excessive  my  brother's  deference  may  seem  to  you, 
it    is  not  a  thing  to  be  laughed  at,  least  of  all  by  you.     If 


A    WOOER'S    WILE.  643 

General  Seele  sjionid  pay  a  visit  to  this  house  —  which,  by  the 
by,  would  uot  be  so  wonderful  as  you  seem  to  think  it  —  he 
would  come  to  thank  you  all  for  your  generous  kindness  to 
his  wounded  soldiers.  I" or  Victor  has  not  been  niggardly  in 
his  laudation,  you  may  rest  assured." 

"I  dare  saj^,"  said  Nellie,  with  a  provoking  smile  of' 
patronizing  assent.  "  Your  brother  has  a  trick  of  looking  at 
what  he  deems  meritorious  in  others  through  a  magnifying 
glass  of  marvelous  power,  and  to  invert  the  telescope  when 
looking  at  his  own  merit.  Well,  perhaps  he  has  lent  his 
spectacles  to  General  Seele  ;  and  if  this  august  magnate  does 
come  here,"  — a  melodious  little  ripple  of  laughter  interrupted 
her  words  —  "  why,  who  knows  but  that  he  may  learn  to  con- 
sider us  dyed-in-the-wool  rebels  almost  as  good  as  other 
people." 

Another  reproachful  look  from  Pauline  was  all  the  answer 
she  got  from  this  young  lady. 

While  yet  the  two  maidens  were  conversing,  Cressie  appeared 
in  her  master's  room  and  announced  that  a  dust-covered  horse- 
man had  alighted  in  the  rear  of  the  house,  demanding  to  speak 
to  him. 

"  Show  him  up  here,"  Colonel  May  said. 

The  visitor  proved  to  be  a  farmer  living  in  the  nerghborhood 
of  the  battlefield  of  Winslo's  Run,  whom  the  colonel  addressed 
with  cheerful  voice  as  Mr.  Boyd.  Although  there  was  no  other 
occupant  of  the  room,  and  Cressie  had  closed  the  door  after 
her,  yet  Mr.  Boyd  spoke  in  whispers. 

"  I  have  a  letter  for  you  from  General  Ciper,"  he  said. 

"  From  General  Ciper?  "  the  colonel  asked  in  some  surprise. 
"  Why,  I  left  him  a  week  ago  in  Richmond." 

"He  is  to  take  command  of  the  corps  now  in  charge  of 
General  McCullom,"  Mr.  Boyd  explained.  "  And  he  is 
anxious  to  catch  up  with  the  Yankees  here,  to  finish  the  work 
begun  at  Winslo's  Run." 

"He  is  too  late,"  said  the  colonel  thoughtfully,  "if  he 
means  to  fight   before  General  Seele  effects   a  junction  with 


644  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

General  Sturdy.  I  have  iiiformatiou  that  C4eueral  Seele  has 
orders  to  fall  back,  and  to  avoid  an  engagement  with  the  Con- 
federates until  the  two  generals  can  co-operate.  The  Federal 
troops  at  this  place  are  moving  now.  and  in  an  hour  there  will 
not  be  a  man  left  here." 

"  That  is  just  what  I  came  here  to  find  out,"  said  Mr.  Boyd. 
"  For  the  general  intends  coming  here  to  await  the  arrival  of 
his  army,  which  follows  in  the  rear." 

' '  You  may  assure  him  that  it  will  be  a  great  honor  to  me  to 
offer  him  and  any  attendants  he  may  have  with  him,  such  poor 
accommodations  as  May  Meadows  affords.  But  where  have 
you  the  letter  you  spoke  of  ?  " 

"  You  must  excuse  me,  Colonel,"  said  the  messenger,  "  for 
seeming  disrespect.  But  one  cannot  be  too  careful  in  war 
times."  He  took  off  his  coat  and  vest,  and  proceeded  to  rip 
open  a  part  of  the  lining  near  the  top  seam,  from  which  he 
produced  a  very  greasy  piece  of  paper.  "  I  begged  the  gen- 
eral for  permission  to  oil  this  letter,"  he  exjDlained,  "  so  that 
its  rattling  might  not  create  suspicion  in  case  anything  hap- 
pened to  me." 

"  Why,"  said  the  colonel,  smiling,  "  is  it  a  treasonable  cor- 
respondence you  are  inveigling  me  into?  " 

"  I  don't  know  what  is  in  the  letter,"  replied  Mr.  Boyd. 
' '  But  I  suspect  that  the  most  important  information  he  is  after 
is  not  written  in  that  letter.  I  guess  he  wants  to  know  whether 
he  is  safe  in  coming  here  in  advance  of  his  army." 

"  Perfectly!  "  said  the  colonel,  opening  the  well-oiled  letter. 
It  proved  to  be  a  brief  note  intended,  probably,  as  a  mere 
indorsement  of  the  trustworthiness  of  the  messenger,  and 
informing  him  that  it  was  the  desire  of  President  Davis  that 
Colonel  May  should  repair  to  Richmond  as  speedily  as  possi- 
ble, to  assume  the  duties  of  his  office  and  "  put  some  life  into 
the  postal  service  of  the  Confederacy." 

The  allusion  to  the  duties  awaiting  him  as  a  member  of  Pres- 
ident Davis'  cabinet  did  not  tend  to  exhilarate  the  colonel. 
But  true  to  his  hospitable  instincts,  his  first  care  was  to  urge 


A    WOOER'S    WILE.  645 

upon  the  nu'ssenger  some  refreshments  before  returning,  and  to 
order  his  horse  to  be  rubbed  down  and  fed.  But  as  soon  as 
opportunity  offered  he  sent  for  Nellie,  to  impart  to  her  the  news 
of  the  expected  arrival.     She  was  delighted. 

"  How  glad  Leslie  will  be!  "  she  exclaimed.  "  He  is  wild 
to  be  at  the  head  of  his  company  and  to  take  part  in  the 
liberation  of  our  country.  General  Ciper,  I  know,  will  be 
very  glad  of  the  accession  of  such  a  gallant  company  to  his 
forces." 

"  And  you,  my  daughter,  are  you  glad  too?  "  asked  the  fond 
father,  grasping  Nellie's  hands,  and  looking  wistfully  into  her 
eyes. 

"  What,  —  glad  that  General  Ciper  is  coming?  " 

' '  That  Leslie  is  going  away  to  the  war  —  and  that  I  am  to 
go  to  Richmond." 

Nellie's  arms  were  quickly  about  her  father's  neck. 

"  How  can  I  be  otherwise  than  proud  —  exultantly  proud, 
dear  father  —  over  the  distinction  you  have  achieved!  "  she 
said ;  but  her  voice  had  not  the  ring  of  jo}^  that  her  words 
implied . 

"  But  you  w^ould  like  to  have  me  stay  at  home  with  you, 
would  you  not?  Yes,  I  can  understand  that.  But  I  must  not 
be  a  drone  in  the  hive,  you  know.  You  would  despise  me  if  I 
did  not  willingly  add  my  little  mite  to  the  success  of  our  cause. 
And  so  I  must  go,  and  leave  you  in  charge  of  the  plantation. 
For  I  believe  it  to  be  best  to  take  mama  with  me.  She  has  set 
her  heart  on  accompanying  me  to  Richmond  ;  and  when  Leslie 
has  gone,  you  will  be  here  all  alone." 

"  I  am  noc  afraid,  dear  father!  "  said  Nellie,  resolutely. 

"  For  I  fear,"  he  continued,  "  that  if  I  left  the  place  in 
charge  of  the  overseer  alone,  it  might  go  to  ruin  before  we  got 
back." 

"Yes  —  six  years  is  a  long  time!"  his  daughter  agreed. 
"  They  elected  their  President  for  six  years,  did  they  not?  " 

"Not  yet,  my  daughter,"  the  colonel  said,  smiling  sadly. 
"  As  yet  the  Southern  Confederacy  is  but  a  provisional  affair, 


646  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTEE. 

aud  its  government  has  but  the  tacit,  —  not  the  expressed  — 
sanction  of  the  people.  I  sometimes  think  that  —  but  never 
mind.  I  am  getting  old,  Nellie;  and  most  naturally  take  a 
more  sober  view  of  things  than  you  and  Leslie,  in  the  bright 
enthusiasm  of  youth,  can  bring  yourselves  to  see.  And  I  would 
like  to  knoAv  you  safe,  before  I  leave  you.  I  could  think  of  you 
with  better  assurance,  if  I  knew  you  to  be  a  happy  wife." 

"  Do  you  not  trust  me?  "  the  girl  asked  anxiously.  "  Am  I 
not  amply  able  to  take  care  of  myself  even  when  you  and 
Leslie  are  gone,  that  yon  should  think  of  marrying  me  off?  " 

"  Is  the  idea  distasteful  to  you?  "  asked  the  father,  evincing 
some  surprise. 

"  It  is  preposterous!  "  exclaimed  the  girl.  "  Wh}-,  did  you 
not  just  now  mention  how  necessary  it  will  be  forme  to  remain 
here  in  charge  of  our  place?  " 

"  But  it  would  be  most  natural,  that  your  husband  Avould 
live  here  with  you,"  said  the  colonel.  "  I  thought  that  you 
and  Payton  had  been  engaged  now  long  enough  — ' ' 

"  Engaged?  "  asked  Nellie,  surprised,  almost  frightened  by 
the  suggestion. 

"  Am  I  mistaken?  " 

"I  should  think  so !  "  said  the  girl,  proudly.  "I  have 
never  been  engaged  to  any  man  in  my  life." 

^'  Then  Pa\i;on  is  mistaken  also.  I  luiderstood  from  him 
that  there  was  nothing  in  the  way  of  your  marrying  him.  I 
have  befriended  him,  helped  him  into  position,  and  received 
him  in  our  home  believing  him  to  be  your  choice  for  a 
husband." 

"  Payton  permitted  you  to  believe  so?  " 

"He  certainly  did;  nor  did  your  conduct  militate  against 
such  a  supposition." 

"Oh,  Papa;  You  humiliate  me.  How  flippant  must  you 
believe  me,  to  suppose  that  I  would  promise  to  marry  a  man 
without  your  counsel  aud  consent !  ' ' 

"  You  might  have  taken  my  consent  for  granted,  from  the 
manner  in  which  we  all  have  treated  Mr.  Payton." 


A    WOOER'S    WILE.  647 

"  Tell  me  honestly,  dear  father,  would  my  marriage  with 
Mr.  Payton  please  you  very  much?  Have  you  set  your  heart 
on  him  as  your  son  ?  ' ' 

"  In-law,  you  mean.  I  have  certainly  accustomed  myself 
to  look  on  him  in  that  character.  It  would  not  be  the  worst 
thing  you  could  do  in  that  direction." 

"  And  did  Mr.  Payton  permit  you  to  believe  that  he  would, 
after  marrying  me,  settle  down  and  stay  at  home  —  manage 
your  plantation,  and  —  take  care  of  me?  " 

"  That  is  what  I  hoped,  and  inferred  from  his  conversation 
with  me.  I  looked  on  the  arrangement  as  being  so  desirable 
for  you,  and  as  such  a  simple  solution  of  the  complication 
arising  out  of  my  unlooked-for  call  to  Richmond,  that  I  may 
have  taken  more  for  granted,  perhaps,  than  your  conduct,  or 
his  words,  really  warranted.  But  that  is  certainly  the  impres- 
sion I  was  under." 

"  How  could  you  wrong  Mr.  Payton  so  !  "  exclaimed  Nellie. 
"  Does  it  seem  possible  to  you  that  he  would  consent  to  stay 
idly  at  home  while  the  tocsin  of  war  is  sounding  through  the 
land?" 

"  He  would  be  excusable  in  doing  so,"  said  the  colonel, 
smilingly  soberly.  "  You  know,  even  Moses  exempted  newly 
married  men  from  military  duty." 

"  But  he  would  forfeit  honor,  manhood  and  every  claim  to 
respect,  were  he  to  turn  a  deaf  ear  to  his  country's  call  to  stand 
by  her  in  her  struggle  for  liberty  and  independence!  " 

The  young  girl  spoke  earnestly,  almost  indignantly,  as  if 
she  were  defending  her  own  honor  against  unjust  aspersion. 
The  colonel  looked  at  her,  evidently  disappointed,  yet  unable 
to  repress  his  admiration. 

"  You  take  a  heroic  view  of  the  matter,"  he  said,  "  and  I 
ought  to  feel  proud  of  the  patriotic  ardor  of  my  children.  I 
wish  I  could  share  your  enthusiasm." 

The  tone  of  resignation  in  which  he  uttered  these  words 
struck  Nellie  as  more  despondent  than  she  had  ever  heard  from 
her  father.     She  turned  to  him  with  tender  solicitude. 


648  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTEB. 

"  Do  not  feel  disheartened  on  my  account,"  she  said,  speak- 
ing with  cheerful  assurance.  "  You  know  me  well  enough  to 
trust  nie,  do  you  not?  Although  you  cannot  leave  me  here  as 
Mr.  Payton's  wife,  —  for  if  I  marry  him  he  will  certainly  not 
be  the  man  to  take  his  ease  and  comfort  at  home  before  the 
independence  of  our  beloved  South  has  been  achieved  —  you 
need  not  worry  on  my  account.  When  you  and  Leslie  and  all 
our  guests  are  gone,  the  Union  forces  will  also  be  gone  from 
this  part  of  the  State.  We  have  nothing  to  fear  from  our  own 
people.  You  may  take  mama  to  Richmond  with  perfect  assur- 
ance that  I  will  take  care  of  our  plantation  as  effectually  as  — 
Mr.  Paytou  could." 

Cressie  now  appeared,  and  announced  that  Mr.  Pay  ton 
wished  to  pay  his  respects  to  Miss  May. 

"  I  expected  him  before  this,"  said  the  colonel.  "What 
will  you  say  to  him  ?  ' ' 

"  That  will  depend  upon  Mr.  Pay  ton.  Papa,"  she  answered, 
resolutely.  "  I  still  believe  that  you  have  wronged  him  in 
supposing  that  he  contemplates  the  role  of  a  craven  recreaut. 
I  shall  put  him  to  the  test." 


XLl. 

THE   TESTER   TESTED. 

HE  Honorable  Ralph  Paytou  might  have  chosen  an  hour  • 
more  propitious  to  his  wooing-,  than  the  one  following 
on  the  interview  between   Nellie  May  and  her  father. 
He  rose  to  meet  her,  as  she   entered  the  drawing-room,  with 
his  usual  self-possession. 

Miss  May  had  nerved  herself  to  appear  before  her  visitor  in 
her  usual  sprightly  humor,  for  the  purpose  of  testing,  as  she 
had  intimated  to  her  father,  her  lover's  character.  Humiliat- 
ing task,  to  a  spirited  woman.  If  she  had  ever  indulged  in 
the  fond  fancy  that  she  loved  this  man,  the  very  consciousness 
of  her  purpose  to  test  him  must  have  opened  her  eyes  to  the 
dispiriting  truth,  that  her  affection  for  him  had  never  been 
more  than  a  fancy.  She  was  wholly  heart-free.  There  was  a 
feeling  of  relief  in  the  reflection,  that  if  she  should  find  him 
wanting  in  the  trial  to  which  she  would  subject  him,  it  would 
not  break  her  heart.  But  she  was  fully  determined  to  act 
fairly  and  honorably  by  him.  Let  him  prove  to  her  the  sincer- 
ity of  his  love  and  his  integrity  as  a  man,  and  she  would  not 
say  him  nay.  But  he  must  be  ready  to  fly  to  the  rescue  of  her 
beloved  South,  he  must  prove  his  loyalty  to  her  by  unswerving 
loyalty  to  his  country,  he  must  be  able  to  sink  the  lover  in  the 
patriot.     This  was  the  test  that  she  had  resolved  to  try  him  by. 

"  Welcome  back  home,  Mr.  Pay  ton !  "  was  her  greeting,  as 
they  shook  hands.  "  I  heard  from  papa  that  you  had  returned 
with  him,  by  way  of  Richmond.  You  were  somewhat  slow  in 
making  your  appearance  at  our  house?  " 

"  Truly,  I  snatched  at  the  lirst  opportunity  to  come  and  see 
you,"  he  protested  eagerly,  "  and  if  you  will  pardon  me  for 
saying  so,  I  did  not  feel  I'ealty  at  home  until  now." 

(649) 


650  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

"I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  so,"  she  replied,  smiling 
sweetly.  "  Then  make  yourself  at  home,  and  be  seated.  So, 
you  accompanied  papa  to  Richmond?  The  place  must  have 
looked  small  to  you  after  leaving  Washington.  But  I  suppose 
you  were  filled  with  admiration  of  President  Davis,  and  the 
new  cabinet,  and  the  first  Congress  of  the  Confederacy  —  of 
the  government,  in  a  word,  of  a  young  nation  just  launched  on 
the  billows  of  history?  " 

"Why,  yes  —  of  course,"  he  answered,  dropping  his  eyes 
from  Nellie's  face.  "There  is  considerable  stir  there,  just 
now  —  ' ' 

"  Especially  in  the  War  Department,  I  suppose,"  said  Nellie, 
interrupting  him.  "They  are  making  war  plans  there,  and 
organizing  armies,  are  they  not?  " 

"  Naturally.  That  is  the  matter  of  uppermost  importance 
in  Richmond.  The  people  are  very  enthusiastic,  and  wonder, 
why  our  State  still  holds  out  against  the  Confederacy." 

"  So  do  I  wonder,"  said  Nellie,  with  some  animation.  "  I 
hope,  however,  that  the  combined  forces  of  Generals  Ciper  and 
McCullom,  who  are  now  co-operating,  will  deliver  our  people 
from  the  yoke  of  the  oppressor,  drive  the  usurping  dictator  and 
the  whole  of  the  Federal  army  out  of  the  State,  and  allow  it  to 
take  its  natural  place  in  the  New  Republic." 

"  I  hope  so  with  all  my  heart,"  Payton  responded.  "  The 
Federal  forces  that  have  occupied  Brookfield  are  abeady 
retreating  from  the  neighborhood,"  Nellie  continued,  "  and 
Leslie  is  fretting  and  fuming  to  take  part  in  the  fray.  He 
hopes  to  be  among  the  pursuers  with  his  company,  when  oui 
gallant  boys  overtake  and  whip  the  Federals.  By  the  way," 
she  added  with  a  searching  look  into  Payton's  face,  "  do  you 
propose  to  join  the  company?  " 

"  Leslie  has  the  war  fever  bad,  I  can  imagine,"  said  Payton, 
without  heeding  Nellie's  question.  **  He  has  a  heavy  score  to 
settle  with  the  Yankee  minions.  First,  his  imprisonment  at 
Camp  Jefferson  —  ' ' 

"  You  kept  him  company  there,  did  you  not?  " 


THE    TESTER    TESTED.  651 

"Indeed  I  did!  And  I  shall  not  forget  it,  eitlier.  Then 
tlie  cowardly  conduct  of  that  beast  whom  he  shot  down,  and 
the  still  more  brutal  outrage  of  arresting  him  and  trying  hini  for 
it  by  a  court-martial  of  Dutch  blockheads —  " 

"  Don't  be  unjust,  Mr.  Payton.  That  court-martial 
acquitted   Leslie." 

"  How  could  they  help  it?  "  Payton  exclaimed,  taken  aback 
by  Nellie's  remark.  "  They  would  have  liked  well  enough  to 
sentence  him  to  be  shot,  so  as  to  get  rid  of  one  dangerous 
enemy,  anyhow.     But  they  did  not  dare!  " 

"  No  !  "  Nellie  repeated,  with  a  far-away  look.  "  They  did 
not  dare  !  ' ' 

"  They  were  swift  enough  to  excuse  Jeffreys  for  his  dirty 
hand  in  that  outrage,"  Payton  continued,  a  little  puzzled  by 
the  young  lady's  absent  look.  "  I  don't  wonder  at  it,  either  ; 
for  they  are  all  birds  of  the  same  feather,  —  chicken- heai'ted 
abolitionists,  every  one  of  them." 

"  I  would  not  say,  every  one  of  them,"  Nellie  observed 
quietly,  yet  in  a  tone  of  conviction.  "  There  are  those  among 
them  who,  for  courageous  devotion  to  duty,  might  shame  some 
of  our  stay-at-home  Southern  patriots."  She  looked  at  him,  as 
she  said  this,  with  a  demure  face,  and  then  added  coaxingly : 
"  But  you  have  not  answered  my  question,  whether  you  mean 
to  join  Leslie's  company?  " 

The  pointed  allusion  to  Southern  stay-at-homes  warned  the 
eager  wooer  to  be  on  his  guard.  He  knew  that  lukewarmness 
in  the  Southern  cause  would  sink  him  in  the  estimation  of  this 
enthusiastic  young  woman  ;  yet  he  shrank  from  the  prospect  of 
entering  the  service  under  the  very  eyes  of  bold  and  daring 
Leslie  May.  It  was  a  time  for  the  development  of  that  keen 
diplomacy  upon  which  he  prided  himself.  He  must  not  only 
convince  the  fair  patriot  before  him  of  his  unbounded  zeal  in 
the  cause  of  the  Confederacy,  but  also  imj^ress  upon  her  his 
own  importance  and  the  brilliant  part  he  was  called  on  to  perform 
in  the  war  for  the  liberation  of  the  South. 

' '  Nothing  would  give  me  greater  pleasure  and  more  genuine 


652  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

satisf action, "  he  answered,  in  a  tone  of  heartfelt  regret,  "  than 
to  be  permitted  to  fight  under  the  leadership  of  your  brother. 
But  I  stand  committed,  substantially,  to  accept  a  commission 
at  the  hands  of  his  Excellency,  President  Davis." 

"  Ah!  "  exclaimed  Nellie,  her  increased  respect  for  a  pros- 
pective colonel,  or  general,  showing  itself,  involuntarily.  "  So 
President  Davis  has  made  a  military  magnate  of  you  ?  Papa 
has  never  told  me  of  this." 

"  He  could  not  have  told  you,  because  it  is  not  a  fact,"  Mr. 
Pay  ton  hastened  to  explain.  "  I  did  not  say  that  I  had 
received  a  commission ;  only,  that  I  had,  in  a  manner,  com- 
mitted myself  to  accept  one." 

"  I  understand,  Mr.  Payton,"  said  Nellie,  her  face  beam- 
ing upon  him  with  radiant  glow  that  he  had  rarely  seen  there. 
"  But  surely  the  President  will  be  as  good  as  his  word,  and  we 
may  look  on  the  thing  as  accomplished." 

"  And  you  also  understand,"  Mr.  Payton  urged  with  some 
earnestness,  "that  under  the  circumstances  it  would  be  an 
affront  to  his  Excellency,  were  I  to  enlist  in  your  brother's 
company." 

"  No,  I  do  not  understand  that,"  said  Nellie.  "  But  I  sup- 
pose it  is  against  some  military  rule  of  etiquette.  I  do,  how- 
ever, understand  that  you  are  going  to  devote  yourself  to  your 
country's  cause,  and  it  gives  me  great  satisfaction." 

"  I  am  proud  and  happy  to  hear  you  say  so,"  said  he,  with 
a  polite  bow. 

"  Because  it  quite  vexed  me,  when  I  understood  from  papa, 
that  he  had  recommended  you  to  President  Davis  for  some 
civil  otlice,  though  unsuccessfully.  Oh,  I  am  so  delighted, 
Mr.  Payton,  to  imagine  you  leading  your  gallant  columns  to 
the  onslaught,  —  Brother  Leslie,  it  may  be,  following  you  at 
the  head  of  his  company,  both  of  you  pointing  the  way  to  the 
enemy  with  your  swords,  shouting :  'Follow  me,  brave  com- 
rades, to  Victory,  or  Death!  '  And  Victory  will  perch  upon 
your  banners,  and  glory  forever  ci'own  my  heroes!  " 

Nellie,  though  more  than  half  in  earnest,  spoke  the  latter 


THE    TESTEB   TESTED.  653 

words  in  a  playful  bauter,  smiling  piquantly.  Payton  believed 
that  the  propitious  moment  had  come  for  him  to  press  his 
suit. 

"Ah!  "he  exclaimed,  in  a  voice  of  tender  supphcation  ; 
' '  would  that  you  smiled  upon  me  ever  thus !  Let  me  beg  of 
you  to  be  my  inspiration,  as  you  are  my  ambition,  my  heavenly 
queen !  A  word  of  encouragement  from  you  would  carry  me 
to  the  pinnacle  of  bliss !  Speak  the  word,  adored  one,  —  be 
mine !  " 

The  moment  was  not  badly  chosen.  His  skillful  insinua- 
tions had  aroused  the  patriotic  enthusiasm  of  the  excitable 
maiden.  Her  imagination  was  fired  by  the  gallantry  and 
heroism  with  which  it  invested  the  man  now  pleading  before 
her,  —  qualities,  though  existing  nowhere  else,  that  were 
for  the  moment  a  reality  to  her.  But  when,  to  emphasize  his 
ardent  supplication,  he  bent  his  knee  before  her,  she  was 
rudely  disenchanted.  A  cloud  passed  over  her  countenance 
on  remembering  that  it  was  her  purpose  to  test  his  character. 
He  must  give  her  better  proof  of  his  manhood  than  the  half- 
extorted  admission  that  he  might  allow  himself  to  be  placed  at 
the  head  of  a  regiment,  or  of  a  brigade.  So  she  summoned  to 
her  aid  whatever  skill  she  had  acquired  by  her  experience  as 
a  reigning  society  belle  in  dealing  with  importunate  beaux,  and 
pursued  her  object  under  cover  of  coquettish  badinage.  The 
cloud  passed  as  swiftly  from  her  face  as  it  had  aj^peared, 
leaving  in  its  stead  a  sportive  smile. 

"  Get  up,  you  ridiculous  man!  "  she  said,  playfully  extend- 
ing the  tips  of  her  fingers  to  assist  him  to  his  feet.  "  How 
could  you  be  so  cruelly  awkward  as  to  dispel  the  brilliant 
halo  my  fancy  wove  around  you !  Think  of  the  leap  from  the 
sublime  to  the  comical,  when  you  showed  me  the  conquering 
hero  of  my  dreams  dropping  from  the  clouds  to  grovel  at  my 
feet!" 

"Cruel,  cruel  woman!  "  he  exclaimed,  regarding  her  with 
rueful  face. 

"  Why  cruel,  Mr.  Payton?  " 


654  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

"You  laugh  at  aud  mock  me,  when  I  am  pleading  for  my 
life's  most  sacred  boon." 

"But  even  Solomon  says,  there  is  a  time  for  all  things," 
she  suggested.  "  Surely  this  is  not  time  for  love  and  dal- 
liance. When  the  sea  runs  high,  the  crew  and  the  captain  of 
the  vessel  laboring  in  the  stress  of  the  tempest,  dream  not  of 
roses  and  forget-me-nots." 

"  You  will  break  my  heart,  Nellie  !  " 

"  Never  fear,"  the  lady  replied,  smiling  archly.  "Hearts 
are  not  so  fragile.  I  warrant  you,  that  neither  yours  nor  mine 
will  break.  We  are  both  too  —  wise  for  that.  Like  the  fibre 
of  the  slow  growing  oak  hearts  grow  tough  with  time.  Come, 
rouse  yourself!  Show  me  the  man  that  you  are.  Listen  to 
the  call  of  your  country !  ' ' 

"  Incorrigible !  " 

"  Why,  I  am  your  best  friend." 

"  You  are  inexorable." 

"  I  am  mindful  of  my  country's  glory,  and  of  what  should 
be  your  own!  "  Then,  as  if  in  relenting  mood,  she  added 
coaxingly,  "Come;  the  war  cannot  last  forever!  But  while 
it  lasts,  you  must  not  think  of  shirking  your  part  in  it." 

' '  But  then  —  then  may  I  hope  ?  ' ' 

"Hope?  Why  not?  'Hope  springs  eternal  in  the  human 
breast,'  you  know;  and  though  the  cruel  poet  adds  'Man 
never  is,  but  always  to  be,  blessed,"  why,  you  are  blessed  in 
that  you  hope.  And  that  makes  hope  a  blessing  canceled  by 
fruition,  does  it  not?  Then  make  the  best  of  this  blessing,  nor 
let  fruition  end  it  all  too  soon." 

The  battled  suitor's  view  of  this  aspect  of  things  was  not 
divulged.  Before  he  found  time  to  answer,  his  eye  fell  on  two 
horsemen  approaching  the  house  on  the  road  from  Brooktield, 
whom  he  pointed  out  to  his  companion. 

"  Why,  that  is  General  Seele !  "  Nellie  exclaimed,  unable  to 
quite  conceal  her  astonishment  at  the  fulfillment  of  the  banter- 
ing remark  she  had  made  to  Pauline.  "  And  there  is  Captain 
Waldhorst!     They  are  coming  here,  sure  enough." 


THE   TESTER    TESTED.  G55 

'  What  oil  earth  can  brnig  these  bhie-coats  to  your  house, 
Miss  May?  "  asked  Paytou,  showing  his  displeasure  iu  unmis- 
takable fashion. 

"  Captain  Waldhorst's  people  are  here,  you  Ivuow,"  said 
Nellie,  and  added,  with  a  tinge  of  sarcasm  in  her  voice,  "  and 
I  suppose  the  general  of  the  Union  army  is  escorting  him  on 
his  farewell  visit.  Or,  maybe,"  she  continued,  her  sarcasm 
emphasized  by  a  sneering  smile,  "  he  has  come  to  apologize 
for  the  rude  handling  some  of  us  received  at  the  hands  of  his 
court-martial." 

Payton  saw  with  undisguised  satisfaction  how  unwelcome 
the  visitors  seemed  to  the  young  lady.  He  felt  reassured  as 
to  the  influence  that  Victor  Waldhorst  might  have  obtained 
over  the  sister  of  the  prisoner,  whose  fate  he  had,  to  some  ex- 
tent, controlled  as  judge  advocate.  Nevertheless  he  awaited 
the  entrance  of  the  Union  officers  with  some  degree  of  uneasi- 
ness. He  did  not  like  the  obvious  distinction  enjoyed  by 
Victor  though  he  endeavored  to  console  himself  by  the  reflec- 
tion ,  that  he  might  be  accompanying  the  general  in  the  capacity 
of  an  official  subordinate ;  but  even  then  tlie  familiarity 
between  the  two  was  remarkable,  and  to  Pa^-ton,  alarming. 

It  was  a  minute  or  two,  during  which  the  military  guests 
were  being  received  at  the  front  door  by  Senator  May  in  per- 
son, before  Cressie  entered  the  parlor  announcing  them.  They 
were  ushered  in  by  the  senator,  who  was,  in  his  turn,  followed 
by  the  messenger  from  Winslo's  Run. 

"  Permit  me.  General,"  said  the  host,  as  he  led  the  latter 
up  to  Nellie,  "  to  present  to  you  my  daughter  Eleouora.  This, 
my  child,  is  General  Seele,  the  commander  of  the  army  that 
is  about  to  evacuate  the  town  of  Brookfield.  And  this,"  he 
added  after  an  interchange  of  bows  between  Nellie  and  the 
General,  "  is  my  friend,  Mr.  Paytou,  late  a  member  of  the 
Federal  Congress." 

The  recognition  between  the  two  gentlemen  was  a  formal 
affair,  Payton  contenting  himself  with  a  sullen  bow,  the  general 
takino-  no  further  notice  of  him. 


656  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

"  My  frieud,  Mr.  Boyd,"  said  the  seuator,  as  be  introduced 
tlie  messenger  from  Winslo's  Run.  The  latter  eyed  the  mili- 
tary visitor  with  keenest  interest ;  but  the  general  bad  nothing 
to  say  to  him.  He  turned  to  the  young  lady,  who  anticipated 
his  words  by  a  remark  upon  the  distinguished  and  truly 
unlooked  for  honor  conferred  upon  the  house  by  the  visit  of 
military  gentlemen  of  such  high  rank. 

"  As  for  Captain  Waldhorst,"  she  continued,  turning 
abruptly  to  Victor,  "  we  had  given  up  the  hope  of  ids  coming 
to  see  us  at  all." 

"  And  yet  there  was  a  time,  when  he  was  quite  at  home  in 
our  house,"  Senator  May  added. 

"That  was  before  he  sided  with  our  enemies,"  Payton 
remarked,  to  the  visible  chagrin  of  the  senator  and  his 
daughter. 

"  Whatever  this  young  gentleman  may  think,"  said  the 
general,  casting  a  contemptuous  glance  at  the  ex-congressman, 
and  then  resting  his  eyes  with  evident  admiration  on  Nellie, 
"  You,  at  least,  Miss  May,  have  no  cause  to  look  upon  him  in 
the  light  of  an  enemy.  Nor  you.  Senator  May.  And  I  happen 
to  know,  that  there  is  not  a  heart  in  all  your  ardent  South 
more  genuinely  loyal  to  those  high  and  chivalrous  Southern 
virtues,  of  which  the  ladies  and  gentlemen  of  this  household 
are  shining  examples,  and  which  he  knows  so  well  how  to 
appreciate." 

"  Give  me  your  hand, young  man,"  said  the  senator,  advanc- 
toward  Victor.  "  You  have  evidently  greatlj^  exaggerated  to 
the  general  what  little  we  have  been  able  to  do  for  your  uncle 
and  cousin ;  but  I  am  proud  to  think  that  you  bear  us  no 
malice,  and  that  you  have  not  ceased  to  be  a  frieud,  though  we 
think  differently  on  the  unfortunate  quarrel  that  divides  the 
nation." 

"  Believe  me,  Seuator,"  the  general  addressed  him,  "  I,  too, 
appreciate  the  sterling  qualities  which  have  compelled  the 
admiration  of  my  young  friend,  the  captain  here.  I  am  greatly 
indel»ted  to  him  for  the  privilege  of  having  been  permitted  to 


THE    TESTER    TESTED.  657 

shake  bauds  with  you,  without  the  humihatiou  I  must  have 
experienced,  had  the  trial  of  your  son  taken  a  different  turn. 
Thanks  to  the  fearless  integrity  of  Captain  ^^^aldhorst,  our 
side  has  been  sjjared  the  stigma,  whifch  so  great  a  wrong  as 
the  sacrificing  of  justice  to  fancied  interest,  or  mistaken 
patriotism,  must  have  fastened  on  us.  For  however  grateful 
you  may  feel  toward  the  young  man  —  and  not  even  you  can 
know  at  what  peril  to  himself,  at  what  risk  to  his  standing  in 
the  army  and  reputation  among  his  comrades  he  snatched 
young  May  from  a  tragic  fate  —  his  countrj^  is  indebted  to  him 
for  a  service  of  infinitely  greater  importance  to  its  cause  —  ' ' 

"Spare  me,  General!"  exclaimed  Victor  impatiently. 
"  You  are  ungenerously  abusing  your  authority  as  my  supe- 
rior —  " 

"  Silence,  sir!  "  the  general  interruj)ted  him,  gruffly.  "  I 
cannot  permit  my  subordinates  to  criticise  my  words,  or  im- 
pugn my  conduct."  Theu,  addressing  himself  to  the  senator, 
he  continued:  "  I  was  about  to  say,  sir,  that  my  acquaintance 
with  you  and  your  family  has  been  productive  of  sincere  re- 
gret, but  also  of  hopeful  assurance  of  a  bright  future  for  our 
country :  Regret,  that  men  having  a  common  aim —  I  may  add 
without  boasting  —  the  most  exalted  motives,  should  stand 
arrayed  against  each  other  in  deadly  combat.  But  an  abiding- 
faith,  withal,  in  the  final  triumph  of  Right  and  Truth.  For 
however  at  fault  our  judgment  may  be,  —  clouded,  for  the 
time,  by  passion  and  prejudice — where  the  purpose  and  aim 
of  both  sides  is  the  vindication  of  Right  and  the  accomplish- 
ment of  Justice,  Right  and  Justice  will  surely  preyail,  whichever 
side  may  win." 

Nellie  was  deeply  impressed,  though  she  looked  puzzled  at 
what  to  her  seemed  a  paradoxical  inconsistency.  But  Senator 
May,  who  had  listened  attentively,  smiled  drearily  as  he 
answered . 

"Yes,  General,"  he  said;  "but  it  will  be  the  Right  as 
established  by  our  conquerors'  Might ;  and  to  the  vanquished 
it  will  ever  remain  Wrong." 

42 


658  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

"No,  Senator,"  rejoiued  the  general,  in  earnest  though 
gentle  voice,  '  If  the  vanquished  took  up  arms  to  vindicate 
a  cause  in  which  they  have  faith,  —  such  as  you  have  in  yours, 
and  I  have  in  mine  —  then  they  were  firmly  convinced  that 
Right  was  Might,  for  they  appealed  to  Might  to  establish  the 
Right;  and  they  must  see,  in  the  end,  that  what  Might 
establishes,  is  Right." 

"  Grant  God,  that  this  may  be  so,"  said  the  senator.  "  But 
I  am  afraid  that  '  Convince  a  man  against  his  will.  He's  of 
the  same  opinion  still.'  " 

"  Never  fear,"  said  the  general  smiling.  "  There  is  won- 
derful poAver  of  persuasion  in  the  Logic  of  Events."  Then 
he  turned  to  the  young  lady  and  continued:  "But  this  is 
indifferent  comfort  to  the  eager,  impassioned  young  enthusiasts, 
such  as  you  and  your  brother  have  shown  yourselves  to  be. 
To  you  the  world  is  still  divided  into  two  classes :  On  the  one 
hand  the  Good,  to  which  I  ain  glad  to  know  that  you  and  all 
of  yours  belong;  and  on  the  other,  the  Wicked,  among  whom, 
I  am  afraid,  you  must  class  me  and  my  young  friend,  the 
captain,  here,  on  account  of  our  skepsis  touching  the  Gospel 
of  Secession.  To  you,  it  will  and  ought  to  be  a  day  of  jubi- 
lant rejoicing  when,  if  such  shall  be  our  fate,  you  see  us 
humiliated  and  crushed.  But  the  world  will  seem  dark  and 
cold  to  you,  if  the  God  of  Battles  should  smile  on  our  side. 
May  the  losers,  whosoever  they  be,  learn  to  confide  in  the 
magnanimity  of  the  conquerors,  and  accept  the  decree  of  the 
Arbiter  of  War  as  the  vindication  of  Justice !  " 

"  Let  us  shake  hands  on  that,"  said  the  senator,  "  and  hope, 
that  when  we  meet  after  this  war  is  over,  it  will  be  in  a  Union 
s'trengthened  and  purified,  and  guaranteeing  Justice  to  all  its 
parts !  ' ' 

Victor  had  meanwhile  remained  a  silent  listener.  But  for 
the  protest  uttered  against  the  general's  laudatory  speech,  he 
had  uttered  not  a  word.  He  regarded  the  gentlemen  that  were 
speaking,  mostly,  save  that  now  and  then,  when  he  thought 
himself  unobserved,  he  turned  his  eyes  furtively  on  the  form 


THE    TESTER    TESTED.  659 

of  Nellie,  .standing  there  by  Payton's  side.  Once,  when  the 
general  mentioned  her  classing  the  good  and  wicked,  he  no- 
ticed that  she  was  about  to  speak  ;  but  she  must  have  thought 
better,  for  she  closed  her  lips  again,  without  saying  a  word. 
But  turning  her  eyes  toward  Victor,  she  intercepted  the  stolen 
glance,  looking  him  full  in  the  face.  He  flushed  deeply,  as  he 
looked  away  from  her,  and  noted  the  sullen  frown  on  Payton's 
face. 

"  Now,  Senator,"  said  the  general,  "  I  must  beg  of  you  to 
kindly  conduct  me  to  your  guests,  our  wounded  soldiers,  and 
the  ladies,  whom  Victor  is  to  escort  home.  It  is  time  that  he 
should  be  on  his  way,  if  he  means  to  reach  his  first  stopping 
place  before  dark." 

"  Why,  "  asked  Senator  May,"  do  they  not  accompan}' the 
main  army  on  the  march?  " 

Both  Mr.  Boyd,  the  messenger  from  Winslo's  Run,  and 
Ralph  Payton  listened  eagerly  for  the  answer. 

"  No ;  his  course  is  in  quite  a  different  direction,"  the  gen- 
eral mentioned.  "  He  is  to  escort  your  guests  as  far  as  Rolla- 
ville,  where  they  take  the  train  for  the  city,  while  he,  Avith  his 
military  escort,  will  proceed  to  the  capitol,  where  he  is  to 
report  to  the  governor." 

"  Military  escort?  "  the  senator  asked.  "  So  you  are  going 
to  divide  your  forces  ?  ' ' 

"  To  the  extent  of  detailing  a  body  guard  of  thi-ee  men  to 
accompany  the  captain,"  said  the  general,  smiling.  "  We 
anticipate  no  trouble,  of  course  ;  the  escort  is  more  a  matter  of 
etiquette,  than  a  military  precaution." 

Whether  by  concert,  or  purely  by  accident,  Ralph  Payton 
and  the  messenger  from  Winslo's  Run  exchanged  rapid  glances, 
and  then  both  turned  their  eyes  toward  Victor. 

"  Shall  I  have  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you  again.  Miss  May," 
said  the  general,  addressing  the  young  lady.  "  Or  am  I  to 
say  good-bye  here,  and  now?  " 

Nellie,  too,  seemed  surprised  on  learning  that  Victor  was  not 
to  accompany  the  troops.     As  the  general  addressed  her,  she 


G60  THE  REBEL'S  DAUOHTEB. 

advanced  toward  him,  offering  her  hand  with  a  frauk  smile. 
"  We  have  met  under  exciting-  circumstances,  General,"  she 
said,  "  and  I  need  not  assure  you  that  I  will  not  soon  forget 
them.  But  I  do  wish  to  tell  j'ou,  that  yoxx  will  be  associated 
in  my  memory  with  some  of  the  most  stirring  experiences  of 
my  life  ;  and  I  shall  ever  think  of  you  as  —  an  enemy,  whom 
I  would  like  to  number  among  my  friends." 

"You  make  me,  indeed,  proud,"  said  the  general,  with  a 
profound  bow. 

"  And  I  cherish  the  hope,  that  we  may  meet  again  under 
more  favorable  auspices,"  she  added. 

"Such,  indeed,  is  my  fervent  wish,"  the  general  replied, 
reluctantly  quitting  the  hand  he  had  been  holding ;  ' '  and  so  I 
make  bold  to  say  "  Au  revoir !  " 

General  Seele  left  the  room  with  Senator  May,  and  Victor 
was  in  the  act  of  following,  when  Nellie,  in  a  reproachful  tone, 
exclaimed:    "  Captain  Waldhorst !  " 

Victor  iDaused. 

"  Have  you  no  valediction  for  me?  " 

He  looked  about  the  room,  his  eyes  sweeping  the  forms  of 
Mr,  Boyd  and  Ralph  Payton.  As  they  rested  upon  her  face  a 
cold,  haughty  expression  darkened  his  own. 

"I  have  the  honor.  Miss  May,"  he  said,  bowing  ceremoni- 
ously, "  to  say  to  you  that  I  wish  you  may  ever  fare  well." 

"Victor!"  she  exclaimed,  in  a  voice  blending  earnest 
remonstrance  with  such  tender  entreaty  as  to  thrill  him  to  the 
very  soul.  "  After  what  you  have  done  for  us,  — for  us  all, 
but  most  of  all  for  me  — must  you  leave  without  listening  to  a 
word  of  thanks?  " 

Victor  was  in  torture.  To  clasp  that  outstretched  hand,  — 
to  press  it  to  his  burning  lips,  —  were  bliss  supreme.  But  she 
had  too  often  toyed  with  his  most  sacred  feeling,  and  his  man- 
hood rebelled. 

Before  he  could  respond,  Payton  stepped  forward  and  seized 
the  hand  which  Victor  had  ignored. 

"  You  lower  yourself,"  he  said,  endeavoring    to    lead    her 


THE    TESTER    TESTED.  661 

away,  "  before  this  —  boor,  whose  very  presence  in  your  par- 
lor, in  the  garb  of  the  enemies  of  our  country,  is  an  affront  to 
you . ' ' 

Nellie  flung  off  his  hand  with  an  angry  gesture,  but  kejjt  her 
eye  on  Victor,  to  note  the  effect  on  him  of  Payton's  audacious 
assertion  of  authority  over  her. 

Whatever  may  have  been  Victor's  thoughts,  he  did  not  utter 
them.  One  contemptuous  glance  of  deliance  he  shot  at  Pay- 
ton  ;  then  bowing  with  icy  politeness  to  Nellie,  he  left  the 
room. 

For  a  moment  she  gazed  at  the  door  through  Avhich  he  had 
disappeared.  The  pallor  of  her  cheeks  gave  way  to  a  flood  of 
brilliant  color  as  she  turned  her  flashing  eyes  on  Payton,  only 
to  be  again  succeeded  by  the  paleness  of  Parian  marble.  The 
scathing  rebuke  that  had  seethed  for  utterance  remained  un- 
spoken. For  with  the  conviction, — that  Payton's  presence 
had  closed  Victor's  lij^s,  and  his  presumptuous  conduct,  con- 
sistent only  with  an  accepted  lover's  privilege,  driven  him  from 
the  room  —  had  come  the  revelation  of  a  secret  that  had  long 
lain  dormant  deep  down  in  her  heart.  Now  that  it  had  leaped 
into  vivid  consciousness,  it  kindled  a  passion  before  which  all 
previous  experience  paled  into  insignificance. 

Nellie  knew  that  she  loved.  It  had  come  late  to  her,  this 
master  passion ;  but  now  that  she  was  under  its  spell,  it 
threatened  to  rule  with  sovereign  might,  engrossing  all  other 
interests.  How  lukewarm  had  been  her  most  exalted  enthu- 
siasm, how  tame  the  most  thrilling  excitement  she  had  experi- 
enced, compared  with  the  new  power  that  in  her  bosom  held 
sway  supreme ! 

What  boots  it  now  to  put  Payton  to  further  test  ?  Were  he 
as  brave  as  Achilles,  or  as  gallant  as  Tancred,  he  must  be 
found  wanting,  if  tried  by  the  measure  which  Nelhe  would 
apply.  Nor  he,  nor  any  man  would  henceforth  approximate 
to  the  standard  of  excellence  to  which  Nellie  had  elevated  her 
ideal. 

But  with  the  recognition  of  her  love  had  come  the  humili- 


662  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

atiiig  consciousness,  that  it  was  an  enemy  to  her  country  to 
whom  she  had  surrendered  her  heart.  How  could  she  face 
her  friends  with  this  fateful  secret  burning  in  her  bosom? 
What  would  her  father,  what  her  brother  say,  when  they 
learned  of  her  shameful  weakness ! 

Swiftly  these  thoughts  passed  through  her  mind. 

She  had  not  yet  answered  Pay  ton.  He  stood  there,  regard- 
ing her  Avith  a  puzzled  air,  trying  to  account  for  her  sudden 
change  of  color,  and  the  strange  expression  of  her  countenance. 
One  thing  she  was  perfectly  clear  about :  that  she  must,  above 
all  things,  guard  her  secret  from  this  man.  And  she  felt  that 
it  might  require  all  her  tact  to  allay  any  suspicion  his  jealous 
mind  might  entei'tain.  With  an  effort  she  recovered  her  self- 
possession  to  a  sufficient  degree  to  answer  him  calmly. 

"You  will  pardon  my  petulance,  Mr.  Payton,"  she  said. 
"Your  language  to  Captain  Waldhorst  was  rude;  and  it  an- 
noyed me  that  a  guest  at  our  house  should  be  treated  rudely. 
But  you  may  have  been  right  The  visit  of  the  commander  of 
the  Federal  troops  may  have  been,  under  the  circumstances, 
in  bad  taste,  even  though  he  came  accompanied  by  Captain 
Waldhorst ;  for  he  put  a  restraint  on  our  conversation  —  " 

"  I  am  so  proud  to  hear  you  say  this,"  Payton  interrupted. 
"  You  may  be  sure,  that  it  was  only  for  your  sake  that  I 
ventured  to  remind  that  —  Dutchman  of  his  manners." 

Nellie  did  have  need  of  her  power  of  self-control  to  choke 
down  the  resentment  of  her  wooer's  bungling  speech.  Her 
social  accomplishments  again  stood  her  in  stead  ;  she  had  a 
conciliating  smile  ready  to  sugar  the  rebuke  which  her  reply 
conveyed.  "Yes,"  she  said,  "and  I  thank  you  for  also 
reminding  me  of  my  manners  to  you.  But  you  know  he  was  a 
guest  under  father's  roof,  and  father,  somehow,  thinks  so 
much  of  him.  And  I  must  really  go  to  say  good-bye  to  the 
Auf  dem  Busches,  and  to  Captain  Waldhorst's  sister,  though 
the  captain  would  nave  nothing  to  sa}^  to  me." 

Slie  left  the  room,  Payton  looking  after  her  in  doubting 
mood.     Mr.  Boyd,  who  had  remained,  looked  at  Payton.     He 


THE    TESTER    TESTED.  '  663 

had  been  highly  interested  to  see  the  Federal  comniaiuler  at  the 
house  of  so  prominent  a  Southerner  as  Senator  May,  and  the 
tone  of  cordial  amity  between  them  was  a  surprise  witli  which 
to  embellish  his  report  to  General  Ciper. 

"This  young  woman  —  she's  your  intended,  ain't  she?  — 
seems  to  have  high  notions  of  hospitality  to  Union  soldiers," 
was  Boyd's  remark  when  he  was  alone  with  Pay  ton.  "She 
kind  of  resented  the  interference  between  her  and  the  Federal 
captain.  I  thought  once,  that  she  had  a  sharp  tongue-lashing 
ready  for  you.     What  changed  her  mind,  do  you  think?  " 

"I  hate  the  d — d  upstart!  "  Pay  ton  exclaimed,  with  an 
angry  scowl.  "  He's  always  hanging  round  the  family.  And 
Miss  May  and  her  brother  amuse  themselves  by  a  sort  of  pat- 
ronizing toleration  of  him;  and  the  old  man  —  well,  he  lets 
them." 

"  Don't  you  think,"  said  the  messenger,  insinuatingly, 
' '  that  the  young  rascal  has  an  eye  toward  Miss  May  hisself  ?  ' ' 

"The  d — d.  puppy  is  just  fool  enough  to  imagine  such  a 
thing !  ' ' 

"  If  I  were  in  your  place,"  Mr.  Boyd  suggested,  "  I'd  try 
to  get  rid  of  him.  I  half  believe  that  she  don't  hate  him  a 
bit." 

"By  God,  I  mean  to!  "  Payton  exclaimed,  stung  by  the 
insinuation  of  Mr.  Boyd. 

' '  Who  are  the  people  he  is  going  to  escort  ?  ' ' 

"  Oh,  an  old  uncle  of  his,  and  a  cousin,  who  were  wounded 
at  the  battle  of  Winslo's  Run,  and  who  have  been  nursed  and 
fed  here  like  a  couple  of  pets." 

"  But  I  heard  some  ladies  mentioned,"  said  Boyd. 

"  Yes,  two  of  them.     His  aunt  and  his  sister." 

"  What  a  pity,  that  there  are  ladies  in  the  crowd,"  sug- 
gested Bo3'd.   "  Otherwise  you  might  make  a  stunning  haul — " 

"  What  do  you  mean?" 

"  I  mean,"  said  Mr.  Boyd,  "  that  two  Federal  soldiers  and 
a  captain  are  worth  bagging,  and  that  as  a  prisoner  of  war,  the 
captain  would  not  be  so  much  in  your  way." 


664  THE  EEBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

Paytou  evinced  less  surprise  over  this  suggestion  than  Boyd 
seemed  to  have  expected.  The  two  men  looked  at  each  other 
for  a  moment,  when  the  door  opened,  interrupting  any  reply 
that  might  have  been  intended.  It  was  Cressie,  the  slave-girl, 
that  entered. 

"What  do  you  want  here?"  Payton  addressed  her 
brusquely. 

"  Misses  May  sent  me  to  look  for  her  thimble,"  she  replied, 
without  looking  at  either  of  the  men.  "  She  suspects  that  she 
lost  it  here  this  morning." 

She  busied  herself  with  the  search,  and  was  taken  no  further 
notice  of  by  the  men,  except  that  they  carried  on  their  further 
conversation  in  whispers. 

While  looking  sharply  about  for  the  lost  article,  she  had  her 
ears  open  also ;  because  the  secrecy  with  which  the  two  men 
carried  on  their  conversation  had  challenged  her  curiosity. 
Of  the  conversation  she  caught  here  and  there  a  disconnected 
word,  of  which  she  could  make  nothing.  But  as  she  left  the 
room,  followed  by  the  two  men,  who  seemed  to  have  come  to 
some  understanding,  and  while  concealed  by  the  shadow  of 
the  staircase  in  the  hall,  as  they  passed  her,  she  heard  Boyd 
say  distinctly:  "  If  they  show  fight,  make  sure  of  the  young 
captain  first." 

These  words  startled  her.  They  smote  upon  her  ears  like 
a  danger-signal  ominating  peril  to  the  young  officer.  What 
could  these  men  want  of  Captain  Waldhorst  ? 

"If  they  show  fight!  "  she  ruminated.  "If  who  showed 
tight?" 

"  Make  sure  of  the  young  captain  first."  That  must  mean 
danger  to  the  young  soldier's  life! 

Then  the  word  "  Shackleford's  "  occurred  to  her,  which  she 
had  heard  one  of  the  men  pronounce.  And  she  remembered 
the  further  word  "  morning." 

"Shackleford's!"  Was  not  that  the  name  of  a  roadside 
inn.  out  on  the  Rollaville  Road?  Then  it  flashed  into  her 
mind,  that  she  had  heard  Miss  Pauline  tell  her  mistress,  that 


THE    TESTER    TESTED.  665 

they  expected  to  reach  Shackleford's  about  dark,  on  their  way 
to  Rollaville,  where  they  would  take  the  cars.  That  made  it 
certain  to  Cressie,  that  danger  menaced  the  travelers,  at  that 
inn,  if  they  reached  it  by  dark,  and  remained  there  that  night. 

Now  Miss  Waldhorst,  as  well  as  her  uncle  and  cousin,  had 
treated  the  young  slave-girl  with  a  kindness  and  respectful 
consideration,  that  was  to  her  a  pleasant  experience,  eliciting 
on  her  part  a  feehng  of  profound  gratitude. 

But  it  was  not  any  of  the  guests  at  May  Meadows,  that  en- 
grossed her  thoughts  just  now.  She  trembled  for  one  whom 
she  had  enshrined  in  her  innermost  heart,  who  had,  however 
unconsciously,  commanded  her  loyal  homage,  almost  from  the 
first  moment  she  had  seen  him,  above  even  her  beloved  mis- 
tress ;  —  for  one  whom  she  worshiped  and  adored  with  an 
unhoping  devotion,  which  nevertheless  possessed  the  intensity 
and  ardor  of  passion. 

Her  first  impulse  on  conceiving  the  danger  that  menaced 
Victor,  was  to  warn  him  of  his  peril.  But  it  occurred  to  her, 
that  a  simjjle  statement  of  her  suspicion,  without  more  tangible 
proof  than  her  own  surmises  from  the  fragments  of  a  conver- 
sation overheard,  would  only  result  in  one  of  his  indulgent 
smiles,  and  that  he  would  thank  her,  without  paying  further 
heed  to  her  caution.  And  when  she  entered  the  room  where 
she  supposed  him  to  be,  she  learned,  to  her  great  disappoint- 
ment and  trouble,  that  he  had  ah-eady  left,  as  well  as  the 
general. 

What  do  now  ? 

The  guests  were  in  the  act  of  leaving.  Senator  May  was 
gallantly  escorting  Mrs.  Auf  dem  Busch  to  the  stage-coach 
waiting  for  them  in  front  of  the  house,  on  which  thi-ee  Federal 
soldiers  had  already  taken  outside  seats.  Her  husband  followed , 
accompanied  by  Mrs.  May  and  leaning  on  the  arm  of  Wolde- 
mar,  who,  however,  was  not  yet  firm  on  his  legs  himself. 
Pauline  and  Nellie  walked  arm  in  arm,  both  pensive  to  a 
degree  unusual  in  them. 

At  any  other  time,  the  deep  thoughtfulness  of  the  young 


666  THE  BE  REUS  DAUGHTEB. 

ladies,  so  entirely  unlike  either  of  them,  would  have  given 
Cressie  cause  for  wonder.  But  her  own  mind  was  oppressed 
with  her  weighty  secret.  In  her  eager  solicitude  to  convey 
warning  to  the  absent  captain  she  overlooked  the  circum- 
stance that  Miss  Pauline  was  a  fellow  traveler  with  her 
brother,  and  would  probably  share  any  danger  to  which  he  was 
exposed.  But  as  the  two  girls  kissed  each  other  good-bye,  it 
did  occur  to  her,  that  her  mistress  might  put  the  sister  on  her 
guard,  and  that  she  would  probably  inform  her  brother  of  any 
danger  apprehended.  She  had  just  determined  to  speak  to 
her  mistress,  when  Woldemar  Auf  dem  Busch,  having  helped 
his  father  to  enter  the  coach,  stepped  back  toward  her  and 
said : 

"  I  ought  not  to  leave  you,  Miss  Lucretia,  without  thauking 
you  for  the  kind  attentions  aud  the  uutiriug  devotion  which 
you  have  displayed  toward  my  father  and  myself.  Will  you 
shake  hands  with  me  ?  " 

With  a  vivid  blush,  —  less  of  pleasure,  however,  or  even  of 
embarrassment  than  of  pain  —  she  submitted  her  hand  to  the 
strong  grasp,  saying:   "  I  only  did  what  I  was  bid  to  do." 

"  If  others  did  their  duty  as  well,  as  cheerfully  and  as 
efficiently  as  you  did  yours,  then  the  world  would  be  a  brighter 
place.     Good-bye!  " 

Woldemar  was  followed  by  Pauline.  She  turned  her  eyes 
wistfully  u}?  and  down  the  road  ;  but  Leslie  was  nowhere  to  be 
seen,  aud  a  look  of  keen  disai)poiatmeut  made  way  for  the 
sadness  of  resignation  that  settled  on  her  face.  She  had  hardly 
taken  her  seat,  when  Nellie  rushed  to  the  door,  and  tearing  it 
open,  said : 

"  Oh,  Pauline !  I  almost  forgot  to  tell  you,  that  Leslie  asked 
me  to  say  good-bye  to  you  in  his  name.  He  is  so  sorry  that 
he  could  not  be  here  to  see  you  off  ;  but  the  organization  of 
his  company  for  active  service  tills  his  Avhole  soul  now.  He 
thinks  of  nothing  else." 

"  I  thank  you,"  was  Pauline's  faint  answer.  The  message 
seemed  to  crush  her  utterly. 


THE    TESTER    TESTED.  667 

Cressie  stood  on  needles.  Tlie  stage  was  starting,  and  her 
mistress  stood  gazing  intently  on  tlie  departing  guests,  Avaving 
her  handkerchief  slowly. 

"  Don't  make  a  spectacle  of  yourself  !  "  said  Nellie's  mother. 
"  Everybody  is  looking  at  you." 

Nellie  made  no  reply.  "  What  is  it,  Cressie?  "  she  said  to 
the  octoroon  girl,  noticing  her  eager  anxiety. 

As  Mrs.  May  followed  her  husband  back  to  the  house,  the 
girl  approached  her  mistress  and  whispered:  "Please  m'm,  I 
fear  Mahster  Victor  is  in  danger." 

"  Victor?  "  Nellie  repeated,  forgetting  to  chide  the  slave  for 
the  freedom  of  using  Victor's  given  name.  And  thei'e  fol- 
lowed a  long  and  anxious  interlocution  between  maid  and 
mistress. 


XLII. 

CUPID'S    COUNTER   COUP. 

HE  capture  of  Victor  Waldhorst  aud  the  party  with  him, 
to  ])e  delivered  as  prisoners  of  Avar  to  the  Confederate 
authorities,  suggested  originally  by  crafty  Bob  Rouu- 
tree,  had  busily  engaged  the  thoughts  of  the  Honorable  Ralph 
Payton,  The  project  itself  met  his  hearty  approval,  promising, 
among  other  substantial  advantages,  riddance  of  what  he 
deemed  an  inconvenient  obstacle  to  his  designs  upon  Miss  May. 
But  guerrilla  warfare,  which  later  on  in  the  war  became  the 
terror  of  the  border  States,  had  not  yet  been  recognized  as  a 
feature  of  the  war ;  those  engaged  in  it  were  looked  upon  as 
outlaws  and  criminals,  pursuing  their  marauding  enterprises 
for  the  gratification  of  personal  malice  aud  rapacity. 

He  therefore  hailed  with  satisfaction  the  suggestion  of  Mv. 
Boyd,  in  that  conversation  which  Cressie  had  partly  overheard, 
to  give  the  affair  a  military  coloring  by  obtaining  from  the 
general  of  the  Confederate  forces  an  order  for  the  capture  of 
the  bearer  of  important  dispatches  from  General  Seele  to  the 
military  governor.  A  detail  of  two  or  three  ^Drivate  soldiers  to 
cover  the  transport  of  the  prisoners  to  the  Confederate  head- 
quarters, would  certainly  make  the  project,  or  at  least  give  it 
the  appearance  of,  a  mihtary  enterprise. 

While  Boyd,  then,  hurried  off  to  make  his  report  to  General 
Ciper  and  obtain  the  necessary  order,  Ralph  Payton,  after 
concerting  with  him  the  place  of  meeting  on  the  Rollaville  Road, 
rushed  off  to  talk  the  matter  over  with  Bob  Rountree.  He 
hoped  to  secure  the  co-operation  of  the  crafty  young  man  in 
whose  fertile  brain  the  plan  had  originally  germinated.  His 
confidence  of  success  rested  largely  more  on  stealthy  approach 
and  sudden  surprise,  than  on  the  issue  of  an   open  combat. 

(668) 


CUPID'S   COUNTER   COUP.  ^69 

But  the  very  quality  which  Payton  admired  so  highly,  induced 
the  young  fox  to  keep  aloof.  He  was  profuse  in  regrets  and 
plausible  in  excuses  for  denying  himself  the  rare  fun  of  partici- 
pation in  bagging  the  Dutch  gang,  including  Leslie  May's 
sweetheart,  who  alone,  Bob  put  it,  was  a  prize  for  which  Cap- 
tain May  might  be  gTateful. 

While  they  were  talking  the  matter  over,  Orlando  Jones 
burst  into  the  room  with  news  that  the  last  of  the  Federal  troops 
had  left  Brookfield. 

"  Are  you  sure?  "  asked  Payton. 

"  No  mistake,"  Orlando  asserted.  "  The  last  man  to  leave, 
as,  I  believe,  he  was  the  first  to  enter  the  tow^n,  was  General 
Seele  himself." 

"  Why,  he  was  out  at  May  Meadows  not  more  than  an  hour 
ago,"  said  Payton. 

"I  know,"  was  Jones'  answer.  "I  saw  him  come  out. 
And  he  wasn't  alone,  either.  That  little  Dutchman  that  wears 
a  captain's  uniform  was  with  him ;  and  the  two  hobnobbed 
with  one  another  as  if  they  were  cronies.  Oh,  how  I  would 
enjoy  it  to  smash  his  nose  for  him !  ' ' 

"  But  I  thought  you  told  me,  Payton,"  said  Bob  Rountree, 
"  that  he  was  escorting  his  kinfolks  as  far  as  Rollaville,  where 
they  are  to  take  the  cars  for  the  city  ?  ' ' 

"  Of  course  he  is,"  Payton  asserted.  "  I  heard  the  general 
himself  say  so." 

"  I  guess  that's  so,"  said  Jones.  "  Leastwise  he  was  gal- 
loping across  fields  when  I  last  saw  him,  over  toward  the 
Rolhfville  Road ;  and  for  all  I  know  he  is  following  the  stage 
coach  this  very  minute." 

"  Then  he  accompanies  them  on  horseback,"  mused  the 
congressman.  "  I  wonder  whether  the  military  escort  is 
mounted  also?  " 

"  A  part  of  them  are  on  top  of  the  stage-coach,"  Orlando 
informed  him.  "  I  was  watching  when  they  put  in  the  whole 
Dutch  cargo.  Three  blue-coats  climbed  on  top.  And  who,  do 
you  think,  was  one  of  them?     You'll  never  guess  in  a  life-time." 


670  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

"  Well?  "  urged  both  Payton  and  Rouutree, 

"  Jeffreys!  " 

"  What  —  Jeffreys?  "  exclaimed  the  others,  simultaneously. 
' '  Do  you  meau  it  ?  " 

"Jeffreys!  "  Orlaudo  reiterated.  "The  scamp,  that  got 
us  into  the  scrape  with  the  d — d  Dutchman,  that  time.  A 
queer  watch-dog  he'U   be  to  guard  his  particular  pet !  " 

"Yes,"  said  Payton  with  a  triumphant  smile.  "It  is 
just  like  committing  the  lamb  to  the  jwotection  of  the 
wolf." 

"  You  are  in  luck,  as  usual,  Payton,"  Bob  Rountree 
observed.  "  I  shouldn't  wonder,  if  it  turned  out  that  this  is  a 
trick  played  by  that  Dutch  colonel  on  the  judge  advocate  that 
bearded  him  on  that  court-martial." 

"  But  are  you  sure,  Orlando,  that  it  was  really  Jeffreys  you 
saw?"  Payton  insisted. 

"Sure  as  rolling  off  a  log;"  Mr.  Jones  asserted.  "I 
couldn't  be  mistaken  in  that  hang-dog  look  of  his  phiz,  for  all 
that  he's  shaved  off  his  whiskers  and  wears  a  mustache,  and 
transmogrified  himself  with  his  soldier-trappings  into  a  sort 
of  military  cut-throat." 

"Now,  then,  Orlando,"  said  Pajiiou  insinuatingly,  "how 
would  you  like  to  take  a  hand  in  the  fun  ?  ' ' 

"Yes,  Jones,"  Bob  Rountree  seconded  his  friend,  "this 
comes  just  in  your  line  in  the  soldiering  business.  And  maybe 
your  first  practice  will  be  the  smashing  of  your  Dutch  friend's 
nose,  for  which  your  fists  are  itching." 

Orlando  shook  his  head.  "  I  don't  much  lilce  the  job,'"  he 
said,  "  if  there's  a  hitch  anywhere,  some  other  noses  might  be 
smashed." 

"  But,"  Payton  added  eagerly,  "  there  will  be  you,  and  I, 
and  Boyd.  Don't  you  think  we  will  be  an  overmatch  for  the 
little  Dutchman,  and  his  invalid  relatives,  even  if  they  should 
wake  up  before  we  have  secured  them,  which  1  don't  propose 
they  shall  do?  " 

"  But  how  about  the  o-uards?  "  suffofcsted  Jones. 


CUPID'S   COUNTER   COUP.  671 

"  Why,  Boyd  is  going  to  bring  three  picived  Confederate 
soldiers,"  Pay  ton  informed  him. 

"And  of  the  bhie-coats,  one  is  Jeffreys!  "  Rountree  ex- 
claimed. "  And  that  is  as  good  as  if  he  counted  three  on  your 
own  side." 

Orlando  Jones  finally  allowed  himself  to  be  persuaded  to  be 
of  the  raiding  party,  and  promised  to  accompany  Faytou  to 
the  place  of  meeting  on  the  Rollaville  Road,  to  join  Boyd  and 
his  military  escort,  on  their  way  to  Shackleford's  inn. 

Meanwhile  the  slave-girl  Cressie  proceeded  on  the  way  from 
May  Meadows  to  the  Dutch  Store  in  Brookfield.  A  swiftly 
moving  mass  of  murky  clouds  eclipsed  the  reclining  October 
sun,  and  a  brisk  breeze  soughed  through  the  waving  tree-tops 
as  she  passed  thi'ough  the  grove  of  stately  forest  trees  on  the 
way  to  town.  Her  errand  in  the  Dutch  Store  was  an  insig- 
nificant purchase, hardly  justifjdng  the  trip  from  May  Meadows  ; 
but  she  was  waited  on  by  Mynheer  Van  Braaken  himself,  who 
was  eager  to  retain  the  custom  of  the  May  family.  As  she 
was  about  to  pay  for  the  article  she  had  purchased,  she  saw 
Yahkop,  the  teamster,  enter  the  store ;  whereupon  she  be- 
thought herself,  that  a  churn  was  wanting  in  the  dairy,  and 
expressed  a  regret  that  she  could  not  carry  one  home  with  her. 
Of  course,  Mynheer  Van  Braaken  offered  to  send  it,  and  com- 
missioned Yahkop  to  carry  it  for  her.  So  it  happened,  that 
YahkojD  accomjianied  the  girl  on  her  way  home. 

Cressie,  though  a  slave,  and  as  such  far  below  the  social 
scale  of  even  Yaliko^),  was  too  well  bred  to  speak  to  a  white 
man  unless  first  spoken  to ;  and  as  Yahkop,  shy  and  awkward 
as  he  felt  in  the  presence  of  ladies,  drew  no  distinction  between 
the  lady-like  slave  girl  and  a  real  lady,  conversation  between 
the  two  was  not  lively. 

The  wind  increased  as  the  evening  wore  on.  When  they 
entered  the  grove,  it  shrieked  and  whistled  tlii'ough  the 
branches,  stripping  them  of  the  seer  and  yellow  autumn 
leaves,  shaking  them  down  in  rustling  showers,  spinning  them 
about  in  whirling  eddies,  and  when  reaching  the  ground,  still 


<372  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

chasing  them  onward,  in  a  rolling,  bounding,  leaping  race,  as 
if  eager  to  reach  May  Meadows  before  the  silent  pedestrians. 
Yahkoj^  seemed  to  enjoy  the  sport  of  the  merrily  dancing- 
leaves  ;  but  Cressie  looked  anxiously  upward,  at  the  swaying, 
storm-tossed  treetops  and  at  the  threatening  clouds  visible  in 
the  sky  beyond. 

"  Do  you  think  it  will  rain?"  asked  the  girl,  finally;  not, 
evidently,  by  way  of  making  conversation,  but  in  such  anxious 
tone  as  to  rouse  the  attention  of  even  Yahkop. 

He  looked  at  her  with  a  kind  of  commiserating  contempt. 
"  Yahs,"  he  replied,  after  a  close  scrutiny  of  the  clouds,  "  I 
guess  it  vill  rehn.  Mahbe  to-night  it  vill  rehn.  Und  der  sun 
vill  shine  in  der  morning." 

"  Will  it  shine  on  him?  "  Cressie  involuntarily  asked  her- 
self, but  did  not  put  the  thought  in  words.  She  said,  instead, 
with  a  wan  little  smile,  "Do  you  think  so?"  For  she 
wronged  the  teamster  with  the  suspicion  that  he  had  attempted 
to  perpetuate  a  joke,  which  politeness  required  her  to  appreciate. 

"  Shoor!  "  he  comforted  her.  And  this  w^as  the  extent  of 
their  conversation  until  reaching  May  Meadows. 

When  he  was  about  to  leave,  after  depositing  his  burden  in  the 
kitchen,  Cressie  invited  him  to  Miss  May's  room  to  receive 
payment  for  the  churn. 

Miss  May  received  him  with  a  smile  of  captivating  friend- 
liness, thanking  him  as  if  he  had  performed  the  errand  at 
her  own  request.  .  As  she  counted  out  the  money  she  put 
several  questions  to  him  about  his  affairs,  which  made  the 
honest  teamster  think  her  exceedingly  inquisitive. 

"  Did  you  see  much  of  your  old  comrade  Victor  when  he 
was  here?  "  was  one  of  the  questions  she  asked. 

"  Fictohr?  "  he  repeated,  his  face  brightening  with  an  inter- 
est she  hardly  deemed  him  capable  of  entertaining.  "  Fictohr 
be  an  cap'n  now  und  he  come,  und  he  shehk  hands  mit  me  und 
mit  der  boss.     Und  if  he  got  an  cumpanee,  I  fight  mit  he." 

"  Ah,  you  would  like  to  be  a  soldier,"  said  Nellie  insinuat- 
ingly.    "  Wouldn't  you  like  to  join  my  brother's  company?  " 


•      CUPID'S   COUNTER   COUP.  673 

"  Capt'u  Meh,  he  belongs  mit  der  Sout ;  mid  I  fights  der 
Sout,"  he  explained. 

"1  see.  Aud  I  suppose  you  like  Mr.  Waldhorst  very 
luuch'r  " 

"  I  likes  Capt'u  Meh  ;  uud  I  likes  Fictohr  more  better." 

"  And  would  you  be  willing,  Mr.  Yahkop  —  pardon  me  for 
not  knowing  your  other  name  —  to  put  yourself  to  some  trouble 
to  save  your  friend  from  great  danger  ?  ' ' 

"  Vhat  you  mean?  "  asked  Yahkop,  in  astonishment. 

"  I  am  afraid  Victor  has  some  enemies,"  Nellie  said,  speak- 
ing very  earnestly.  "  You  know,  do  you  not,  that  Mr.  Roun- 
tree,  for  instance,  is  not  friendly  to  him?  " 

"  Bop?  "  inquired  Yahkop.  "  Der  shneak  vhat  runned  off 
from  der  Dutcli  shtohi-?  " 

' '  And  Mr,  Jones  —  ' ' 

' '  Der  old  man  Tshones  ?     I  ken  lick  him  !  ' ' 

"  Orlando  Jones,  I  mean  —  " 

' '  Vhat  Fictohr  ken  lick  alretty  once  befohr  ?  ' '  the  teamster 
interrupted  eagerly.     "  Fictohr  don't  be  afraid  from  him." 

"  But  there  is  one  who  is  more  formidable  than  these,  and 
who  has  never  gotten  over  a  boyish  quarrel,  in  which  Mr. 
Waldhorst  worsted  him.     I  mean  Mr.  Pay  ton." 

Nellie  had  involuntarily  betrayed  deep  apprehension,  and 
Yahkop  listened  with  some  alarm  to  her  latter  words.  But  when 
she  mentioned  Payton's  name  his  face  brightened  for  a  moment 
in  evident  relief,  and  instantly  assumed  an  expression  of  pro- 
found contempt. 

"Pehton?"  he  repeated  scornfully.  "Vhat  goes  to  der 
Cohn-gre'ss  !  Bah  !  He  be  one  awful  bully  mit  hismout,  uud 
one  shneak  uud  cowert  mit  his  heart." 

Yahkop 's  blunt  characterization  of  the  man  who  aspired  to 
her  hand,  stung  Nellie  to  the  quick.  *'  Bully !  "  he  had  called 
him.  "  Coward  !  "  Her  first  impulse  was  to  resent  the  affront 
on  the  part  of  this  boorish  clown,  so  far  beueath  her  and  beneath 
this  man  in  social  standing.  But  it  occurred  to  her,  that  Yah- 
kop stood  before  her  on  her  own  invitation,  and  for  a  purpose 

43 


674  THE  BE  BE  us  DAUGHTER. 

of  pressing  importance.  And  it  came  to  lier  with  a  pang  that 
blenched  lier  cheeks,  that  he  had  but  used  plain  and  unpolished 
language  to  express  wliat  the  high-spirited  young  belle  had 
begun  to  suspect  herself. 

When  she  resumed  the  conversation,  her  color  returned  in  a 
vivid  blush,  unnoticed,  probably,  by  her  downright  auditor, 
as  she  ti'ied  to  conceal  her  own  feeling,  and  yet  impress  upon 
Yahkop  the  peril  of  his  friend,  if  not  warned  in  time.  "  If 
we  can  give  him,  or  those  with  him,  notice,"  she  concluded, 
"  the  danger  may  be  easily  averted ;  for  I  do  not  believe  Mr. 
Payton  contemplates  an  open  attack.  His  plan  is,  probably, 
to  surprise  them  unawares." 

"  Like  an  shneak,  und  an  cowert!  "  Yahkop  muttered ;  but 
he  eagerly  volunteered  to  place  himself  under  Miss  May's 
directions  for  any  service  to  which  she  might  put  him.  It  was 
finally  arranged,  that  Cressie  should  proceed  to  Shackle- 
ford's  and  there  seek  admission  to  the  house  through  some 
of  the  colored  servants,  and  thus  communicate  with  Victor's 
sister* 

"  Cressie  is  anxious  to  serve  these  jjeople,  who  have  been 
very  kind  to  her,"  Nellie  explained,  "  and  would  willingly 
undertake  the  message  alone.  But  there  is  the  greatest  dan- 
ger, that  a  slave  away  from  home  in  the  night  time  would 
surely  be  held  up  and  taken  into  custody,  and  that  would  frus- 
trate the  whole  plan.  It  is  therefore  that  I  am  so  anxious  to 
have  some  one  accompany  Cressie  on  this  ride.  With  a  white 
man  accompanying,  she  will  not  be  molested." 

Yahkop's  ready  acquiescence  took  a  load  off  Nellie's  mind. 
She  requested  him  to  hold  himself  in  readiness  to  meet  Cressie 
in  the  grove  on  the  way  to  Brookfield,  so  that  no  one  might  see 
them  start  together.  "For  you  will  understand,"  she.  ex- 
plained to  him,  "  that  neither  my  brother,  nor  any  of  his 
friends,  must  ever  find  out  that  either  Cressie  or  I  have  helped 
a  Union  soldier  to  escape.  Cressie  would  be  cruelly  punished, 
I  fear,  if  it  were  discovered  that  she  had  a  hand  in  the  rescue. 
And  I  don't  know  what  would  happen  to  me ;  for  my  brother 


CUPID'S   COUNTER   COUP.  675 

and  his  company  of  recruits  are  very  zealous  jjartisans  of  the 
South." 

Yahkop  took  his  departure  with  the  promise  of  pi'ompt 
appearance  at  the  tryst  with  the  girl. 

At  the  gate  he  was  met  by  Leslie  May,  who  was  returning 
from  a  drill  of  his  company  in  the  town,  and  greeted  the  well- 
known  te*amster  in  his  usual  pleasant  manner  ;  wondering,  how- 
ever, what  could  have  brought  him  to  May  Meadows. 

In  the  house  he  accosted  his  sister  with  the  laconic  question : 
"Have  they  gone?"  Whereat  she  blushed,  and  answered 
with  equal  brevity  "  Yes." 

"  What  had  Van  Braaken's  teamster  to  do  here?  "  he 
asked  her. 

Her  answer  was  cut  off  by  the  entrance  of  Senator  May, 
who  seemed  glad  to  meet  his  son,  and  somewhat  eagerly  asked 
him,  whether  he  knew  of  the  expected  arrival  of  General  Ciper 
and  his  staff. 

"  They  will  be  here  within  an  hour,"  Leslie  answered. 

"I  am  very  glad,"  the  old  gentleman  remarked,  "  that  our 
guests  are  safely  out  of  the  house.  It  would  have  been 
awkward  all  around,  if  the  Confederate  officers  had  found 
Federal  soldiers  quartered  with  us." 

' '  What  would  they  have  done  in  such  case  ?  ' '  Nellie 
asked . 

'•  Made  prisoners  of  them,  I  suppose,"  Leslie  answered, 
with  ostentatious  indifference,  which  Nellie  easily  perceived  was 
assumed. 

"  Shocking!  "  Nellie  exclaimed.  "  Surely  they  would  not 
have  violated  the  obligations  of  hospitahty  to  such  an  extent  ? 
Think  of  it  —  to  lay  violent  hands  on  our  guests,  on  Victor's 
friends,  after  what  he  has  done  for  us !  " 

"  I  do  not  think  I  should  have  suffered  it,"  said  the  old 
gentleman,  with  proud  dignity. 

"It  is  indeed  well,  that  the  occasion  for  you  to  test  your 
authority  as  master  of  the  house  has  passed  away,"  Leshe 
observed.     "  For  I  fear  that  j^our  opposition  to  Victor's  arrest 


G76  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

if  he  had  been  here,  or  that  of  any  of  his  friends ,  would  not 
have  availed  them.  A  soldier's  duty  is  paramount,  even  to  the 
claims  of  hospitalitj'." 

"Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch  and  his  son  are  wounded  soldiers," 
said  Senator  May,  "  and  they  ought  to  have  been  as  safe  under 
our  roof,  as  under  the  yellow  flag  of  a  hospital,  which  all  civil- 
ized nations  respect.  As  to  Victor,  that  is  a  different  matter. 
He  is  an  officer  on  active  duty.  And  from  what  I  know  of 
him,  he  would  be  the  last  man  to  complain,  if  the  fortune  of 
war  should  cast  him  into  a  Confederate  prison." 

"  A  fate,"  said  Leslie,  "  that  may  very  likely  overtake  him 
as  it  is.  I  understand  that  he  has  an  escort  with  him  of  only 
three  men,  in  passing  through  a  district  that  is  thoroughly 
Southern  in  sentiment,  and  bitterly  incensed  against  the  mili- 
tary governor.  Under  these  circumstances,  the  uniform  he 
wears  will  rouse  their  anger,  and  the  escort  prove  an  element 
of  danger  rather  than  a  protection  ;  for  what  can  three  or  four 
men  avail  against  an  infuriated  mob  ?  ' ' 

"Your  fears  are  unfounded,  I  take  it,"  said  his  father, 
"  Victor  is  well  known  to  most  of  the  people  in  this  region,  and 
generally  liked.  He  will  not  be  molested.  Unless,  indeed," 
he  added,  a  little  more  seriously,  "  he  should  fall  a  victim  to 
the  treachery  of  some  personal  enemy." 

"  He  has  personal  enemies,"  Leslie  rejoined,  also  in  more 
serious  tone  than  was  habitual  to  him.  "  And  it  might  not  be 
held  treachery  to  waylay  and  surprise  an  enemy  bearing  dis- 
patches to  the  hostile  commander.  Nor  am  I  quite  easy  as  to 
what  may  befall  his  uncle  and  cousin,  or  even  the  ladies  with 
him." 

"For  shame,  Leslie!"  his  sister  hotly  protested.  "How 
can  you  so  cruelly  wrong  our  brave  defenders,  as  to  deem 
them  capable  of  making  war  on  women  ?  ' ' 

"I  have  no  fear  that  our  soldiers,  will  do  so,"  Leslie  re- 
plied. "But  Victor's  enemies  are  not  soldiers,  though,  per- 
haps, they  may  wear  a  uniform.  There  are  miscreants  who 
disgrace  their  uniform  ;  whose  valor  takes  the  shape  of  cunning 


CUPID'S   VOUNTEll    COUP.  677 

and  intrigue,  —  wlio  do  tlieir  ligliting  ))y  steulth,  uud  upon 
those  least  able  to  strike  back.  To  such,  neither  age  nor  sex  is 
sacred . " 

Nellie's  cheeks  turned  paler.  Leslie's  words  greatly  inten- 
sified her  alarm  for  Victor's  safety.  Never  had  anxiety  so 
harrowing  oppressed  her  heart  before :  not  even  when  her 
brother's  life  had  hung  trembling  in  the  balance.  Oh,  that 
Cressie  may  reach  there  in  time  !  Oh,  that  Yahkop  be  punctual 
to  meet  her ! 

Should  she  take  Leslie  into  her  confidence  ?  For  a  moment 
she  harbored  the  thought.  He  could,  with  half  a  dozen  of  his 
men,  shield  from  threatening  danger  the  man,  who  had  stood 
between  him  and  a  felon's  doom. 

But  then  she  remembered  that  she  must  not  betray  her  secret. 
The  very  thought  of  it  sent  the  blood  in  a  mighty  rush  to  her 
face  and  forehead.  Not  a  living  soul,  —  least  of  all,  just  now, 
her  brother  —  must  suspect  that  a  foreigner,  a  Northerner,  a 
Federal  otlicer,  commanded  the  homage  of  her  heart.  And  she 
knew  that  she  could  not  ask  her  brother  to  interfere  without 
betraying  herself. 

But  it  was  torture  to  rest  idly,  with  that  terrible  uncertainty 
as  to  Victor's  fate  oppressing  her.  Her  fertile  imagination 
conjured  up  a  thousand  possible  contingencies  each  one  of 
which  might  prevent  the  message  from  reaching  him  in  time, 
or  render  it  unavailing  if  it  should  reach  him.  Those  porten- 
tous words,  "  Make  sure  of  the  young  captain  first,"  contin- 
ued to  haunt  her,  until  anxiety  and  excitement  goaded  her  into 
the  resolution  to  join  in  the  midnight  ride  herself. 

It  surprised  her  to  find  what  relief  there  was  in  having 
formed  that  resolution.  She  set  about  the  task  at  once  to 
make  such  arrangements  as  would  conceal  her  absence  from 
home.  Nellie  was  not  an  adept  at  lying ;  but  her  simulation 
of  being  trouliled  by  a  violent  headache  —  a  malady  so  unusual 
to  her,  that  it  was  difficult  to  summon  the  requisite  patience  to 
stifie  her  vexation  and  annoyance  —  was  a  piece  of  superb 
acting  that  would  have  been  creditable  in  a  professional.     To 


678  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

deceive  her  father  and  brother  was  easy  enougli ;  but  even  her 
mother  was  vexed  by  the  imj^atience  and  petulance  displayed 
by  her  wayward  daughter,  and  advised  her,  before  the  evening 
meal  had  been  concluded,  to  carry  her  violent  headache  and 
savage  temper  to  bed. 

"  You  are  right.  Mama,"  she  answered,  rising  from  the 
table.  "To  bed  I  shall  go;  and  I  give  fair  warning  that 
nothing  short  of  an  earthquake  will  induce  me  to  open  the  door 
of  my  bed-room  before  to-morrow  morning." 

Meanwhile  Boyd  had  met  the  Confederate  general,  who  Avas 
on  his  way  to  Brookfield  with  his  staff  and  a  small  detachment 
of  troops,  and  brought  him  the  tiding  —  no  longer  a  matter  of 
news  to  General  Ciper,  however,  of  the  evacuation  of  the  town 
by  the  Federal  forces.  A  more  interesting  piece  of  news  was 
the  report  by  Boyd  of  the  conversation  he  had  heard  between 
General  Seele  and  Senator  May,  in  which  the  messenger 
emphasized  the  cordiality  between  them,  and  the  friendly  foot- 
ing on  which  the  Federal  general  and  a  young  cajDtain  accom- 
panying him  had  been  received  at  the  senator's  house.  And 
when  the  messenger  further  mentioned,  that  the  young  captain 
was  now  on  his  way  to  the  capital  —  bearing,  probably, 
important  dispatches  to  the  military  governor  —  escorting,  at 
the  same  time,  a  party  of  relatives,  that  had  for  a  long  time 
been  guests  at  the  senator's  house,  it  was  the  general  himself 
who  promptly  ordered  the  capture  of  the  whole  party,  directing 
them  to  be  brought  before  him  as  prisoners  of  war. 

"  You  may  take  a  corporal's  guard  of  picked  men,"  he  said, 
"  whom  I  put  under  your  command.  Proceed  at  once,  so  as 
not  to  miss  them  at  the  inn  of  which  you  spoke.  And  as  to 
Senator  May,"  he  added  thoughtfully,  "  why,  his  conduct 
will  bear  looking  to.  I  suspect  that  he  is  but  a  lukewarm 
supporter  of  our  cause." 

' '  He  is  a  firm  believer  in  the  policy  of  restoring  the  old 
Union,"  Mr.  Boyd  volunteered  to  suggest.  "He  is  different 
from  his  son  in  that  respect,  who  is  a  rampant  rebel.     He  has 


CUPID'S   COUNTER   COUP.  679 

raised  quite  a  company  of  volunteers,  —  active,  entliusiastic 
felloAvs,  who  are  l)uruing  for  a  chance  to  drive  out  the  foreign 
invaders  from  our  State." 

"  They  shall  have  that  chance,"  said  the  general.  "  I  shall 
gladly  welcome  so  valuable  an  addition  to  our  forces.  —  Has 
the  general  any  other  children  ?  ' ' 

"  Only  a  daughter." 

"  Why,  yes  ;  I  remember  having  heard  of  her  at  Washing- 
ton. She  was  mentioned  as  a  lady  of  great  beauty,  who 
played  havoc  with  the  hearts  of  her  numerous  admirers ;  and 
as  being  an  ardent  supporter  of  the  Southern  cause." 

"There  is  no  mistake  about  her  beauty,"  Boyd  admitted, 
adding  with  apparent  reluctance,  "  but  as  to  her  Southern 
sentiments  there  may  be  room  for  doubt.  She  seemed  to  me  to 
be  rather  partial  to  the  Federal  officer  that  was  with  General 
Seele,  during  the  few  minutes  that  I  saw  her." 

"  Coquetry,  I  dare  say,"  the  general  replied  with  a  smile, 
and  graciously  dismissed  Mr.  Boyd,  to  select  the  men  he 
wished  to  take  with  him. 

And  so,  while  the  general  and  his  staff  proceeded  on  their 
way  toward  Brookfield,  Mr.  Boyd  and  the  guard  he  had  selected 
galloped  across  the  country  toward  the  Rollaville  road,  to  the 
place  appointed  for  the  meeting  with  Payton.  He  chuckled  on 
learning  from  Orlando  .Jones,  whom  he  gladly  welcomed  as  an 
addition  to  their  number,  that  Jeffreys,  Captain  Waldhorst's 
implacable  enemy,  was  among  the  guards  of  the  other  party. 

"  It  bids  fair  to  be  easy  work  for  us,"  he  remarked  to  Pay- 
ton,  "  if  we  should  happen  to  reach  there  while  Jeffreys  is  on 
duty  as  sentinel.     We  may  bag  the  whole  lot  of  them,  women 
and  all,  before  they  can  rub  the  sleep  out  of  their  eyes." 
*  *  * 

Instead  of  one,  Yahkop  found  two  women  waiting  for  him  at 
the  appointed  rendezvous,  both  closely  veiled,  mounted  on 
steeds  which  the  practiced  eye  of  the  teamster  recognized,  not- 
withstanding the  darkness,  as  the  finest  out  of  Colonel  May's 
stable.     One  of  these  he  knew  must  be  the  slave-girl  Cressie, 


680  THE  BEBEU8   D AUGHT EB. 

though  he  could  uot  distinguish  which.  The  other,  then,  must 
be  Miss  May  herself.  It  puzzled  him  to  imagine  what  weighty 
reason  could  have  induced  the  daughter  of  Senator  May  to 
brave  the  howling  storm  at  so  late  an  hour  of  the  night,  merely 
to  see  her  slave  safely  off  in  the  company  of  a  white  man.  For 
darkness  had  indeed  set  it.  Not  a  star  twinkled  in  the  sky  ;  an 
inky  canopy  of  dense  clouds  spread  from  horizon  to  horizon  in 
every  direction.  The  storm  of  the  afternoon,  which  had  oc- 
casioned Cressie's  misgiving,  had  increased  to  a  tempest, 
sweeping  over  the  land  with  terrific  fury.  No  sound  was  audi- 
ble save  its  dismal  wails,  swelling  into  angry  howls  as  it  vented 
its  wrath  upon  the  writhing  tree- tops,  and  now  and  again  the 
crackling  crash  of  a  branch  or  limb  wrenched  from  its  quaking 
trunk.  It  hardly  needed  Yahkop's  urgent  warning  to  apprise 
them  of  the  danger  from  the  proximity  of  the  storm-tossed 
trees,  and  caused  them  to  pass  through  the  grove  as  speedily 
as  jDOssible.  Out  in  the  open  prairie,  though  exposed  to  the 
full  fury  of  the  storm  that  now  raged  with  the  violence  of  a 
hurricane,  they  breathed  more  freely,  as  though  they  had  left 
danger  behind.  Still  it  was  difficult  to  converse.  The  fierce 
blasts  of  Boreas  shrieked  about  their  ears,  and  cut  off,  as  with 
a  knife,  the  words  as  they  left  the  lips  of  the  speaker.  But 
Nellie  managed  to  make  Yahkop  understand,  that,  to  his  great 
astonishment,  she  meant  to  be  one  of  the  party  proceeding 
toward  Shackleford's  that  night. 

As  yet,  not  a  drop  of  rain  had  fallen.  But  soon  the  distant 
roll  of  thunder  added  its  diapason  to  the  shrill  treble  of  the 
piping  wind,  and  sudden  flashes  of  lightning,  playing  in  the 
far  off  clouds,  made  visible  the  intense  blackness  of  the  night. 
The  weather-hardened  teamster  shook  his  head,  marveling  at 
the  pluck  of  a  young  lady  whom  he  had  regarded  in  the  light 
of  a  pampered  pet,  and  who  now  calmly  and  serenely  braved 
an  uproar  of  the  elements  calculated  to  strike  terror  into  the 
hearts  of  boldest  men.  Her  conduct  was  an  enigma  to  him, 
which  he  finally  dismissed  with  another  shake  of  his  bothered 
head. 


CUPID'S   COUNTER   COUP.  681 

But  Cressie,  though  her  anxiety  was  uot  less  keen  than  that 
of  her  mistress,  and  though  she  would,  to  serve  the  man  whom 
she  secretly  worshi])ed,  unflinchingly  brave  danger  and  death, 
had  inherited  from  her  remote  African  ancestry  an  intense  fear 
of  thunderstorms,  and  now  trembled  like  an  aspen  leaf.  She 
kept  as  closely  by  the  side  of  her  mistress  as  she  could.  In- 
deed, it  was  necessary  that  the  nocturnal  travelers  should 
separate  from  each  other  as  little  as  possible,  else  there  might 
be  danger  of  missing  each  other  entirely,  on  account  of  the 
intense  darkness. 

Under  the  circumstances,  their  progress  was  but  slow. 
Before  they  reached  the  woods,  through  which  the  remainder 
of  the  road  lay,  the  rain  poured  down  in  torrents.  The  wind 
abated  somewhat,  but  the  lightning  became  more  vivid,  and 
the  peals  of  thunder  grew  louder,  and  succeeded  each  other 
more  rapidly,  to  the  terror  of  poor  Cressie.  They  were  rather 
glad  when  they  reached  the  wood  ;  for  the  trees  afforded  some 
protection  against  the  driving  rain.  Yahkop  proposed  a  halt 
for  a  while,  if  they  could  find  a  sheltered  nook  ;  but  Nellie 
would  not  hear  of  it.  After  proceeding  for  some  distance  in 
the  wood,  Nellie's  horse  came  to  a  halt,  and  refused  to  go  on. 
She  was  slightly  in  advance  of  the  others,  and  when  Yahkop 
came  up,  he  dismounted,  leading  his  horse  by  the  bridle  to 
reconnoiter.  He  found  the  road  obstructed  by  a  large  tree, 
extended  entirely  across  it,  having  evidently  been  blown  down 
by  the  storm.  While  communicating  the  result  of  his  exam- 
ination to  Miss  May,  the  sky  was  suddenly  illumined,  turning 
the  blackness  of  the  night  into  the  glare  of  the  midday  sun. 
A  bolt  of  fire  shot  from  the  clouds,  striking  the  ground  appar- 
ently within  a  few  feet  of  the  road.  Simultaneously  with  a 
shriek  of  agony  from  Cressie,  a  terrific  clap  of  thunder  shook 
the  very  earth,  and  was  echoed  in  a  deafening  roar  reverberating 
through  the  woods. 

Nellie  now  saw  what  Yahkop  had  been  at  some  pains  to 
describe  to  her.  But  Yahkop  himself  took  advantage  of  the 
momentary  light  to  scan  the  surroundings.     His  quick  eye  dis- 


682  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

cerned  at  once  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  lead  or  urge  the 
horses  across  the  fallen  tree.  But  he  also  noticed  traces  of 
horses'  hoofs  in  the  down-trodden  grass  around  the  stump.  It 
was  evident  that  some  persons  had  passed  this  way  since  the 
tree  had  fallen  ;  and  the  teamster  communicated  this  surmise 
to  his  companion. 

"  Oh,"  exclaimed  Miss  May,  "  we  shall  be  too  late!  Who 
else  could  it  be  that  traveled  in  a  night  like  this,  but  Victor's 
enemies  ?  ' ' 

And  she  became  more  urgent  in  her  demand  for  the  utmost 
speed  possible  to  them, 

Yahkop,  accordingly,  led  his  horse  and  carefully  felt  his  way 
around  the  stump,  insisting  that  the  ladies  should  dismount 
also,  and  lead  their  horses  ;  for  the  darkness,  more  dense  than 
before  the  vivid  illumination,  made  it  dangerous  to  venture  on 
horseback  into  the  thick  growth  of  trees  that  lined  the  road  on 
both  sides. 

When  they  had  gained  the  other  side  of  the  fallen  tree, 
Yahkop  assisted  them  to  mount  again,  and  they  pursued  their 
way  as  rapidly  as  was  prudent  under  the  circumstances.  Pres- 
sently,  the  rain  ceased,  and  the  storm  abated  its  violence. 
The  sky  began  to  clear  up,  and  the  moon,  just  past  its  full, 
was  dimly  visible  by  the  time  they  reached  the  vicinity  of 
Shackleford's  inn.  They  halted  in  a  thicket  some  distance 
from  the  house. 

No  light  was  visible  in  any  of  the  windows.  Yet  Yahkop 
thought  he  saw  a  shadow  moving  away  from  the  door,  followed 
by  another  and  another.  "  Yes,"  Miss  May  replied  to  the 
whispered  communication  of  his  suspicion. 

"I  guess,  mehbe,  secesh  fellers  be  'round.  Odder  mehbe 
Bop  Rountree,  odder  Mishter  Pehton.  Cressie,  shneak  you  up 
and  see,  und  gum  und  seh,  who  ish  dere." 

Frightened  as  Cressie  had  been  by  the  lightning,  she  now 
wished  for  a  vivid  flash,  and  would  have  welcomed  even  the 
clap  of  thunder,  if  she  had  been  able  to  see  what  was  going  on 
at  the  inn.     But  when  her  mistress  seconded  the  suggestion 


CUPID'S   COUNTER   COUP.  683 

of  Yahkop,  she  took  it  as  an  order,  aud  proceeded  to  obey. 
The  storm  was  about  over,  and  the  flashes  of  lightning  too  far 
off  to  afford  much  illumination  ;  but  as  she  stealthily  ap- 
proached the  building,  she  distinctly  saw  a  number  of  men 
moving  toward  the  woods  in  the  rear  of  the  house.  She  quickly 
removed  her  veil,  and  thought  she  saw  too,  that  some  of  the 
men  had  their  hands  tied  behind  them,  and  that  these  were 
being  led  by  the  others.  But  even  as  she  gazed  after  them, 
they  disappeared  in  the  woods. 

Cressie  crept  softly  toward  the  outbuilding  in  the  rear  of  the 
house,  where  she  hoped  to  find  one  of  the  negroes.  Before 
she  reached  it  the  sight  of  two  men  rooted  her  to  the  spot 
and  curdled  her  blood.  Distinctly  visible  in  the  light  of  the 
moon  that  had  broken  through  the  clouds,  she  saw  Payton 
and  —  Jeffreys,  approach  from  the  woods.  Pressing  closely 
to  the  wall  of  the  house,  she  was  unobserved  by  the  men,  who 
whispered  energetically  to  one  another  as  they  passed  her. 

"Wait  till  Boyd  gets  back  with  the  guards,"  she  heard 
Payton  hiss  out. 

"Make  sure  of  the  young  Dutchman  fust!  "  Jeffreys  an- 
swered. "  You  'n'  me  ken  gag  'im  an'  tie  'im  in  a  jiffy.  1 
know  the  room  'at  'e  sleeps  in." 

But  Payton  seemed  averse  to  proceed  in  the  absence  of  Boyd. 
He  stopped  at  the  door,  looking  back  in  the  direction  they 
had  come  from.  "  They  must  be  here  in  a  minute,"  he  whis- 
pered. "  One  or  two  of  the  guards  can  watch  the  Feds,  and 
Boyd  and  Jones  will  soon  return,  aud  then  we  will  be  sure  of 
our  game." 

Jeffreys  ripped  out  an  oath  of  impatience,  but  acquiesced. 
As  he  looked  about,  surveying  the  surroundings  by  the  light 
of  the  moon  that  now  shone  brightly,  he  detected  the  figure  of 
a  woman  standing  in  the  shadow  of  the  building.  Nudging 
his  companion,  he  clutched  his  revolver,  and  moved  slowly 
toward  the  dimly  visible  figure. 

Silent  as  death  stood  Cressie,  leaning  closely  to  the  wall. 
But  when  she  saw  him  approach,  and  knew  that  he  must  recog- 


684  THE  REBEL' >^  DAUGHTEB. 

nize  her,  she  uttered  a  piercing  scream  that  rang  out  loudly  in 
the  deep  stillness  of  the  night,  and  darted  away  with  the  swift- 
ness of  a  frightened  doe. 

' '  Stand !  "  he  shouted  frantically  after  her,  as  he  rushed 
forward  in  pursuit.  "  Stand,  or  I'll  send  a  bullet  after  ye, 
at'll  fetch  ye  !  " 

Cressie,  however,  was  less  afraid  of  his  bullet  than  of  falling 
into  the  power  of  the  brutal  overseer,  and  ran,  as  if  her  life 
depended  on  her  speed. 

For  a  moment  it  seemed  as  if  the  frightened  girl  would  dis- 
tance her  pursuer.  Her  outcry  had  stirred  up  quite  a  com- 
motion. Yahkop  had  heard  it,  and  he  rushed  to  the  rescue. 
From  a  different  direction  Orlando  Jones  and  Boyd  sped 
toward  the  flying  girl,  followed  by  two  of  the  Confederate 
guards,  who  had  stowed  away  the  Federals  whom  Jeffreys  had 
Ijetrayed  to  them  in  their  sleep.  Cressie  had  not,  in  her  terror, 
noticed  the  two  men  running  at  her,  and  before  Yahkop  had 
reached  the  scene,  Jones  had  suddenly  grasped  her  by  the  arm, 
and  in  the  next  instant  she  was  seized  by  Jeffreys,  who  held 
her  in  a  vice-like  grip. 

"Aha!  "  he  shouted,  with  a  grin  of  diabolical  triumph, 
"  I've  got  ye  at  last,  me  sassy  wench!  Jist  come  'long  o' 
me.  Honey ;  I  mean  to  freeze  to  yer,  this  time !" 

Jeffreys  Avas  about  to  drag  her  to  the  woods,  where  they  had 
left  the  Federal  soldiers  under  guard  of  a  Confederate  sentinel, 
when  Yahkop  caught  up  with  him. 

"  You  let  go  dat  lehdy!  "  he  thundered  out,  at  the  same 
time  hauling  off  with  his  mighty  list  for  a  blow  that  would 
have  effectually  cooled  down  the  kidnaper's  ardor,  but  for 
the  interference  of  Jones  and  Boyd,  both  of  whom  grasped  the 
teamster's  arm,  and  thus  gave  Jeffreys  an  opportunity  to  tear 
himself  and  the  girl  away,  while  the  struggle  between  them  and 
Yahkop  raged  fiercely. 

But  the  girl's  desperation  lent  a  strength  to  her  limbs  that 
effectually  battled  him  in  his  design  of  carrying  her  off,  and 
before    he    had  dragged   her  many  steps,  Captain  Waldhorst 


CUPID'S   COUNTER    COUP.  685 

appeared  on  the  scene.  Having  been  awakened  from  his  sleep 
by  Cressie's  scream,  he  leaped  out  of  bed,  struck  a  light,  and 
donned  his  nether  garments.  Too  eager  to  learn  the  cause  of 
the  strange  outcry  to  take  time  to  dress,  he  rushed  out  in  shirt 
sleeves.  Seeing  the  wrestling  between  Yahkop  and  his  assail- 
ants, the  Confederate  soldiers  approaching  them,  his  first 
thought  was  to  run  back  for  his  weapons.  But  recognizing  the 
girl  Cressie  in  her  struggle  with  Jeffreys,  he  lost  no  time,  but 
ran  to  her  assistance  at  once. 

Nellie  May,  on  hearing  Cressie's  scream,  had  followed 
Yahkop  for  some  distance.  But  when  she  saw  Victor  plunge 
out  of  the  house,  she  shrank  back,  abashed  by  the  thought  of 
betraying  her  presence  to  him.  Instinctively  she  sought  a 
place  to  hide  herself.  But  her  interest  in  the  development  of 
the  scene  before  her  was  too  intense  to  permit  her  to  lose  sight 
of  the  actors  for  a  single  moment. 

Victor,  half  clad  as  he  was,  rushed  upon  Jeffreys.  "  Let 
go  that  girl!  "  he  commanded,  using  almost  the  same  words 
that  Yahkop  had  addressed  to  him.  Jeffreys,  holding  on  to  the 
girl  with  his  left  hand,  used  his  right  arm  to  parry  the  blow 
that  Victor  aimed  at  his  face.  In  the  rough-and-tumble  fight 
that  ensued,  Jeffreys  was  compelled  to  unhand  Cressie.  But 
even  then  he  was  no  match  for  the  vigorous  young  captain, 
notwithstanding  the  i^-ce  passion  that  infuriated  him.  In  a 
second  he  lay  sprawling  on  the  ground,  and  Victor,  holding 
him  by  the  throat,  shouted  to  Cressie  to  run  into  the  house. 

From  her  hiding  place,  that  served  her  as  a  point  of  observa- 
tion, Nellie  looked  eagerly  on.  A  thrill  of  admiration  swelled 
her  bosom  as  she  witnessed  the  dexterity  and  ease  with  which 
his  sinewy  arm  bore  down  his  infuriated  antagonist.  But  her 
exultation  over  Victor's  prowess  was  speedily  dispelled  by 
intensest  anxiety  ;  for  Payton,  who  had  gone  to  meet  the  Con- 
federate guards,  returned,  leading  them  to  the  assault  on  Vic- 
tor. Again  she  remembered  the  words  of  the  conspirators : 
' '  Make  sure  of  the  young  captain  first !  ' '  and  they  caused  her 
heart  to  beat  in  dire  apprehension.     Their  verification  seemed 


686  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

inevitable  :  tliree,  —  four  to  one  was  odds  enough  to  make  sure 
of  any  man,  though  armed  to  the  teeth  ;  and  Victor  had  no 
weapon. 

A  ray  of  hope  relieved  for  a  brief  moment  the  intensity  of 
her  fear.  It  was  when  she  saw  Woldemar  Auf  dem  Buseh 
emerge  from  the  house,  followed  a  moment  later  by  his  father. 
Cressie's  cry  had  awakened  them  from  their  sleep.  Woldemar 
had  jumped  out  of  bed,  hurried  on  his  clothing,  snatched  up 
his  revolver,  and  dashed  out  of  the  house  to  ascertain  the 
meaning  of  that  outcry. 

But  she  reflected  that  Woldemar  was  barely  convalescent  from 
his  wound,  and  that  his  father  was  little  better  than  an  invalid. 
Of  what  avail  would  they  be  in  a  fierce  fight  ?  There  was  little 
of  comfort  in  the  reflection. 

As  soon  as  Jeffreys  had  quitted  his  hold  of  the  girl,  Victor 
called  out  to  her  to  make  good  her  escape,  and  released  his 
discomfited  opponent,  who,  as  soon  as  he  had  regained  his 
feet,  again  pursued  Cressie,  but  did  not  reach  her  before 
Woldemar  was  at  her  side. 

A  sharp  altercation  ensued  for  a  moment  between  Woldemar 
and  Jeffreys,  interrupted  by  the  girl  herself,  who  pointed 
toward  Victor,  now  defending  himself  against  the  attack  by  the 
soldiers,  and  said,  in  accents  of  the  deepest  solicitude,  "  Oh, 
see,  what  they  are  doing  with  Master  \A^ldhorst!  " 

' '  Take  care  of  this  fellow !  ' '  Woldemar  shouted  to  his 
father,  and  ran  to  Victor's  assistance. 

Old  Auf  dem  Busch,  nothing  loth,  pointed  his  revolver  at 
Jeffreys  and  said:  "Quiet,  now,  my  comrade!  You  have  a 
blue  uniform  on  ;  also  I.  So  we  will  not  fight.  If  you  show 
me  your  hands,  and  reach  not  for  your  pistol,  I  shoot  not.  If 
you  reach  for  your  pistol,  you  are  a  dead  man  before  you  reach 
your  pistol." 

Jeffreys  fumed  and  raged  ;  but  he  saw  cold  determination  in 
Auf  dem  Busch's  eye,  and  made  no  attempt  to  draw  his 
weapon. 

Nellie,  looking  on  with  keenest  anxiety,  was  horrified  to  see 


CUPID'S   COUNTER   COUP.  687 

another  Confederate  soldier  emerge  from  the  woods,  and  mak- 
ing straight  for  Yahkop,  who  was  still  wrestling  with  Jones  and 
Boyd.  She  was  sure,  then,  that  the  sturdy  teamster  could 
hold  out  no  longer,  and  that  Victor  would  be  attacked  by  the 
united  force  of  the  enemy. 

Nellie's  soul  was  wrapped  up  in  watching  the  fierce  struggle. 
It  escaped  her  notice  that  Cressie  had  darted  away  toward  the 
woods,  and  that  Jeffreys  was  only  prevented  from  running 
after  by  Auf  dem  Busch's  ready  revolver.  It  was  Victor  that 
concentrated  her  attention.  He  was  fighting  with  the  fearless- 
ness of  a  lion,  keeping  his  assailants  at  bay  with  mighty  blows 
to  the  right  and  left.  The  strength  displayed  by  his  muscular 
arms  amazed  her,  while  the  lightning-like  rapidity  and  easy 
grace  of  his  motions  compelled  her  admiration.  His  valor 
kindled  a  glowing  enthusiasm  in  her  wildly  beating  heart :  for 
the  man  that  was  holding  his  own  against  such  heavy  odds  was 
the  man  that  had  conquered  her  love. 

What  a  contrast  between  him  and  her  Southern  beau !  A 
hot  blush  of  shame  she  felt  on  recalling  that  a  few  brief  hours 
before  she  had  idealized  the  latter  into  the  ' '  conquering  hero  ' ' 
of  her  dreams, — him,  who  stood  there,  at  a  safe  distance  be- 
yond the  reach  of  Victor's  brawny  arms,  cavalierly  baiting  his 
subordinates  to  the  attack.  She  shuddered  at  the  thought  how 
near  she  had  come  to  give  her  life  into  the  keeping  of  this  sham 
hero. 

But  it  is  not  a  time  to  indulge  in  reflection.  The  report  of 
fire-arms  rings  out  —  two  i:)istol  shots  in  quick  succession. 
Jeffreys  has  broken  and  run  ;  for  there  is  Cressie,  returning 
from  the  wood,  followed  by  the  two  Federal  guards,  whom  she 
has  freed  from  their  fetters.  Auf  dem  Busch  has  fired  and 
missed  ;  but  a  bullet  from  Woldemar's  revolver,  who  has  turned 
upon  seeing  his  father  in  danger,  takes  fatal  effect.  At  this 
moment,  when  Woldemar's  back  is  turned,  Pay  ton  suddenly 
covers  Victor  with  his  revolver  and  calls  out  to  the  guards : 
"  Make  sure  of  him  now  !  "  This  rouses  Nellie  to  the  highest 
pitch  of  excitement.     Forgetting  all  else  in  the  intensity  of  her 


688  THE  REBEL'S  DAUQHTEB. 

fear  for  Victor's  life,  she  rushes  forth  into  tlie  midst  of  the 
combatants,  uttering,  in  a  voice  blending  ineffable  tenderness 
with  the  anguish  of  alarm,  the  single  cry: 

"  Victor!  " 

The  sudden  apparition  causes  awe  and  consternation.  Pay- 
ton  lowers  his  pistol,  and  gazes  in  mute  astonishment.  Even 
the  guards  are  startled,  and  for  a  moment  stand  inactive, 
while  Jones  and  Boyd,  who  have  approached,  stand  agog. 

But  on  Victor  that  cry  has  a  magical  effect.  He,  too, 
gazes  for  a  moment  in  bewilderment.  He  is  utterly  at  a  loss 
to  comprehend  the  meaning  of  Nellie's  presence.  Then  sud- 
denly the  thought  flashes  into  his  mind,  that  Nellie  must  have 
been  advised  of  the  contemplated  midnight  attack,  and  has 
come  to  save  him!  The  deathly  pallor  of  her  face,  the  look 
of  energetic  defiance  with  which  she  rushed  between  him  and 
his  assailants,  is  compatible  with  no  other  theory,  than  that 
she  is  there  for  his  sake  —  that  she  loves  him ! 

For  a  second  the  too  sudden  revelation  dazes  him  with  its 
dazzling  brightness.  But  as  he  realizes  the  truth,  ever  fiber 
of  his  body  thrills  with  ecstatic  joy.  There  is  no  time  for 
words  ;  for  one  of  the  Confederate  guards,  taking  advantage 
of  his  bewilderment,  rushes  in  upon  him.  Nellie  has  seen  the 
motion,  and  would  have  thrown  herself  in  the  way  of  the 
thi-eatened  blow,  but  that  Victor,  electrified  by  the  sight  of 
Nellie's  peril,  springs  upon  his  assailant  with  the  vigor  of  an 
infuriated  tiger. 

The  melee  has  now  become  general,  but  is  ended  by  the 
appearance  of  the  two  Federal  guards,  whom  Cressie  has 
released,  and  who,  with  the  aid  of  Yahkop  and  the  two  Auf 
dem  Busches,  quickly  overpower  the  Confederates.  Jones  is 
the  first  to  seek  safety-  for  himself  in  flight.  Boj^d,  in  terrible 
wrath  over  his  defeat,  follows  ;  and  Payton  slinks  away,  cowed 
and  deeply  mortified  to  witness  Victor's  triumph. 

Victor,  as  soon  as  he  finds  time  to  breathe,  looks  about  for 
Nellie,  whom  he  longs  to  embrace.  She  is  in  deep  conversa- 
tion with  Yahkop.     He  is  horrified  to  find  himself  in  his  shirt- 


CUPID'S   COUNTER    COUP.  689 

sleeves,  aud  runs  hastily  into  tlie  liouse  to  complete  his  toilet. 
As  he  passes  Woldeniar,  he  is  a  little  surprised  to  see  the 
redoubtable  warrior  actually  bend  his  knees  before  the  slave 
girl,  who  looks  deeply  distressed,  aud  is  evidently  trying  to 
disengage  her  hand  from  his  grasp.  But  he  passes  on,  his 
heart  beating  violently  in  anticipation  of  his  meeting  with 
Nellie. 

He  finishes  dressing  in  a  wonderfully  short  time.  But 
when  he  reappears,  he  finds  no  Nellie ;  and  Yahkop  and 
Cressie  have  disappeared  as  well. 

To  his  eager  questioning.  Woldemar  makes  answer,  with  a 
sad  smile,  "Yes;  she  is  gone.  And  she  has  taken  Cressie 
with  her !  " 


44 


XLIII. 

GLIMPSES   OF  WAR. 

f  AY  MEADOWS  is  gay  with  military  pageantry.  Gen- 
eral Ciper  and  staff  made  it  their  headquarters 
while  the  army  under  his  commad  are  marching 
through  Brookfield  in  pursuit  of  the  Federals,  who  have  a  full 
day's  march  the  start  of  them.  Now  has  come  the  long  looked 
for  opportunity  for  Leslie  Ma}'^  and  his  companj'  of  volunteers 
to  join  the  army  of  the  Southern  Confederacy.  The  general 
has  graciously  consented  to  review  the  eager  recruits.  It  is  a 
proud  day  for  the  young  captaiu,  as  in  realization  of  his  ardent 
ambition  he  finds  himself  in  command  of  as  gallant  a  body  of 
young  patriots  as  ever  swore  allegiance  to  the  Confederate 
States  of  America. 

It  is  a  proud  day,  too,  for  his  sister  Nellie  as  she  gazes,  with 
adoring  eyes,  upon  her  brother,  who  is  gravely  marching  at  the 
head  of  that  baud  of  chosen  heroes.  She  notes  the  hearty  good 
will  and  confidence  beaming  upon  him  from  the  faces  of  sub- 
ordinates ;  nor  do  the  approving  glances  of  the  reviewing  officers 
escape  her  observing  eye.  Leslie  May  is  the  center  attracting 
all  eyes. 

Not  less  proud  a  day  is  it  for  the  ])atriotic  belles  of  Brook- 
field,  assembled  there  to  do  honor  to  the  young  aspirants  for 
military  fame,  and  to  feast  their  eyes  upon  the  martial  specta- 
cle presented  by  the  soldiers  in  their  natty  gray  uniforms, 
marching,  countermarching  and  deploying  before  them,  their 
bayonets  glittering  in  the  bright  October  sun.  Right  well  do 
these  deserve  the  praises  lavished  upon  them  by  the  officers  of 
General  Ciper's  staff  for  their  soldier-like  bearing  and  their 
veteran  proficiency  in  drill.  But  appreciation  more  precious 
smiles  upon  them  from  the  ruby  lips  and  sparkling  eyes  of 
(G90) 


GLIMPSES   OF   WAB.  691 

that  galaxy  of  beauty,  an-ayed,  in  honor  of  the  occasion,  in 
the  colors  of  the  new  republic.  They  make  a  charming  pic- 
ture in  their  robes  of  white,  relieved  by  scarfs  of  brilliant 
crimson. 

For  the  ladies  of  Brookfield  have  not  been  idle  while  its 
young  men  were  assiduously  striving,  by  dint  of  constant  drill 
to  acquire  the  rudimentary  accomplishments  of  soldiers. 
Thej^  have,  with  their  own  cunning  fingers,  embroidered  a 
beautiful  banner  in  red,  white  and  red,  —  the  colors  ordained 
by  the  Confederate  Congress  to  be  the  symbol  of  the  new 
nation ;  transmuting  the  stars  and  stripes  of  the  old  flag  into 
the  stars  and  bars  of  the  new.  If  any  there  be,  who  look  upon 
the  transmutation  as  puerile  plagiarism,  or  as  a  sacrilegious 
mutilation  of  the  time-honored  star-spangled  banner,  there  are 
certainly  none  here  at  May  Meadows  on  this  sunny  October 
afternoon,  who  permit  such  scruples  to  dim  their  jubilant 
mood.  The  fair  artificers,  at  any  rate,  take  commendable 
pride  in  their  handiwork,  and  in  their  enthusiastic  patriotism 
it  is  glorified  into  a  work  of  fine  art.  Their  faces  are  wreathed 
in  radiant  smiles,  and  eager  in  expectation  of  the  things  to 
come. 

For  Nellie  May,  as  was  her  due  in  consideration  of  the  lead- 
ing part  she  has  taken  in  the  enterprise,  has  been  deputed  as 
spokeswoman  for  the  presentation. 

At  the  appointed  time  the  young  captain  draws  up  his  com- 
pany into  a  semi-circle  facing  the  reviewing  officers  and  flank- 
ing the  line  of  the  white-robed  ladies  arrayed  on  either  side  of 
them.  Nellie  stands  in  front,  steadying  with  her  left  hand  the 
pole  upon  which  the  flag  is  furled,  and  raises  her  right  hand  as 
a  signal  for  silence.  In  a  moment  all  eyes  are  focused  on  the 
fair  speaker. 

"  Soldiers!  "  rings  out,  in  a  musical,  bell-like  voice  that 
thrills  the  men  addressed.  "  The  women  of  Brookfield  hail  in 
you  the  champions  of  our  country's  cause,  the  defenders  of 
our  honor,  and  the  protectors  of  our  homes.  We  are  here  to 
tender  you  a  pledge  of  our  firm  faith  in  your  steadfast  loyalty 


692  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

and  gallaiitiy.  We  entrust  to  your  keeping  our  country's  sa- 
cred banner  —  the  glorious  emblem  of  the  Confederate  States 
of  America,  destined,  we  firmly  ):)elieve,  to  take  a  high  place 
among  the  nations  of  the  earth.  To  this  our  hope  we  have 
given  emblematic  expression  on  this  banner ;  each  one  of  us 
has,  with  her  own  hand,  embossed  upon  it  the  sentiment  of 
her  own  heart.  In  presenting  to  you  the  colors  of  your  coun- 
try, we  also  invest  you  with  our  own  colors,  —  each  one  of  us 
to  each  one  of  you  —  and  dub  you  our  doughty  knights  in 
the  strugle  for  our  independence  and  liberty.  LOok  upon  this 
banner,  as  I  unfurl  it  to  the  breeze,  and  let  it  ever  remind 
you,  that  you  are  our,  as  you  are  your  country's,  hope!  " 

Suiting  the  action  to  the  word,  she  draws  away  the  cord  that 
holds  the  folds  of  the  flag  ;  then,  swinging  it  gracefully  to  and 
fro',  she  displays  the  suggestive  symbol  —  a  crimson  anchor  in 
the  middle  white  bar,  enwreathed  by  the  legend 

"  IN  GOD  WE  TRUST,   AND  IX    OUR    BROOKFIELD  BOYS  !  " 

Her  words  have  been  listened  to  in  deep  silence.  But  now, 
at  a  signal  from  Captain  May,  the  color  guard  advances  amid 
the  lively  rattle  of  drums  and  the  martial  piping  of  fifes  play- 
ing "Dixie;  "  a  flush  of  exultation  tinges  her  cheeks  as  she 
surrenders  the  banner  into  the  keeping  of  its  new  custodian. 
Her  eyes,  shining  with  the  subdued  fire  of  reverential  enthu- 
siasm, are  fixed  upon  the  fluttering  flag,  while  the  general  and 
his  officers  raise  and  lower  their  swords  in  salutation,  the  com- 
pany present  arms,  and  from  the  lookers-on,  of  whom  a  goodly 
crowd  had  collected  at  May  Meadows  to-day,  a  frantic  shout 
of  applause  goes  up.  There  is  shaking  of  hands,  tossing 
up  of  caps,  and  vociferous  shouting  and  hurrahing. 

In  the  evening  May  Meadows  presents  a  desolate  appear- 
ance. The  gay  multitude  that  had  enlivened  it,  has  vanished. 
General  Ciper  and  his  staff  have  followed  the  army ;  the 
newly  enrolled  company  have  marched  with  it.  Its  gallant 
captain,  inspired  with  patriotic  ambition,  had  taken  leave  of 
home  and  friends  in  buoyant  spirits.     Leslie's  mother,  like  a 


GLIMPSES   OF    WAR.  693 

loyal  Southern  matron,  had  dismissed  her  son  with  the  injunc- 
tion to  come  back  to  her  a  general,  or  at  least  a  colonel.  His 
sister  Nellie  had  borne  up  bravely  as  she  kissed  him  good-bye, 
masking  her  heart  ache  with  a  bright  smile.  Colonel  May  alone — 
although  he,  too,  tried  hard  to  put  on  a  cheerful  face,  looked 
sober  as  he  pressed  his  son's  hand,  and  said,  in  a  sober  voice, 
"  God  bless  you,  my  son!  " 

And  so  the  Confederate  army  has  marched  through  Brook- 
field  in  determined  pursuit  of  the  enemy,  leaving  the  town 
deserted  and  lonely.  So  many  of  its  young  men  have  gone  off 
to  the  war, — some  with  the  Confederates,  some  with  the 
Fedei'als — that  their  absence  left  a  noticeable  void. 

At  May  Meadows  there  were  not  so  many  visitors  now. 
Nellie  found  leisure  to  devote  herself  to  gentle  ministrations  to 
her  father,  for  the  brief  space  before  his  and  her  mother's 
departure  for  Richmond,  and,  now  and  then,  for  indulgence  in 
self-commuuings.  Not  but  that  the  visitors  who  did  come 
were  entertained  in  her  usual  sprightly  manner,  exhibitino- 
unal)ated  enthusiasm  in  the  Southern  cause,  and  abiding  faith 
in  its  triumphant  vindication.  But  when  no  visitors  were  pres- 
ent she  found  a  sti-ange  fascination  in  the  talks  with  her  father ; 
instead  of  the  spirited  and  hopeful  mood  she  displayed  in  the 
di'a wing-room,  she  listened  soberly  to  his  speculations  upon  the 
possibilities  attending  the  success  of  the  Southern  arms,  and 

the   terms  upon  which  the  new  Union  was  to  be  built  up, 

mightier,  far,  and  more  glorious  than  the  old :  for  it  would  be 
cemented  with  the  blood  of  the  best  and  the  bravest  of  both 
the  North  and  the  South.  And  Nellie  learned,  with  a  imtience 
begotten  of  the  new  faith  in  her  father's  wisdom,  that  he  had 
never,  from  the  beginning,  believed  that  the  civil  war  would 
result  in  the  establishment  of  a  new  nation,  or  even  in  a  per- 
manent new  government ;  but  that  he  looked  upon  it  as  simply 
the  determined  effort  of  the  South  to  compel  from  the  North 
such  guaranties,  in  the  negotiations  of  the  peace  to  be  con- 
quered, as  would  secure  their  rights.  She  learned,  too,  that 
he    realized   the  fearful  price  the  nation   was  paying  for  the 


694  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

experiment,  and  how  sadly  uncertain  was  the  outcome.  No 
wise  man  was  there  to  presage,  no  prophet  to  foretell  the  end, 
save  as  faith  in  the  justice  of  their  cause  turned  hope  into 
certainty  in  the  breasts  of  the  thousands  and  hundreds  of 
thousands  who  staked  their  lives  and  fortunes,  and  the  fortunes 
of  those  dear  to  them,  ujdou  the  issue, — strong,  every  one 
of  them,  in  the  conviction,  that  their  side  was  right  and  must 
win. 

Reflections  of  this  kind  recalled  to  Nellie  the  parting  words 
that  General  Seele  had  spoken  that  day  on  his  farewell  visit. 
She  dwelt  upon  them  with  a  new,  if  unconscious,  toleration, 
resulting  from  a  dawning  doubt,  whether  the  appeal  to  arms  to 
settle  the  quarrel  between  the  North  and  South  had  been  an 
imperative  necessity,  or  even  a  serious  duty.  "  That  men," 
he  had  said,  in  tones  of  sincere  sorrow,  "  having  a  common 
aim,  and  inspired  by  the  most  exalted  of  motives,  should 
stand  arrayed  against  each  other  in  combat !  "  —  And,  strangest 
of  all  the  novel  experiences  of  those  days,  she  took  real  com- 
fort in  remembering  the  serene  confidence  with  which  he  had 
announced,  as  an  indubitable  truth,  that,  whichever  side 
should  win,  it  would  be  the  triumph  of  eight  and  justice. 
The  tender  regret  expressed  by  him  for  her  disappointment,  if 
the  God  of  Battles  should  smile  on  his  side,  which  at  the  time 
had  seemed  an  empty  phrase,  assumed  to  her  a  new  meaning, 
affording  a  glimpse  of  something  higher  than  even  victory  in 
battle.  If  the  South  conquered  —  and  oh,  it  must,  it  will! 
for  surely  it  is  in  the  right !  —  then  all  these  earnest,  mis- 
guided men,  who  are  fighting  for  the  North,  will  see  that  they 
are  wrong !  It  is  easy  for  her  to  understand  that  the  Auf  dem 
Busches,  and  General  Seele,  even,  are  in  the  wi-ong,  because 
they  do  not  understand  the  subject  of  slavery  at  the  bottom 
of  the  quaiTel.  But  Victor,  whom  she  knows  to  be  at  one 
with  the  South  on  the  slavery  question,  — at  one,  in  fact,  with 
all  of  her  father's  political  views,  save  this  one  of  secession  — 
will  he  see  the  error  of  his  course  ?  Will  he  accept  at  the  hands 
of  the  relentless  war-god  the  utter  demolition  of  the  granite 


GLIMPSES   OF    WAB.  695 

edifice  of  his  convictiou,  hailing  the  havoc  of  his  faith  as  the 
vindication  of  Justice  and  Right? 

She  begins  to  find  it  a  bewildering  problem,  this  question  of 
the  right  and  wrong  of  the  rebellion.  She  shrinks  from 
attempting  the  solution,  for  on  either  alternative  cruel  disap- 
pointment and  humiliation  attend.  Whatever  of  glory  and 
exultation  victory  may  afford  is  conditioned  upon  the  bitterness 
of  shame  and  defeat  to  the  vanquished. 

And  now  her  parents  have  left  for  Richmond.  It  has  been 
a  sadder  parting  between  father  and  daughter  than  either  of 
them  have  before  experienced.  All  the  more  trying  to  Nellie, 
because  she  has  so  well  guarded  her  secret.  Her  father  has 
been  reconciled  easily  enough  with  the  peremptory  rejection  of 
her  lover's  suit.  He  has  even  lauded  the  wisdom  of  her 
decision.  "For,"  he  remarked,  "  he  who  turns  a  deaf  ear  to 
the  call  of  his  country  will  have  but  small  regard  for  duty  to 
his  family."  Her  mother,  she  knows  well,  is  grievously 
offended,  and  will  never  forgive  her  for  wantonly  declining  an 
alliance  with  one  of  the  very  oldest  families  of  Virginia. 

Harder  has  it  been  to  hide  from  the  loving  solicitude  of  her 
father  the  master-passion,  which  had  furnished  her  the  criterion 
before  which  Ralph  Payton's  showy  figure  sank  into  insignifi- 
cance. But  she  has  succeeded.  Neither  her  mother,  who 
would  scout  the  idea  of  her  daughter's  possible  marriage  into 
a  family  of  German  emigrants,  nor  her  father,  suspects  that  her 
regard  for  Victor  Waldhorst  is  other  than  gratitude  for  his 
standing  between  her  brother  and  an  ignominious  death,  or 
perhaps  a  lingering  interest  in  one  who  had  been  patronized 
and  befriended  in  his  youth  by  the  whole  family. 

She  is  sole  mistress,  now,  at  May  Meadows,  and  settles 
down  to  this  new  phase  of  her  life.  Her  father  had  se- 
cured the  services  of  a  trusty  man  as  overseer,  who  keeps  the 
negroes  to  the  out-door  work,  while  she,  with  the  faithful  as- 
sistance of  Cressie,  manages  the  household,  much,  indeed,  as 
she  had  done  before  her  mother's  absence.  Her  duties  keep 
her  fairly  busy ;  still,  she  finds  time  to  think  often  and  anx- 


696  THE  REBEL'S  DAUQHTEB 

iously  of  her  absent  ones.  Of  her  father,  in  the  far-off  capi- 
tal of  the  young  republic :  she  thinks  of  him  as  a  leading 
spirit  in  President  Davis's  cabinet ;  and  she  wonders,  how  it 
is,  that  she  feels  so  little  enthusiasm  over  the  distinguished 
honor  that  has  thus  come  to  him. 

But  her  sisterly  heart  swells  with  pride  when  her  thoughts 
recur  to  her  brotlier  Leslie.  He  is  ever  present  to  her  as  the 
gallant  soldier  he  looked  that  day  when  he  marched  Brook - 
field's  contingent  to  the  Southern  armies  in  review  before  the 
commanding  general.  Her  vivid  imagination  always  pictures 
him  in  the  thick  of  battle,  leading  his  gallant  Brookfield  boys 
on  to  victory  and  glory.  The  romantic  halo  she  weaves  around 
him  is  dimmed,  however,  at  least  temporarily,  on  receipt  of 
short  messages  from  him,  —  mere  notes  jotted  down  on  the 
march  or  in  camp,  informing  her  of  the  whereabouts  of  the 
army,  and  also  of  his  impatience  over  the  Fabian  policy  of 
General  Ciper,  which  condemns  the  eager  soldiers  to  utter  in- 
action, save  by  marching  and  countermarching,  and,  as  he  dis- 
respectfully terms  it,  "  dodging  the  enemy."  There  has  been 
no  decisive  engagement  since  the  army  have  left  Brookfield, 
nor  is  there  prospect  of  any  in  the  near  future.  Nellie  sym- 
pathizes with  him  in  his  disappointment,  and  hopes  for  better 
news  soon. 

From  Leslie  her  thoughts  glide  naturally  to  Victor,  as,  indeed, 
they  do  from  almost  any  subject ;  and  never  without  stirring 
the  depths  of  her  soul.  She  remembers  him,  at  times  as  the 
gentle  lover,  laying  at  her  feet  his  loyal,  faithful  heart.  And 
with  that  memory  comes  another:  how,  in  her  wanton  igno- 
rance, she  has  spurned  the  priceless  treasure,  and  brings  even 
now  the  blush  of  shame  to  her  cheek.  And  again  he  stands 
before  her  mental  vision  as  he  stood  that  day  in  the  committee 
room  of  the  capitol,  immovable  as  the  eternal  rocks  amid  the 
seductive  billows  of  temptation,  revealing  to  her  wondering 
gaze  the  grandeur  of  a  man  whose  will  is  mightier  than  the 
mightiest  allurements  of  passion.  To  the  admiration  of  his 
courage  is  joined   deep  gratitude  as  she  sees  him,  in  memory. 


GLIMPSES   OF   WAB.  697 

boldly  confronting  that  frowning  tribunal,  mighty  in  its  power 
over  life  and  death  of  the  accused.  His  voice  still  rings  in  her 
ear,  pleading  her  brother's  cause  with  an  earnestness  that  lends 
eloquence  to  his  words  and  carries  conviction  to  unprejudiced 
judges.  The  memory  of  his  flashing  eyes  and  stern  face,  as  he 
hurls  defiance  and  scathing  rebuke  at  the  tyrannic  colonel,  still 
quickens  her  pulses  with  exultant  triumph,  and  she  never 
wearies  of  recalling  to  her  thoughts  Victor's  glowing  vindica- 
tion of  Eight  against  despotic  Might. 

But  sweetest  of  all  her  meditations  is  the  reflection,  chasing 
the  blood  through  her  veins  in  thrills  of  rapture,  that  as  the 
sovereign  queen  of  his  adoration  she  has  no  rival  in  Victor's 
heart.  She  knows,  that  he  is  hers,  and  that  she  is  his,  forever- 
more.  What  though  a  Southern  woman  can  never  wed  with 
her  country's  enemy?  What  though  he  know  her  to  be  a  rebel 
and  a  traitress  ?  In  their  souls  they  are  one  !  Of  this  she  is 
sure,  albeit  cruel  fate  decree  them  to  live  sejDarate  lives.  Is  it 
not  enough  that  his  love  is  hers  ?  And  does  she  not  exult  in 
her  own  love  as  the  crowning  glory  of  her  womanhood  ?  Thus 
she  rejoices,  and  looks  back  with  pitying  contempt  upon  the 
girl  that  could  soberly  contemiDlate  a  life-long  union  with  a  — 
Ralph  Payton ! 

The  days  pass,  and  grow  into  weeks,  and  the  weeks  into 
months;  and  Nellie  hears  little  of  parents  or  brother.  Com- 
munication with  Richmond  has  become  difficult ;  the  post- 
office  no  longer  mediates  between  the  belligerent  countries. 
From  Leslie,  brief  missives  reach  her  at  long  intervals,  bring- 
ing little  of  comfort.  Stripped  of  the  sportive  garb  in  which 
he  serves  up  such  news  as  he  finds  to  communicate,  they  tell 
always  the  same  story  of  wearying  delay,  —  marching,  maneu- 
vering, and  wonderful  success  in  eluding  the  enemy  —  never  an 
action  to  satisfy  his  aspiring  ambition.  His  grim  jokes  upon 
the  inscrutable  ways  of  Confederate  strategy  are  due  to  his 
blissful  ignorance  of  the  knowledge  which  General  Ciper  pos- 
sesses of  the  overwhelming  forces  at  the  disposition  of  the 
Federal  generals,  sufficient  to  annihilate  General  Ciper 's  corps, 


698  THE  BEBEUS  'DAUQHTEB. 

wei'e  he  rashly  to  offer  battle.  He  cannot  afford  to  gratify 
the  eager  demands  of  such  hotheads  as  Leslie  May,  and  thou- 
sands like  him,  for  he,  brave  and  undaunted  by  the  danger 
confronting  him,  seeks  success  rather  than  glory  at  the  cost  of 
the  cause  he  is  serving.  But  Nellie  sympathizes  with  her 
brother,  and  hopes  for  better  news  soon. 

Although  no  battles  of  decisive  importance  are  being  fought, 
it  is  not  to  be  supposed  that  the  State  is  to  escape  the  calam- 
ities inseparable  from  civil  war.  Brooklleld  is  a  rather  impor- 
tant strategic  point,  and  as  such  is  occupied  in  turn  by  F'ed- 
erals  and  Confederates.  The  Union  troops  are  well  supplied, 
usually  with  the  salt  meat  and  hard  tack  provided  by  the  com- 
missary department  of  the  army ;  but  gladly  accept  contribu- 
tions of  fresher  provisions  from  the  loyal  people  of  the  town 
and  surrounding  country  (mostly  women,  now,  so  many  of 
the  men  having  themselves  become  soldiers)  :  Nor  are  they  at 
all  backward  to  help  themselves  if  voluntary  offerings,  in  their 
opinion,  come  too  slowly.  The  commissariat  of  the  Confed- 
erates is  not,  in  the  border  States,  so  thoroughly  organized,  as 
to  relieve  even  their  regular  troops  of  the  necessity  of  collect- 
ing supplies  from  the  inhabitants  of  the  country  through  which 
they  pass,  —  by  impressment  from  those  friendly  inclined,  with 
promise  of  compensation  in  the  future  ;  without  such  promise, 
by  right  of  the  strong  arm,  from  those  suspected  of  sympathy 
with  the  Federals.  Nor  is  there  immunity  from  the  plunder- 
ing trami)s,  roughs  and  marauders  that  follow  in  the  wake  of 
armies,  and  commit  ravage  and  spoliation  on  their  own  account. 

May  Meadows  is  not  exempt  from  the  common  fate  of  Brook- 
field  in  this  particular.  Whether  the  town  is  occujjied  by 
friend  or  foe,  the  raids  on  Nellie's  larder,  as  well  as  on  the 
corn  cribs  and  warehouses,  are  equally  damaging.  Nor  are  the 
stables  safe  from  prying  quaxtermasters,  who  ruthlessly  impress 
Colonel  May's  thoroughbreds  for  the  Confederate  service,  to  the 
great  disgust  of  the  faithful  overseer,  who  is  ambitious  to  main- 
tain the  reputation  of  May  MeadoAvs  for  the  superiority  of  its 
live  stock.     But  Nellie  ciiides  his  impatience  and  calls  it  lack 


GLIMPSES   OF    WAR.  699 

of  patriotism  to  grudge  what  little  aid  they  cau  bring  to  the 
Southern  cause.  "  And  do  you  see,"  she  smilingly  consoles 
her  trusty  assistant,  "  that  for  each  of  the  animals  carried  off 
there  will  be  one  voracious  mouth  the  less  to  feed  from  a  stock 
of  provender  that  is  growing  distressingly  scant  ?  ' ' 

Of  the  two  newspapers  which  Brookfield  once  boasted,  one  only 
now  survives.  The  Brookfield  Standard  has  succumbed  to  the 
pressure  of  the  times.  Mr.  Farmer,  its  Yankee  editor,  has 
suspended  its  publication  and  joined  the  Union  army,  rather 
than  to  witness  its  death  from  inanition.  The  Ozark  Argus., 
however,  ekes  out  a  precarious  existence.  He  keeps  his  hun- 
dred eyes  wide  open  for  what  is,  or  might  be,  happening  at  the 
theater  of  war.  Mr.  Huffard  is  now,  in  very  truth,  the  factotum 
of  his  printing  office,  uniting  in  his  own  person  the  capacity  of 
editor,  proprietor,  compositor  and  pressman,  with  his  little  son 
for  a  devil  to  ink  the  forms  at  the  press.  His  list  of  Southern 
exchanges  has  dwindled  into  a  very  small  compass  ;  but  the 
equally  small  number  of  subscribers  that  remain  never  want  for 
stirring  accounts  of  battles  fought  and  victories  achieved  by  the 
Southern  armies.  It  is  this  feature  of  the  Ozark  Argus  that 
secures  Nellie's  attentive  perusal.  It  furnishes  to  her  the  chief 
source  of  information  of  what  is  going  on  in  the  world.  To  it 
she  turns  with  ever  new  hope  of  finding  therein  the  announce- 
ment of  the  final  success  of  the  Confederacy  and  of  the  expul- 
sion from  the  sacred  soil  of  Virginia  of  all  its  ruthless  invaders. 
For  Mr.  Huffard  is  indefatigable  in  extolling  the  invincible 
prowess  of  the  Southern  troops,  and  the  Napoleonic  genius  of 
their  generals.  According  to  him  the  world  has  never  seen 
such  brilliant  achievements  on  the  field  of  glory.  It  has 
become  a  certainty  that  France  can  no  longer  withhold  her 
recognition  of  the  Confederate  States  of  America  as  an  inde- 
pendent nation  ;  and  England,  impatient  of  the  blockade  of  the 
Southern  ports,  is  going  to  take  a  hand  in  that  game  herself. 
It  is  now,  indeed,  a  question  of  da3"s  only,  or  of  weeks  at  the 
outside,  when  the  Union  forces  will  be  vanquished,  and  the 
tvrant  Lincoln  laid  low. 


700  THE  BEBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

But  again  the  days  pass,  and  grow  into  weeks  and  months  ; 
and  the  end  is  not  yet. 

One  dreary  Saturday  afternoon  the  wind  was  moaning  dis- 
mally and  dashing  pattering  rain-diops  in  fitful  gusts  against 
the  window  panes,  and  Nellie  waited  for  the  paper,  for  which 
she  had  sent  Xerxes  to  the  printing  office.  She  was  hungry 
for  news  from  General  Ciper's  army ;  for  the  Ozark  Argus  had 
for  some  weeks  been  entirely  silent  on  the  subject,  nor  had  Les- 
lie sent  the  slightest  token  of  his  being  still  alive.  She  watched 
with  some  anxiety,  growing  impatient  as  Xerxes,  on  his  return, 
went  into  the  kitchen,  instead  of  bringing  his  newsdirectly  to  her. 
Just  as  she  was  about  to  call  Cressie,  that  girl  herself  entered 
with  smiling  face,  holding  up  not  only  the  newspaper,  but  also 
two  letters. 

' '  What  do  I  get  for  bringing  good  news  ? ' '  she  said  showing 
the  letters  with  a  triumphant  air. 

"  Good  news?  "  Nellie  asked.  "  How  do  you  know  there  is 
good  news  ?  " 

"  Look  at  the  post-marks,"  Cressie  suggested.  "  They  are 
both  from  the  city." 

"  Why,  so  they  are,"  Nellie  exclaimed  with  brightening  face. 
' '  One  seems  to  be  from  Pauline  Waldhorst  —  ' ' 

"  And  the  other  from  Master  Leslie,"  the  octoroon  broke  in. 
"  If  master  is  in  the  city,  I  guess  he  has  been  to  see  Miss 
Pauline  and  her  folks,  and  maybe —  " 

She  did  not  complete  the  sentence,  but  blushed  beneath  the 
searching  glance  of  her  mistress'  eyes,  as  she  stood  regarding 
her  with  a  good-natured  smile  of  amusement. 

"  Victor  Waldhorst,  do  you  mean?  " 

Cressie's  answer  was  an  affirmative  nod  of  the  head,  while 
the  color  on  her  cheek  deepened. 

"  That  would  indeed  be  good  news,  Cressie,"  said  the  mis- 
tress, smiling  with  affable  condescension,  and  a  touch,  withal, 
of  genuine  sympathy.  For  great  as  was  the  disparity  between 
the  lowly  bondwoman  and  her  aristocratic  mistress,  yet  in  the 
sphere    of   woman's  supreme  aspiration  they  meet  as  equals. 


GLIMPSES   OF   WAR.  701 

Though  separated  by  the  whole  realm  of  social  distinction,  in 
their  love  they  stand  ou  a  common  level. 

When  the  mistress  bad  lirst  discovered  Cressie's  secret,  she 
had  smiled  at  what  appeared  to  her  a  romantic  infatuation,  the 
tragic  pathos  of  which  appealed  to  her  less  strongly  than  did 
the  absurdity  of  its  utter  hopelessness.  But  is  not  her  own 
love  as  hopeless  ?  Is  the  barrier  of  caste  really  much  more 
formidable  between  the  slave  and  the  freeman  than  the  gulf 
which  the  war  has  opened  between  the  Southern  maiden  and 
the  ruthless  assailant  of  her  country's  rights? 

And  as  she  looks  upon  the  blushing  woman  standing  before 
her,  her  heart  goes  out  to  the  loving  octoroon  in  gentle  sym- 
paty.  "  Let  us  see,"  she  said,  in  a  tone  so  cordial  as  to  send 
a  thrill  of  joy  to  Cressie's  heart,  "  how  well  you  can  guess. 
Shall  I  open  Pauline's  letter  first?  " 

"  Unless  you  are  anxious  about  Master  Leslie,"  Cressie 
suggested. 

Nellie  opened  Pauline's  letter,  and  read,  pausing  at  times  to 
impart  to  her  servant  such  of  the  contents  as  she  thought  would 
interest  her. 

"  Just  listen  to  this  !  "  she  suddenly  exclaimed,  and  read  the 
following  passage  from  Pauline's  letter: 

' '  We  are  beginning  to  feel  the  iron  heel  of  war  in  very  truth 
now.  Our  city  is  in  a  panic.  The  rebel  army,  they  say,  is 
marching  upon  us,  threatening  to  take  possession  of  the  city, 
aud  if  it  is  not  surrendered  to  bombard  it  and  set  fire  to  it  with 
red-hot  cannon  balls.  Uncle  says  there  is  no  danger,  for  that 
General  Seele  has  been  sent  to  meet  them  with  an  army  twice 
as  strong  as  theirs ;  and  that  at  any  rate  there  will  be  no  fight- 
ing in  or  near  the  city.  But  I  fear  that  he  only  wishes  to  con- 
ceal from  us  the  real  extent  of  the  danger.  For  thousands  of 
soldiers  are  busy  in  fortifying,  — digging  trenches,  and  throw- 
ing up  what  Uncle  calls  parapets  all  about  the  suburbs.  They 
are  building  a  fort  just  back  of  our  house,  not  a  hundred  yards 
away.  They  have  put  the  city  under  martial  law,  —  sword- 
law,  so  Uncle  explains,  the  entire  government  of  the  city  being 


702  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUQHTEli. 

in  the  hands  of  the  military,  under  a  provost  marshal.  Oh, 
Nellie,  it  is  dreadful  to  think  what  may  happen  to  us  all!  " 

Cressie  listened  with  eager  interest.  As  Nellie  paused,  she 
ventured  to  suggest :  "  Is  there  nothing  in  the  letter  about  her 
brother?" 

"  Very  little,  Cressie.     Here  is  what  she  writes: 

"  '  We  see  little  of  Victor  these  days.  You  know,  I  suppose, 
that  Governor  Rauhenfels  has  been  succeeded  by  a  regular 
elected  governor,  so  both  he  and  Victor  have  come  back  from 
the  capital.  The  professor  wears  epaulettes,  now,  with  golden 
fringes,  and  a  silver  star  on  each  shoulder  strap.  That  makes 
him  a  general,  does  it  not?  But,  though  he  pooh-poohs  all 
titles,  I  suspect  that  he  dearly  loves  to  be  styled  governor,  and 
so  we  will  keep  calling  him  so.  He  has  appointed  brother 
Victor  for  his  aid-de-camp,  and  breveted  him  Major — " 

"Major  Waldhorst!  "  Nellie  interrupted  herself  with  a 
pleased  expression.  "  That  sounds  musical,  does  in  not, 
Cressie?  " 

"  It  would  sound  very  pleasant  to  him,  if  he  heard  you  say 
it,"  the  slave  girl,  thus  appealed  to,  replied.  "  And  so  he 
ranks  Master  Leslie,  now?  " 

"  Only  by  brevet,"  the  mistress  answered.  "  But  when  I  was 
in  PZngland,  a  young  officer,  who  had  just  been  appointed  aid- 
de-camp  to  an  English  general,  took  pains  to  inform  me,  that 
the  appointment  carried  with  it  the  full  rank  of  colonel.  So  I 
supi)ose,  Cressie,  that  we  might  promote  him  to  a  colonelcy. 
And  then  how  would  his  title  sound?  " 

"Colonel  Waldhorst,  Ma'am!"  Cressie  repeated,  as  if 
announcing  a  welcome  visitor.  And  after  a  sportive  courtesy 
she  added :  ' '  But  is  there  nothing  more  in  the  letter  about  — 
Colonel  Waldhorst?  " 

"  Yes,  just  this:  "  Nellie  said,  and  continued  to  read: 

' '  '  The  governor  and  Victor  dined  with  us  last  Sunday  ;  and 
it  was  a  treat  to  see  two  such  distinguished  looking  military 
magnates  at  our  table.  For  Victor,  too,  is  greatly  improved  in 
looks  by  his   new  major's  uniform,  with  the  tassels  of   gold 


GLIMPSES   OF    WAB.  "03 

bullion  on  his  shoulders  and  the  full  beard  he  is  uow  growing. 
They  had  a  lively  discussion  about  war  matters.  I  felt  greatly 
relieved  to  learn  from  them  that  the  war  would  soon  be  over, 
for  that  General  Ciper  and  his  army  could  not  possibly  escape 
without  a  crushing  defeat,  and  that  General  Grant  was  sure  to 
take  Richmond,  and  the  Confederacy  must  collapse.  And  oh, 
Nellie !  General  Rauhenfels  is  going  to  take  part  in  the  attack 
on  General  Ciper,  and  Victor  is  his  aid-de-camp.  They  are 
both  to  leave  '  for  the  fx'out,'  or  have  already  left  as  I  am 
writing  this.  And  if  Mr.  May  (your  brother,  I  mean)  is  with 
General  Ciper,  as  I  am  almost  sure  he  is,  then  he  and  Victor 
may  meet  on  the  battle-lield  !  Is  it  not  horrible  to  think  of  ? 
Your  brother  is  so  brave,  so  fearless,  so  fiery ;  and  Victor, 
whatever  you  may  think  of  him,  is  no  coward  either  —  ' 

"Coward,  indeed!  "  exclaimed  Nellie,  interrupting  herself 
and  casting  upon  Cressie  a  glance  of  proud  exultation,  "  if 
Lincoln's  armies  were  composed  of  such  cowards  as  he,  there 
would  never,  I  fear,  be  a  Southern  Confederacy !  " 

In  picking  up  the  letter  for  further  perusal,  her  eye  chanced 
to  fall  upon  the  date  on  the  last  page.  "  Why,  Cressie,"  she 
remarked,  in  evident  surprise,  "  this  letter  has  been  on  its  way 
from  the  city  for  more  than  two  w^eeks !  The  battle,  that 
Pauline  dreaded  so  much,  must  have  taken  place  days  ago." 
Then  she  looked  at  the  letter  from  Leslie.  "  See,"  she  said, 
"  this  letter  is  five  days  younger." 

Eagerly  opening  it,  she  was  soon  devouring  the  contents, 
forgetful  of  Cressie's  presence,  and  of  all  her  surroundings. 
Cressie  observed  the  expression  of  her  face  as  she  read,  — 
pleasant,  at  first,  evidently  enjoying  her  brother's  playful  ban- 
ter;  growing  serious,  then,  and  finally  betraying  anxious 
alai'm. 

' '  Adorable  Sissy  : 

You  are  anxiously  waiting  for  news,  I  dare  say.  Well 
for  once  I  am  able  to  furnish  you  with  food  for  gossip  to  do  you 
some  days.     At  last  fortune  has  favored  me  witli  the  glorj'^  for 


704  THE  BE  BE  us  DAUQHTEB. 

which  I  have  so  long  thirsted.  It  has  come  to  me  thick  aud 
heavy.  You  may  now  look  up  to  your  bigger,  older,  aud  I  trust, 
wiser  brother,  as  one  of  the  immortal  heroes  of  this  our  second, 
iuliuitely  grander  war  of  independence,  whose  name  is  destined 
to  go  down  to  posterity  on  the  muster  roll  of  a  liaekwoods 
rebel  company. 

I  don't  mean  to  waste  my  eloquence  to  try  and  prove  to  you 
what  a  glorious  war  this  is.  We  have  explained  that  to  each 
other  long  ago.  We  have  doubled  our  fists,  you  and  I,  and 
dared  Uncle  Sam  to  make  himself  ridiculous  by  attempting  to 
coerce  us  fiery  Southerners  into  tame  subjection  to  Northern 
tyranny.  We  used  to  glory  in  the  prospect  of  driving  the 
Northern  invaders  from  our  sacred  soil,  and  how  superbly 
you  used  to  turn  up  your  nose  at  mention  of  the  Yankee  mud- 
sills !  And  I  —  well,  you  know  how  I  thirsted  aud  panted  for 
just  a  dash  at  the  brutal  invaders  of  our  beloved  State,  when 
our  Ciperian  Cunctator  zig-zagged  us  through  marshes  aud 
forests,  wearing  out  our  patience  and  our  army  shoes,  like 
Moses  leading  the  Lord's  chosen  people  through  the  wilderness. 

But  the  day  came  at  last,  —  the  day  of  glory,  glorious ! 

I  was  beginning  to  fear,  that  our  Cunctator  meant  to  turn 
the  war  into  a  game  of  hide  and  seek,  at  which  we  were  fast  be- 
coming experts,  when  one  day  as  we  were  marching  through  a 
valley  of  moderate  width,  and  considerable  length,  inclosed  on 
both  sides  by  gently  rising,  densely  wooded  ridges,  our  buglers 
sounded  the  signal  to  halt.  Halt !  What  could  that  mean  in 
our  situation,  with  General  Seele  but  an  hour  or  two's  march 
behind  us,  with  the  pick  of  the  Union  forces  twice  our  number? 
It  was  almost  too  good  to  believe  —  it  must  be,  that  General 
Ciper  meant  to  strike  at  last,  and  to  give  us  a  sight  of  the 
enemy  from  the  front.  But  so  it  turned  out.  Quick  as 
thought  came  a  perfect  shower  of  orders.  Our  troops  were 
posted  on  both  sides  of  the  road,  concealed  from  the  side  on 
which  the  Feds  were  approaching,  more  than  one-half  the  army 
placed  in  ambush  behind  the  hills,  so  that  in  an  incredibly 
short  space   of    time  our  whole  force  must  have  been  as  in- 


GLIMPSES   OF    WAB.  705 

visible  from  the  road,  as  if  it  luul  disappeared  from  the  face 
of  the  earth.  Our  batteries,  effectually  masked  by  the  dense 
foliage,  commauded  both  sides  of  the  road  for  more  than 
a  mile  back,  exposing  the  enemy,  should  they  a})proach  from 
our  rear,  to  a  sweeping  crossfire  on  both  flanks.  If  old  Ciper 
meant  light,  he  had  certainly  chosen  the  spot  for  the  sport  to 
come  off  with  consummate  skill.  In  my  enthusiasm  I  saw 
no  possibility  for  the  Yanks  to  escape  complete  annihilation. 

Mars  and  Minerva  !  But  it  was  a  moment  to  lash  the  blood 
into  fever  heat!  I  felt  elated,  inspired,  intoxicated  with  glory 
in  anticipation  of  the  victory  we  were  going  to  achieve.  Now 
we  would  teach  them  that  we  knew  a  thing  or  two  al)out  light- 
ing, besides  zig-zagging  and  dodging  ! 

The  suspense  for  the  next  few  minutes  after  we  had  taken 
our  positions,  while  waiting  for  the  approach  of  the  enemy,  was 
simply  terrific.  The  burning  question  was,  would  the  Federals 
discover  our  ambush  in  time  to  avoid  the  cross-fire  of  our 
artillery?  Surely  it  would  be  the  sheerest  recklessness  and 
unparalleled  imprudence  for  them  to  defile  into  the  valley  with- 
out advancing  scouts  to  reconnoitre.  And  this  it  seemed  was 
precisely  what  they  were  doing.  They  were  walking  blindly 
into  the  trap  set  for  them  hy  our  crafty  commander.  Their 
foolhardiuess  is  explainable  only  on  the  ground,  that  our  won- 
derful success  in  dodging  them  up  to  this  time  had  convinced 
them  that  we  were  neither  Avilling  nor  able  to  fight  them  at  all. 

The  excitement  on  our  side  was  in  no  wise  abated  when 
their  vanguard  appeared  in  sight  and  came  within  range  of  our 
guns.  First,  a  strong  detachment  of  cavalry,  marching  in 
massed  column ;  then  the  glittering  bayonets  of  serried  ranks 
of  infantry  became  visible,  which  in  turn  were  succeeded  by  a 
long  train  of  artillery.  Our  gunners  sighted  their  pieces,  and 
eagerly  awaited  the  command  to  fire. 

The  moment  the  signal  was  given,  a  dull  red  flash  along  the 
line  of  our  batteries  preceded  the  terrific  roar  of  a  hundred 
cannon  pouring  death  and  destruction  into  the  ranks  of  the 
unwary   Yankees,   and  a  dense  volume  of  smoke  hid  them  for 

45 


706  THE  BE  BE  us  DAUGHTER. 

a  time  from  our  view,  so  that  we  could  not  see  what  execution 
our  fire  had  done.  As  the  smoke  cleared  away  a  scene  of 
wonderful  transformation  met  our  view.  By  a  series  of  mili- 
tary evolutions,  the  coolness,  rapidity  and  precision  of  which 
challenged  our  admiration,  notwithstanding  their  deadly  sig- 
nificance to  us,  the  marching  columns  of  the  Yankee  troops 
had  been  formed  in  line  of  battle  and  a  squadron  of  cavalry, 
as  well  as  several  companies  of  infantry,  were  rapidly  advanc- 
ing upon  us.  This  meant  work  for  our  company,  which  had 
been  assigned  to  the  honorable  post  of  defending  the  foremost 
batteries  against  cavalry  or  infantry  attack.  For  it  was  evi- 
dent that  the  advancing  troops  were  skirmishers  detailed  to 
silence  our  batteries.  1  fairly  trembled  with  eager  excite- 
ment ;  for  I  felt  as  if  the  glory  of  a  lifetime  was  concentrated 
in  the  next  few  moments.  As  yet  the  assailants  were  within 
the  sweep  of  our  guns,  and  I  noted  with  savage  joy  the  terrific 
havoc  wrought  among  them  by  the  iron  hailstorm  they  had  to 
face.  But  on  they  rushed,  filling  the  gaps  cut  in  their  ranks 
by  our  murderous  artillerj^  fire  as  coolly  and  promptly  as  if 
in  drill  on  the  parade  ground.  Presently  they  reached  the  foot 
of  the  hill  on  which  our  artillery  was  planted,  and  were  safe 
from  the  tire  of  our  cannon.  In  a  minute  or  two  they  would 
reach  the  gunners.  Then  without  waiting  for  orders  from  my 
superiors,  I  rushed  on,  sword  in  hand,  calling  on  my  brave 
Brookfield  boys  to  follow.  With  a  deafening  yell  we  stormed 
down  the  hill.  If  you  had  seen  us,  Nell,  rushing  on 
toward  the  enemy,  with  the  increasing  momentum  of  an 
avalanche,  —  I  in  the  lead  with  waving  sword  on  high,  my 
gallant  company  with  bayonet  leveled  —  you  would  have  tilted 
high  your  nose  in  swelling  pride  over  your  Brookfield  heroes. 
Well,  there  is  not  much  more  to  tell.  At  least  not  by  me. 
But  this  let  me  tell  you  in  brotherly  confidence :  The  Yankees 
are  the  very  devils  to  fight.  For  neither  the  violence  of  our 
onslaught,  nor  dur  terrific  rebel  yell  (which  by  dint  of  dili- 
gent practice  we  had  brought  to  hideous  perfection)  scared 
them  one  bit.     Or  if  it  did,  the  cusses  wouldn't  let  on.     Thev 


GLIMPSES   OF    WAB.  707 

eoolly  leveled  their  muskets,  and  before  we  reached  them,  a 
flash  of  light  and  a  little  puff  of  smoke  issued  from  each.  The 
next  instant  a  shower  of  bullets  was  singing  over  our  heads. 
The  sound  electrified  us;  we  broke  into  a  run.  A  second 
volley,  tired  by  the  rear  rank,  was  better  aimed:  It  decimated 
our  company ! 

"  Give  it  to  them !  "  I  cried,  waving  high  my  sword.  "  Let 
us  take  revenge  !     Revenge  for  our  fallen  comrades  !  ' ' 

It  gave  me  grim  satisfaction  to  note,  that  we  were  no  longer 
alone  in  our  dash  against  the  onstoriniug  enemy.  A  company 
or  two  of  our  brave  Arkansas  troops  —  known  to  us  as  excel- 
lent sharjishooters,  every  one  of  them — rushed  to  our  sup- 
port, uttering  that  shrill  yell,  which  just  now  sounded  like 
music  in  our  ears. 

It  was  at  that  moment  that  glory  came  to  me  in  drastic 
garb.  As  I  ran,  a  stinging  sensation  in  my  right  shoulder 
caused  me  to  drop  my  sword ;  a  second  later  I  felt  a  sharp 
twinge  in  my  left  knee,  and  wondered  why,  without  volition  on 
my  part,  I  suddenly  lurched  forward,  instead  of  stopping  to 
pick  up  my  sword  — 

This  is  all  that  I  remember  of  my  first  battle. 

When  I  recovered  consciousness  the  sun  had  gone  down, 
and  the  din  of  battle  had  ceased.  Some  one  was  removing  my 
cravat  and  shirt  collar.  The  firm,  yet  gentle,  touch  of  his 
hands,  as  he  laid  bare  the  wound  on  my  shoulder,  convinced 
me  that  I  was  in  the  hands  of  a  surgeon. 

"  I  wonder,  whether  this  young  fellow  has  blood  enough  left 
to  stand  transportation?"  I  heard  him  say  to  his  assistant. 
' '  His  hurt  is  not  so  bad  ;  but  he  seems  to  have  bled  ijretty 
freely." 

I  attempted  to  rise. 

"  Lie  still,  sir!  "  he  commanded,  in  a  firm,  though  not  un- 
sjanpathetic  voice. 

1  gladly  complied  ;  not  so  much  in  obedience  to  his  behest, 
as  because  of  excessive  weakness  and  the  pain  which  the  slight- 
est attempt  to  move  caused  me  in  mv  wounded  knee. 


708  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

He  must  have  noticed  my  exhaustion,  for  he  pulled  from 
his  breast  pocket  a  flask  and  held  it  to  my  lips.  "  Drink!  " 
he  coimuanded.  "  A  hearty  swig  of  this  elixir  will  make  you 
smack  your  lips  and  put  new  life  into  you." 

I  begged  for  water,  for  I  was  burning  Avith  a  feverish  thirst. 

"  Of  course  you  shall  have  water,"  he  said,  cheerily. 
"  You  don't  suppose  I  would  give  you  a  dram  —  though  it  be 
this  finest  specimen  of  old  rye  that  ever  put  spirits  into  a  fam- 
ishing man  —  without  water  to  wash  it  down  ?  But  drink  it 
first,  and  then  your  stomach  will  take  more  kindly  to  the 
water." 

He  was  right.  I  took  a  copious  draught,  which  infused  a 
generous  warmth  through  my  chilled  body,  and  together  with 
the  water  from  his  canteen,  relieved  my  thirst.  I  felt  like  a 
new  man,  and  now  demanded  how  the  battle  had  gone. 

I  need  not  repeat  to  you,  what  you  have  long  since  learned 
from  other  sources.  We  had  been  beaten.  I  could  not  un- 
derstand why,  or  how.  And  now  two  wounds  and  confinement 
in  a  prison  represent  the  glory  I  have  personally  achieved  in 
this  war.  And  so,  you  see,  I  have  new  and  drastic  proofs  how 
glorious  a  war  it  is  ! 

The  men  that  found  me  treated  me  kindly  enough — much 
more  so  than  I  expected,  or  had  any  right  to  expect  at  the 
hands  of  a  victorious  enemy ;  but  I  don't  mind  confessing  to 
you  that  the  news  upset  me.  I  submitted  with  what  grace  I 
could  muster.  Doctor  Behi-  dressed  my  wounds  ;  and  then 
they  put  me  into  an  ambulance  and  hauled  me  an  interminable 
distance  to  the  city,  where  they  landed  me  at  a  hospital  filled 
with  hundreds  of  Federal  wounded,  — for  the  battle  had  been 
a  bloody  one,  the  wounded  on  both  sides  numbering  by  thou- 
sands. Oddly  enough,  they  call  this  place  a  college,  —  Mc- 
Donald's College  —  and  it  served  as  a  prison,  until  the  arrival 
of  so  many  damaged  heroes  from  the  sanguinary  fields  of  glory 
made  it  necessary  to  turn  it  into  a  hospital  for  their  accommo- 
dation. I  believe  I  am  the  only  rebel  soldier  here  ;  but  there 
are  a  number  of  former  inmates  left,  — political  prisoners,  who 


GLIMPSES   OF    WAR. 


709 


are  immured,  not  for  anything  they  had  done,  but  for  fear  of 
what  they  might  do !  Among  them  is  an  odd  genius,  whom 
they  call  by  the  name  the  prison  bears,  Doctor  McDonald ;  a 
surgeon,  who  is  very  popular  among  the  patients,  though  as 
crabbed  as  an  unripe  persimmon,  and  a  rebel  to  the  core.  He 
has  taken  quite  a  fancy  to  me.  He  is  treating  my  wounds,  and 
I  am  doing  very  well, — so  well,  that  I  hope  I  may  soon  be 
exchanged  for  an  able-bodied  Federal,  and  put  in  the  way  of 
being  treated  to  another  dose  of  glory." 

Nellie  dropped  the  letter  in  her  lap,  and  folded  her  hands, 
looking  straight  before  her  in  deep  thought.  Cressie,  seeing 
her  mistress  in  distress,  asked  her  in  a  voice  of  anxious  sym- 
pathy, whether  her  master  was  in  trouble. 

"  Oh,  Cressie,"  Nellie  broke  out,  the  tears  gathering  in  her 
eyes,  "  your  master  is  wounded,  and  a  prisoner!  And  I  must 
visit  him.  You  must  help  me  get  read}'.  Do  you  think  you 
can  manage,  so  that  I  can  get  off  ?  " 


XLIV. 
A   REBEL   DOCTOR. 

|j(  DONALD'S  COLLEGE  was  a  curious  specimen  of 
ante-bellum  metropolitan  architecture.  Boldly  cir- 
cular in  its  outline,  supporting  upon  a  wall  of 
unhewn  limestone,  laid  in  rubble-range,  a  hemispherical, 
dome-shaped  I'oof,  crowned,  in  turn,  by  a  semi-ellipitical 
cupola  resting  on  six  slender  columns,  it  challenged  atten- 
tion from  afar.  The  main  building  was  connected  by  an 
arched  passage  way  with  a  tall,  narrow  side  building,  which,  to 
a  beholder  not  entirely  void  of  imagination,  might  suggest  a 
minaret  along  with  its  mosque.  Its  daring  architectural  style 
Avas  not,  however,  its  chief  claim  upon  public  notice.  Its 
founder  and  owner,  Doctor  McDonald,  was  famed,  even  beyond 
the  limits  of  his  State,  for  his  surgical  skill  and  profound 
learning.  His  colleagues  admired,  envied,  hated  him.  Hated 
him  because  of  the  relentless  war  he  waged  against  what  he 
called  the  antiquated  superstitions  of  the  medical  profession. 
For  he  denounced  blood-letting  by  venesection  as  a  cruel 
assault  on  the  vitality  of  a  patient,  destroying  just  so  much  of 
nature's  recuperative  energy.  The  use  of  lint  in  the  treatment 
of  wounds  and  sores,  he  combated,  designating  it  as  the  most 
mischievious  propagator  of  infectious  diseases.  So  he  regarded 
the  withholding  of  cold  water  from  thirsty  fever  patients,  and 
of  fresh  air  from  the  sick-room  of  languishing  sufferers,  as 
wanton  barbarity,  thwarting,  rather  than  assisting,  nature  in 
her  healing  process.  Such  and  similar  "  learned  stupidities," 
as  he  termed  them,  he  combated  with  persistency  and  vigorous 
zeal ;  and  McDonald's  College  owed  its  existence  to  the  phi- 
lanthropic purpose  of  founding  a  medical  school  for  the  tuition 
of   the  science  upon  a  rational  basis.     He  meant  to  place  the 

(710) 


A  REBEL   DOCTOR.  711 

tuitiou  fee  at  a  low  llgure,  so  as  to  induce  as  uiauy  students  as 
he  could  to  attend,  or  even  in  case  of  necessity,  to  open  the 
college  for  free  attendance.  His  ample  income  from  a  lucrative 
practice  enabled  him  to  indulge  so  charitable  a  hobby. 

The  public  at  large  took  little  interest  in  the  medical  quar- 
rels with  the  doctors,  Init  all  the  more  in  a  rumor  that  had 
gained  currency  in  relation  to  the  cadavers  which  he  was 
supposed  to  furnish  to  his  students  in  the  dissecting  room.  It 
was  said  that  he  required  a  fresh  subject  to  be  delivered  at  the 
college  every  night  or  two.  This  was  not  pleasant  news  to  the 
dwellers  in  the  neighborhood  ;  but  the  rumor,  in  spreading  to 
wider  circles,  had  taken  on  a  more  serious  aspect.  It  was 
whispered  about,  and  finally  boldly  asserted,  that  for  the  want 
of  corpses,  and  for  the  furthering  of  anatomical  studies,  living 
subjects  were  sometimes  captured  by  the  doctor's  emissaries, 
and  taken  to  the  dissecting  room  for  experimental  vivisection. 
The  very  absurdity  of  such  assertions  gave  them  extensive 
circulation.  The  doctor's  well-known  character  as  a  man  of 
iron  nerve  and  sovereign  contempt  for  the  opinion  of  the 
public,  his  very  devotion  to  the  cause  of  medical  reform,  as 
well  as  his  numerous  eccentricities,  gave  color,  in  the  minds 
of  even  well-educated  people,  to  the  theory  that  he  would  not 
scruple  to  sacrifice  individuals  for  the  benefit  of  the  human 
race  in  general.  No  wonder,  then,  that  timid  people  hesitated 
to  venture  alone,  in  the  night  time,  into  the  neighborhood  of 
the  college,  and  gave  it  a  wide  birth  even  by  day. 

At  the  breaking  out  of  the  rebellion  the  doctor's  pronounced 
partisanship  in  the  Southern  cause  furnished  new  food  for 
gossip ;  public  rumor  was  so  busy  with  the  fantastic  and 
quixotic  plans  for  destroying  the  Union  armies  ascribed  to 
him,  that  the  horrors  of  the  dissecting  room  were  gradually 
forgotten. 

Doctor  McDonald  was  a  fierce  and  fearless  rebel.  He 
laughed  to  scorn  the  idea  of  coercing  a  sovereign  State  to 
remain  a  member  of  the  Union  that  had  become  distasteful  to 
its  people.     The  employment  of  military  force  to  that  end  he 


712  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

pooh-poohed  as  a  ridiculous  aud  wicked  farce.  "  A  million  of 
Dutch  hirelings  and  mercenary  Yankee  abolitionists,"  he 
prophesied,  "  will  run  before  the  freemen  of  a  single  Southern 
State  when  rising  in  her  majesty  to  vindicate  their  liberty  and 
independence."  The  taking  of  Camp  Jefferson  he  stigmatized 
as  a  dastardly  outrage,  and  for  the  mihtary  governor  he  had 
no  name  but  that  of  Dutch  Dictator,  although  a  personal 
friend  of  Professor  Rauhenfels.  He  gave  loud-mouthed  utter- 
ance to  his  hatred  of  President  Lincoln,  whom  he  persistently 
called  a  usurper  of  tyrannical  power,  and  an  enemy  of  the 
American  people. 

It  was  not  strange,  under  these  circumstances,  that  Doctor 
McDonald  was  lionized  by  the  >Southern  sympathizers,  and 
cordially  hated  by  the  loyal  element  of  the  population. 

At  first,  this  mutual  animosity  found  vent  in  hard  talk  on 
either  side ;  but  when  martial  law  had  been  proclaimed  over 
the  city,  one  of  the  first  acts  of  the  provost  marshal  had  been 
to  take"  possession  of  McDonald's  College,  and  convert  it  into 
a  prison  for  the  incarceration  of  such  of  the  notable  rebels  as 
were  deemed  dangerous  to  the  government  interests.  And  so 
it  came  al)out  cpiite  naturally  that  Doctor  McDonald  became 
one  of  the  first  inmates  of  the  new  Bastile,  —  a  prisoner  in  his 
own  castle;  and  he  was  there  Avhen,  after  that  bloody  battle, 
the  prison  was  converted  into  a  hospital,  and  when  there  was 
plenty  of  work  for  all  the  army  surgeons,  and  for  as  many  of 
the  practitioners  of  the  city  as  volunteered  their  services. 
Cordially  as  the  doctor  hated  soldiers  in  the  blue  uniform,  his 
professional  instinct  to  serve  suffering  humanity  got  the  better 
of  his  partisanship.  Without  asking  questions  or  waiting  for 
consent  of  the  authorities,  he  fell  to  and  rendered  such  effectual 
help  as  secured  him  the  blessing  and  deep  gratitude  of  patients 
aud  the  hearty  good  will  of  his  jailers.  Many  precious  lives 
and  limbs  owed  their  preservation  to  his  skill  and  unwearying- 
devotion.  Rough  and  pngnacious  as  was  his  general  deport- 
ment, to  the  bedside  of  his  patients  he  brought  a  manner  as 
gentle  and  winning  as  that  of  a  woman.     His  honliommie  was 


A  REBEL   DOC  TOE.  713 

irresistible.  His  simple  presence  gave  clieer  and  confidence  to 
tlie  sufferers,  who  liailed  liis  approach  with  undisguised  pleas- 
ure, and  felt  the  magnetism  which  he  exerted  over  them  as  a 
soothing  charm,  even  when  painful  operations  demanded  utmost 
fortitude  and  courage. 

But  tender  as  was  the  touch  of  his  skillful  hand,  and  cheery 
as  sounded  his  voice,  so  long  as  the  relation  of  doctor  and  pa- 
tient lasted,  he  had  no  sympathy  for  the  convalescents. 
Gruffly,  even  rudely,  he  repulsed  any  manifestation  of  grati- 
tude or  appreciation.  "  Have  done !  "  he  was  heard  to  say  on 
such  an  occasion.  ''  I  know  well  enough  what  a  fool  —  aye, 
what  a  traitor  I  have  been  to  my  country,  to  patch  you  up  as 
good  as  new,  and  send  another  able-bodied  enemy  in  the  field 
against  us,  instead  of  sending  you  to  that  warm  place,  where 
such  villainous  tools  of  a  tyrant  belong." 

Among  the  patients  that  fell  to  his  care  was  Leslie  May. 
When  he  noted  the  gray  uniform,  his  face  brightened. 
"  Hello  !  "  he  exclaimed,  "  who  the  devil  got  you  into  this  rat- 
cage?  Been  a  hotheaded  fool  and  let  them  trap  you  while 
chasing  an  enemy?  For  I'll  give  the  odds  that  you  fight  like 
a  wild  cat,  and  bet  the  drinks  now,  that  your  captors  did  not 
get  away  without  carrying  off  a  souvenir  of  your  regard  to 
remember  you  by." 

The  faint  shadow  of  a  smile  crept  into  the  captive's  face 
as  he  answered.  "  Done  !  "  he  said.  "  You  are  not  as  good 
at  guessing  as  you  ought  to  be  for  a  Yankee.  I  came  with  my 
captors  as  meekly  as  a  lamb,  nor  crooked  a  finger  to   resist." 

"Yankee  be  d — d!"  the  doctor  exclaimed  wrathfully. 
"  Don't  you  call  me  a  Yankee!  No  man  shall  do  that  with 
impunity,  not  even  a  brave  Confederate  officer,  whom  I  would 
proudly  shake  by  the  hand.  But  you  have  fairly  won  the 
drinks,  though  I  stand  by  it,  that  you  fought  valiantly  before 
they  took  you.  I  am  not  often  mistaken  in  judging  faces. 
Now  do  me  the  honor  to  join  mo  in  a  pledge  to  our  better 
acquaintance  I  ' ' 

Producing  from   his   breast  pocket  a  flask,  the  top  of  which 


714  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

he  unscrewed,  he  used  it  as  a  small  drinking  cup.  "  These  are 
rather  primitive  beakers,"  he  said,  fdling  the  cup  with  an 
amber-colored  liquid  and  handing  it  to  the  patient,  while  he 
raised  the  flask  itself,  ready  to  drink  from  it;  "  but  the  stuff 
in  them  deserves  the  name  they  gave  it  in  old  times :  Eau  de 
vie!  It  comes  to  us  from  that  spirited,  wide-a-wake  nation, 
that,  besides  tliis  fiery  Cognac,  has  also  invented  the  exhilar- 
ating, sparkling  Champagne,  in  which  to  drown  our  crotchets 
and  melancholy  vagaries.  Ah!"  he  added,  strolling  his 
stomach  and  half  closing  his  eyes  as  if  in  a  transport  of  bliss, 
"this  is  water  of  life  indeed!  This  quickens  the  flagging 
spirits ;  this  stirs  the  blood,  and  spurs  the  imagination  to 
bolder  flights !  Sir,  this  is  the  best  medicine  I  can  jjrescribe 
for  you  ;  and  you  see  that  I  am  not,  like  most  physicians,  afraid 
to  take  it  myself." 

Leslie  was,  indeed,  greatly  invigorated  by  the  generous 
potion  administered  by  the  doctor,  and  readily  responded  to 
the  inquiries  he  made,  while  dressing  Leslie's  wounds.  "  This 
hurt  on  your  knee,"  he 'said  nonchalantly,  ■'  is  going  to  give 
us  some  trouble.  For  a  time  to  come  it  is  going  to  make 
graceful  waltzing  a  difficult  task  for  you." 

*'  Never  mind,"  the  patient  replied,  "  if  I  can't  dance  my- 
self, it  will  be  my  business  to  make  the  Yankees  dance.  Just 
get  me  on  my  legs  again,  and  I'll  show  you  what  a  genuine 
rebel  can  do,  even  with  a  stiff  knee." 

Doctor  McDonald  displayed  an  amiability  toward  his  Con- 
federate patient  which  went  far  to  accelerate  his  convalescence. 
To  all  appearances  his  wounds  were  healing  speedily,  and 
Leslie  hoped  that  he  would  soon  be  in  condition  to  be 
exchanged,   and  to  take  a  fresh   start  on  the   path  to  glory. 

"A  deucedly  fine  constitution,"  the  doctor  murmured  to 
himself  as  he  left  his  bedside.  "  Sound  as  a  dollar  in  all  the 
vitals ;  jolly  as  an  Alabama  piccaniuny,  and  brave  as  Julius 
Caisar,  I'll  warrant.  It  would  be  a  burning  shame  to  let  him 
catch  this  nuu'derous  gangrene  that  is  going  to  make  a  pest- 
house  out  of  my  lieautiful  college  inside  of  a  week.     What  a  lot 


A  BE  BEL  DOCTOB.  715 

of  d — d  asses  these  military  wiseacres  show  themselves,  to  cram 
five  hundred  poor  devils  into  a  place  just  big  enough  to  comfort- 
ably lodge  fifty,  and  expect  them  to  get  well !  But  that  is  none  of 
my  funeral.  Let  them  kill  off  the  d — d  Yankees  as  fast  as  they 
please ;  it  will  save  our  boys  in  gray  the  trouble  of  shooting 
them  in  battle.  But  this  young  hero  must  be  got  out  of  their 
clutches.  Zounds !  It  would  be  too  bad  to  let  him  fall  a  vic- 
tim to  official  asininity  after  escaping  death  on  the  battle- 
field. I  must  see  what  the  Dutch  Dictator  can  be  got  to  do  for 
him." 

General  Rauhenfels,  whose  command  was  stationed  at  the 
metropolis  for  the  city's  protection,  was  closeted  with  General 
Seele  at  the  headquarters,  when  a  message  was  handed  him, 
marked  "  Private  and  Important."  Eyeing  the  messenger  for 
a  moment,  while  opening  the  dispatch,  he  inquired:  "Is  the 
message  from  old  Sawbones,  the  college  doctor?  " 

Saluting  deferentially,  the  messenger  replied:  "It  is,  Gov- 
ernor." For  such  was  the  title  accorded  to  him,  generally,  in 
military  circles. 

' '  Are  you  to  wait  for  an  answer  ? ' ' 

"  I  have  no  order  to  such  effect.  Governor." 

"  Wait,  anyhow,  till  I  find  out  what  the  chronic  grumbler  is 
after." 

The  messenger  touched  his  cap  in  token  of  obedience,  and 
General  Rauhenfels  read  the  following  note  : 
"Most  Puissant  Commander: 

Noblesse  oblige!  Though  no  longer,  thank  God,  an  auto- 
cratic dictator,  you  still  hold  the  city's  destiny  in  the  hollow 
of  your  hand  ;  ergo,  you  are  responsible  for  its  behavior. 
Now,  I  want  to  apprise  you  of  a  wholesale  murder  in  con- 
templation—  no,  not  in  contemplation,  for  asses  do  not  con- 
template—  but  in  prospect.  The  victims  are  to  be  those  piti- 
able tools  of  the  Lincoln  tyranny,  who  hire  out  as  targets  for 
our  Southern  soldiers  to  shoot  at.  They  have  escaped  with 
their  lives,  —  some  of  them  with  their  limbs,  too,  — from  the 
encounter  with  our  soldiers,  to  be  condemned  to  a  surer  death 


716  THE  BEBEVS  DAUGHTER. 

at  the  hands  of  their  owu  asiuiiie  superiors,  who  invite  gangrene 
into  an  overcrowded  hospital.  Gangrene,  I  tell  you  !  Do  you 
know  what  that  means  ?  And  all  on  account  of  the  stupidity 
of  the  asses  in  authority,  among  which  you  may  reckon  your- 
self, or  not,  as  the  case  may  be.  And  now,  I  wash  my  fingers 
of  the  affair.  I  ought  not,  perhaps,  to  interfere  with  the  kill- 
ing off  of  a  hundred  or  two  of  the  d — d  abolitionists ;  but  it 
goes  against  my  grain  to  see  a  herd  of  bullet-riddled  cripples 
sacrificed  to  the  brutal  stupidity  of  supercilious  military 
magnates. 

But  this  en  passant.  What  I  really  want  of  you  is,  that 
you  bring  about  the  exchange  of  a  rebel  prisoner,  who  is  too 
fine  a  fellow  to  share  the  fate  of  the  other  patients  in  this 
doomed  pest-house,  into  which  you  have  turned  my  Temple  of 
Science.  He  is  badly  wounded,  but  doing  well,  for  he  has  a 
magnificent  constitution.  But  if  he  remains  here  another 
week,  his  life  won't  be  worth  the  toss  of  a  copper.  Mortifica- 
tion is  bound  to  ensue,  and  not  the  skill  of  all  the  hospital 
surgeons  can  save  him.  Now,  I  want  you  to  procure  his  ex- 
change ;  a  week  or  two  of  uncontaminated  fresh  air  will  set  him 
up,  and  you  will  have  saved  the  life  of  a  man  worth  all  the 
poor  cripples  that  will  have  to  stay  here  put  together. 

Don't  say,  serves  him  right  for  being  a  rebel.  His  intellect 
is  of  so  high  an  order  that  he  really  couldn't  help  it.  Besides, 
you  may  obtain  for  him  a  Federal  officer  of  high  grade ;  for 
though  my  protege  is  only  a  captain,  he  seems  to  have  consid- 
erable backing  among  the  Confederates.  His  father,  he  says, 
is  in  Davis'  cabinet,  and  was  a  United  States  senator  before 
the  war,  —  Senator  May  —  " 

"  Tell  the  doctor,"  the  general  exclaimed,  as  soon  as  he  had 
read  this  name,  with  an  imperative  nod  to  the  messenger, 
"  that  I  will  see  him  within  an  hour."  And  as  the  messenger 
was  leaving,  he  turned  to  General  Seele  with  the  abrupt  ques- 
tion :  "  Do  you  remember  the  young  rebel  whom  you  court- 
martialed  at  the  beginning  of  the  war,  out  at  Brookfield?  " 


A   REBEL   DOCTOR.  717 

'■'  Of  course  I  do,"  was  the  answer.  "  1  remember  well  the 
(chagrin  of  Colouel  Scheffel  over  his  acquittal,  as  well  as  the 
eloquent  earnestness  of  our  judge  advocate  in  his  defense,  and 
my  own  anxiety,  lest  our  court  should,  in  the  zeal  of  mistaken 
patriotism,  commit  an  act  of  partisan  hatred  under  guise  of 
sacred  justice,  which,  under  the  circumstances,  would  have 
been  not  only  a  wrong,  but  a  blunder  fraught  with  possible 
peril  to  our  cause.     Well,  what  of  him?  " 

"•  He  is  a  prisoner  in  our  hands,  wounded,  and  a  patient  in 
Doctor  McDonald's  College.  Old  Sawbones  thinks  he  will 
take  gangrene  if  left  there,  and  suggests  his  exchange." 

"  But  what  is  the  young  man  to  do,  if  liberated?  We  can- 
not send  him  home,  and  here  he  will  be  among  strangers,  alone 
and  helpless." 

"  He  shall  not  be  among  strangers  nor  helpless,"  General 
Rauhenfels  exclaimed  with  warmth.  "  There  are  those  in  this 
city  who  will  be  proud  and  thankful  to  serve  him  in  any  way 
that  may  be  in  their  power." 

"  You  refer  to  those  Auf  dem  Busches,  I  suppose?  "  Gen- 
eral Seele  remarked.  "Why,  yes!  They  certainly  owe  the 
May  family  a  debt  of  gratitude.  Do  you  know  where  to  look 
for  them  ? ' ' 

"Certainly:  The  old  gentleman  inhabits  a  perfect  little 
paradise  down  below  the  arsenal — just  an  ideal  sanitarium  for 
a  convalescent.  Now,  General,  —  you  know  1  don't  often  ask 
any  one  for  favors.  But  in  this  matter  I  don't  mind  laying 
myself  under  obligations  to  you  ;  I  want  you  to  wire  to  the 
Secretary  of  War  at  once  —  or  can  you  approach  the  President 
directly?  —  for  authority  to  exchange,  or  better  still,  to  release 
unconditionally  this  Confederate  prisoner." 

"  Consider  it  done,  my  dear  Governor:  I  would  cheerfully 
do  so  without  intercession  on  your  part,  and  even  stretch  my 
authority  to  order  the  young  man's  immediate  release.  I  be- 
lieve this  to  be  in  the  interest  of  the  service.  And  Doctor 
McDonald's  savage  prediction  touching  our  own  patients  in  his 
college  must  be  inquired  into.     It  would  be  an  awful  thing  if 


718  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

half  of  what  he  says  about  the  sanitary  condition  of  the  hos- 
pital were  true." 

' '  I  have  full  faith  in  what  the  old  crank  says  about  medical 
matters.  Nothing  is  plainer  than  our  duty  to  see  the  patients 
removed  to  some  other  quarters.  I  hope  you  will  lose  no  time 
in  taking  the  necessary  measures  in  this  matter,  while  I  pre- 
pare the  Auf  dem  Busches  for  the  guest  they  are  to  welcome. 
I  have  an  idea  that  the  young  rebel  will  meet  with  a  warm 
reception  in  the  enemy's  camp." 

"  Let  us  hope,  that  the  enemy  may  convert  the  freedom 
which  we  are  giving  him  into  more  enduring  bondage,"  said 
General  Seele,  with  a  suggestive  smile.  "  The  Auf  dem 
Busches  may  open  his  eyes  to  the  hopelessness  of  the  Southern 
cause." 

"Nonsense,  General,"  was  the  emphatic  reply.  "Leslie 
May  is  one  whom  not  even  the  logic  of  events  can  swerve  from 
his  conviction.  Like  Napoleon's  Guard  he  can  die,  but  will 
never  surrender.  So  far  from  being  converted  to  our  side,  the 
danger  is  rather  that  he  will  lay  siege  to  the  enemy's  citadel 
and  carry  off  one  captive,  at  least,  cripple  as  he  may  be." 

At  Busch  Bluffs  the  war  had  made  some  changes,  as  well  as 
at  May  Meadows.  The  old  gentleman,  it  is  true,  had  retired 
upon  the  laurels  gained  by  him  in  the  battle  of  Winslo's  Run, 
and  cherished  the  scars  of  his  wounds  as  so  many  trophies 
brought  back  from  his  memorable  campaign.  But  Woldemar 
had  enlisted,  much  to  the  disgust  of  his  mother,  for  three  years, 
or  as  long  as  his  services  might  be  acceptable  in  the  establish- 
ment of  the  government's  supremacy,  and  the  liberation  of  the 
slaves.  He  had  hailed  the  Emancipation  Proclamation  of 
President  Lincoln  as  the  sublimest  achievement  in  the  history 
of  the  American  nation,  cleansing  its  escutcheon  from  the  foul 
stain  upon  it,  and  redeeming  the  people  from  the  rule  of  wily 
tricksters  and  scheming  politicians.  Pauline,  too,  hoped  for 
the  success  of  the  Union  cause.  She  was  truly  and  thoroughly 
loyal ;  but  more  ardently  than  the  defeat  of  the  rebels,  or  the 


A  BEBEL   DOCTOB.  719 

triumph  of  the  government,  did  slie  yearningly  hope  and  pray 
for  the  end  of  the  cruel  war.  She  devoted  much  of  her  time  to 
working  for  fairs  and  charitable  entertainments  in  aid  of  poor 
families  of  soldiers  in  the  field,  and  so  it  came  about  that  she 
was  much  absent  from  home,  to  the  discomfort  of  her  uncle, 
and  the  vexation  of  her  aunt,  who  broadly  hinted  that  charity 
ought  to  begin  at  home.  But  Uncle  Auf  dem  Busch  stoutly 
defended  the  girl  against  any  interference  with  her  charitable 
work,  even  on  the  part  of  the  wife  of  his  bosom.  "Pauline 
has  right,"  he  would  say  in  answer  to  some  stinging  reproof 
of  the  unmaideuliness  of  her  conduct  in  loafing  about  town, 
instead  of  staying  at  home  like  a  well-behaved  young  woman. 
"It  is  Avar;  and  we  must  have  soldiers  to  fight;  and  Pauline 
would  be  a  soldier,  but  she  wears  a  petticoat,  and  so  she  does 
what  she  can,  and  helps  soldiers'  wives  and  families.  Be  you 
glad  that  Pauline  goes  not  off  for  a  soldier's  nurse  in  the 
hospitals." 

Uncle  Auf  dem  Busch  never  dreamt  how  near  the  truth  he 
had  stumbled,  in  holding  out  this  threat  to  his  wife.  For 
Pauline  w^as  deeply  impressed  with  a  sense  of  duty  to  the  brave 
men  who  returned  from  the  field  of  honor  with  mangled  limbs 
and  shattered  health,  and  had  of  late  seriously  contemplated 
the  very  step  to  which  her  uncle  had  alluded. 

But  the  task  involved,  to  her,  a  fearful  sacrifice  of  personal 
inclination.  She  had  a  horror  of  seeing  blood,  and  shuddered 
at  the  thought  of  witnessing  those  painful  operations  that  she 
knew  must  be  common  in  the  hospitals ;  and  she  gravely 
doubted  her  ability  to  be  of  any  use  as  a  nurse.  Some  mis- 
givings, too,  she  had,  whether  it  would  be  right  for  her  to  act 
in  opposition  to  the  wishes  of  her  relatives.  Nor  could  she 
take  counsel  with  any  of  them,  knowing  in  advance  what  their 
advice  would  be. 

While  in  this  frame  of  mind,  she  bethought  herself  of  Gov- 
ernor Rauhenfels,  remembering  the  implicit  confidence  which 
her  uncle  and  brother  placed  in  the  wisdom  of  the  professor, 
and  concluded  that  she  w^ould   oo  to   him  for  advice  as  to  the 


720  THE  liEBEVS  DAUGHTER. 

course  she  ought  to  pursue.  She  therefore  prevailed  upou  her 
brother  to  send  an  escort  with  her  to  the  general's  head- 
quarters. 

Pauline,  as  was  her  way,  came  straight  to  the  point  of  her 
visit,  informing  Governor  Rauhenfels  of  the  promptings  of  her 
conscience,  and  of  her  doubts  and  misgivings. 

"  And  so  you  want  me  to  tell  you  what  is  right  for  you  to 
do?  "  he  asked,  when  she  had  stated  her  case.  "  Then  let  me 
say  to  you,  that  it  is  always  right  to  do  just  what  you  believe 
to  be  right.  Conscience  is  to  you  your  safest  guide,  —  more 
unerring  than  profoundest  Avisdom  of  philosopher.  We  may 
call  it  the  voice  of  God.  You  want  no  higher  authority  for 
your  conduct  than  the  will  of  God?  " 

Pauline  listened  eagerly.  But  a  shade  of  disappointment 
flitted  over  her  face  as  she  answered:  "  Of  course  not!  Only 
tell  me,  what  is  the  voice  of  God?  My  conscience  bids  me 
offer  my  little  mite  of  service  to  the  suffering  heroes  ;  and  is  it 
not  my  conscience,  too,  that  warns  me  not  to  vex  and  grieve 
the  friends  to  whom  I  am  bound  by  the  strongest  ties  of  grati- 
tude and  affection?     Whither,  now,  leads  the  path  of  duty?  " 

"  And  do  you  not  perceive,  that  your  heart  has  decided  the 
question?  You  distinguish  between  duty,  common  as  such 
to  all  mankind,  —  charit}^,  let  us  call  it  —  and  duty  personal 
to  you,  which  you  call  gratitude.  Let  me  make  it  clear  to 
you :  Suppose  your  uncle,  or  brother,  or  even  your  cousin,  had 
espoused  the  Southern  side  in  this  war  —  instances  are  not  rare, 
you  know,  that  brother  and  bi'other,  or  father  and  son,  have 
taken  different  sides  —  and  were  lying  wounded  and  helpless 
in  a  hospital  of  the  enemy  ;  would  you  brave  the  discomfort, 
or  even  the  displeasure  of  the  Federal  authorities,  by  going  to 
comfort  and  assist  him  ?  ' ' 

"  How  can  you  ask  such  a  question!  "  Pauline  replied  with 
a  reproachful  look. 

"Oh,"  said  General  Rauhenfels,  "do  not  think  that  I 
could  for  a  moment  be  in  doubt  what  a  heroic  Antigone  you 
would   prove !     Though   the    penalty  for  high  treason  stared 


A  REBEL   DOCTOR.  721 

you  iu  the  face  for  giving-  '  aid  and  comfort  to  the  euem}',' 
you  would  not  hesitate  to  obey  the  law  which  God  himself  has 
written  in  your  heart,  in  defiance  of  all  the  articles  of  war  and 
drum-head  courts-martial.  But  such  a  crown  of  martyrdom 
awaits  you  not  just  yet.  You  are  to  be  spared  all  responsi- 
bility of  deciding  between  the  claims  of  your  friends  upon 
you,  and  your  duty  to  humanity." 

"  What  can  you  mean?  "  asked  Pauline  wondering. 

"  I  mean  to  bring  a  rebel  prisoner  to  your  house,  who  is  sadly 
wounded,  and  in  need  of  just  such  attention  as  you  can 
bestow.     Was  I  right  in  counting  upon  your  charity?  " 

"  Wounded,  and  a  rebel  prisoner?  "  queried  Pauline, 
regarding  the  general  with  keen,  searching  eyes,  and  slightly 
paling  cheeks. 

"  Wounded,  and  a  rebel  prisoner,"  Rauhenfels  repeated. 

' '  Do  I  know  him  ?     Is  it  —  " 

"*Yes,  of  course  it  is  Captain  Leslie  May,"  said  General 
Rauhenfels,  as  Pauline,  turning  very  red,  hesitated. 

"And  he  is  wounded?  Dangerously?"  Her  voice  was 
tender  with  deep  concern  and  anxiety.  "Oh,  tell  me  — 
where,  where  is  he?  " 

"  We  will  go  to  him  at  once,  and  you  shall  bring  him  the 
news  of  his  release  from  prison.  You  may  also  convey  to 
him  the  invitation  of  your  uncle  to  make  Busch  Bluffs  his 
hospital  during  convalescence.  Use  your  own  judgment  about 
informing  him  who  shall  be  his  nurse." 

Though  eager  to  follow  General  Rauhenfels  to  wherever  Cap- 
tain May  might  be,  she  flinched  for  a  moment  at  the  idea  of 
entering  a  prison.  "  He  is  incarcerated?  "  she  asked,  with  a 
timid  look. 

"In  McDonald's  College,"  said  the  general,  smiling  at  her 
hesitation.  ' '  But  you  need  not  fear  ;  the  college  is  more  of  a  hos- 
pital, just  now,  than  a  prison.  Jiist  imagine  yourself  a  hospital 
nurse  on  duty,  and  you  will  have  coiarage  to  go  anywhere." 

Captain  Leslie  May  was  made  much  of  at  the  villa.     He  was 

4G 


722  THE  EEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

a  prime  favorite  of  Uncle  Auf  clem  Busch  ;  even  Mrs.  Anf  clem 
Busch  conquered  her  prejudice  sufficiently  to  conceal,  or  at 
least  to  make  the  attempt  to  conceal,  her  strong  aversion.  The 
children  had  not  forgotten  him.  It  was  a  treat  to  them  to  be 
permitted  to  go  to  his  room  and  listen  to  the  stories  of  camp 
life  and  of  adventures  on  foraging  expeditions  and  scouting 
service,  which  he  knew  how  to  tell  so  fascinatingly  to  Cousin 
Pauline. 

The  meeting  between  him  and  Pauline  had  been  common- 
place enough,  so  far  as  outward  manifestation  went.  The 
manner  of  the  captive  officer  had  been  cordial  aud  courteous, 
as  his  behavior  toward  Miss  Waldhorst,  liacl  always  been  ;  his 
voice  as  pleasant,  and  his  smile  as  winning  as  of  old.  His  face 
brightened  as  he  saw  Pauline  approach,  accompanied  by  Gen- 
eral Ranhenfels  and  Captain  Waldhorst,  Doctor  McDonald 
bringing  up  the  rear.  The  young  lady,  though  her  heart  beat 
wildly  and  the  hand  she  extended  to  the  invalid  was  rather 
unsteady,  sufficiently  controlled  herself  to  avoid  the  outward 
sbow  of  emotion  that  agitated  her  bosom. 

"  I  am  very  glad  to  see  you.  Captain  May,"  she  said,  in  a 
tolerably  firm  voice.  "  Ver^' glad,  indeed  ;  and  proud  to  see 
you  bear  up  so  bravely  under  the  misfortune  which  has  over- 
taken you." 

"Ah,  Miss  ^Yaldhorst,"  he  replied,  seizing  and  pressing 
with  joyous  c^andor  the  hand  she  held  out  to  him,  "  surely, 
that  is  not  a  misfortune  which  has  protuired  for  me  the  excpii- 
site  pleasure  of  this  visit  from  you,  and  assured  me  of  the 
sympathy  of  so  fair  an  enemy." 

"  And  you,  Victor,"  he  added,  turning  to  Pauline's  brother, 
whose  hand  he  grasped  in  both  his  own,  "  you  make  me  in  all 
things  forever  your  debtor." 

'•  Nay,  Leslie,"  Victor  rejoined,  "  say  not  so.  What  1 
have  done,  I  did  not  for  you,  but  simply  in  the  discharge  of 
duty :  though  all  I  ever  could  do  for  you  would  not  discharge 
the  debt  of  gratitude  I  owe  to  you  and  yours." 

''Have    done   bandying   compliments!  "    said  the  general. 


A   liEBEL   DOCTOR.  723 

stepping  up  to  Leslie's  bedside  and  taking  his  turn  in  shaking 
hands  with  him  while  the  doctor  looked  on,  smiling.  "  To 
listen  to  j^our  gushing,  one  might  forget  that  you  are  sworn 
foemen,  and  wait  but  the  opportunity  to  take  each  other's 
life." 

"  General,"  said  Leslie,  with  a  sad  smile,  "  it  does  not  look 
like  3'ou  to  triumph  over  a  vanquished  enemy.  I  am  3'our 
prisoner." 

"  You  are  no  longer  a  prisoner.  Captain  May,"  said  Pauline 
blushing.  "Governor  Rauhenfels  has  commissioned  me  to 
inform  you  that  you  are  to  be  exchanged  ;  and  that  until  then 
you  are  to  be  released  from  custody." 

"  Not  quite  that,"  the  general  broke  in.  "  Mr.  May  is  a 
soldier,  and  understands  that  he  can  be  released  only  on 
parole.  You  are  to  pledge  your  word,  sir,  that  you  will  not 
attempt  to  escape  from  the  custody  of  Pauline  Waldhorst,  or 
such  jailer,  as  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch  may  place  over  you.  He 
is,  from  this  time  on,  responsible  to  the  authorities  for  your 
safety  until  the  exchange  may  be  consummated." 

"  Nay,  Governor  Rauhenfels,"  Pauline  protested,  with  smil- 
ing lips  and  a  beseeching  glance,  "  such  is  not  the  compact 
between  us.  You  distinctly  authorized  me  to  announce  to 
Captain  May  his  unconditional  release.  If  he  will  accept 
Uncle  Auf  dem  Buseh's  invitation  to  make  our  house  his  home 
until  restored  to  perfect  health,  he  shall  be  an  honored  guest, 
not  a  prisoner  under  espionage." 

"  The  young  lady  is  right,"  Doctor  McDonald  broke  in,  re- 
garding Pauline  with  an  admiring  look.  ' '  She  understands  our 
Dutch  Dictator  better  thau  to  believe  him  capable  of  doing 
things  by  halves.  And  I  honor  her  for  the  graceful  interpre- 
tation of  his  rude  generosity.  As  if  Captain  May  could  wish 
to  escape  from  such  charming  hospitality !  —  But  there  is  one 
thing  wanting  to  complete  your  gracious  intention,"  he  added, 
addi'essiug  the  general.  "  I  want  you  to  \n\t  me  under  parole, 
for  such  a  time  only  as  may  be  necessary  for  me  to  continue 
the  treatment  of  the  captain's  case.     For,  you  see,  I  must  ap- 


724  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

pease  my  conscieuee  for  having  put  so  manj'  cussed  Yaukees  on 
their  feet  to  fight  the  Confederacy ;  and  I  mean  to  do  so  by 
restoring  to  her  a  specimen  of  manhood  that  same  day  is  going 
to  be  her  ablest  general,  —  an  American  Napoleon,  sir,  that 
ill  encounter  no  Wellington  nor  Blucher!  " 

So  Leslie  May  has  become  an  inmate  of  the  Auf  demliiisch 
mansion.  He  is  waited  on  by  Pauline  Waldhorst,  whose  skill 
as  a  sick-nurse  excites  the  admiration  of  Doctor  McDonald, 
and  elicits  from  him  the  confession  that  she  is  his  most  eliicent 
ally  in  combating  the  patient's  ailments.  Yet,  though  lavish  in 
his  praises,  he  insists  most  strenuously  on  exactest  observance 
of  his  minutest  directions;  whereat  Pauline  wonders.  For 
Captain  May  is  in  the  best  possible  si)irits,  so  that  it  is  hai'dly 
conceivable  that  his  wounds,  which  are  healing  so  finely,  should 
occasion  anxiety  in  the  doctor's  mind.  He  tyrannizes  over  his 
fair  attendant  in  a  masterful  fashion,  issuing  his  commands 
with  a  perem})toriousness  of  which  there  seems  no  need  ;  for 
Pauline  is  but  too  ready  in  anticipating  his  slightest  wish,  often 
gratifying  his  desire  before  he  has  formulated  it  in  his  own 
mind.  His  presence  so  vividly  recalls  the  memorable  days  be- 
fore the  war,  when  the  young  lawyer  was  a  frequent  visitor  at 
Busch  Bluff,  and  she  was  learning  from  him  the  astonishing 
lesson  that  she  could  not  marry  her  cousin  Woldemar,  though 
Leslie  spoke  to  her  no  word  of  love.  Nor  does  he  speak  of  love 
now.  But  his  eyes  sparkle  when  he  looks  at  her,  and  his  smile 
sends  a  thrill  of  joy  through  her  heart ;  and  with  all  of  his  ex- 
acting tyranny  his  smiles  are  frequent  and  his  eyes  speak  an 
eloquent  language,  though  his  lips  remain  silent  on  the  subject 
so  near  to  her  thoughts,  and  Pauline  is  happy  in  the  joyful 
discharge  of  her  duties  as  nurse. 

Y'et  her  serenity  is  not  without  its  soupc^on  of  anxiety.  For 
Doctor  McDonald's  visits  grow  more  frequent  and  he  spends 
many  an  hour  at  the  patient's  bedside.  Though  he  entertains 
both  him  and  his  nurse  with  the  pleasantest  chat,  giving 
humorous  accounts  of  his  experiences   at  the  prison   hospital. 


A   BEBEL   DOCTOR.  725 

interposed,  now  and  then,  with  characteristic  anecdotes  gleaned 
from  the  lips  of  the  wounded  warriors,  yet  Pauline  notes  that, 
though  his  lips  smile  encouragingly  while  readjusting  the  band- 
ages, there  lurks^  sober  look  in  his  eyes  after  examining  the 
wounded  knee. 

One  day,  during  an  unusually  lively  conversation  at  the  bed- 
side, in  which  Pauline's  uncle  took  part,  the  doctor  turned 
abruptly  to  the  old  gentleman  with  the  question  whether  he 
knew  Dr.  Martell. 

"  Sure  I  know  Dr.  Martell!  "  the  latter  replied,  with  a  com- 
plaisant chuckle.  "  Who  knows  not  Dr.  Martell?  He  says, 
Martell  means  hammer ;  and  so  we  call  him  Sledgehammer  in 
our  Skat-club,  because  he  hammers  the  table  hard  when  he 
wants  to  win  a  trick  with  a  big  matador.  And  on  the  'Change 
we  call  him  Hophammer,  because  he  is  always  in  a  row  with 
brewers,  who,  he  says,  ruin  the  reputation  of  our  beer  by  using 
a  surrogate  for  hops." 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  that  he  plays  cards,  do  you?  " 

' '  Plays  cards  ?  He  is  king  at  the  Skat-club !  ' '  Auf  dem 
Busch  exclaimed.  "He  tells  everybody  how  he  must  play; 
and  when  they  don't  play  like  he  tells  them  they  win,  and  he 
loses,  and  scolds  them  because  they  would  lose  and  he  would 
win  if  they  played  right.  Oh,  you  just  ask  him  if  he  knows 
how  to  play  skat !  ' ' 

"  Well,  I  did  not  know  that  he  is  an  adept  at  cards,"  the 
doctor  rejoined  ;  "  but  he  is  certainly  the  boss  in  our  Medical 
Society,  and  is  a  rough  customer  if  you  don't  happen  to  agree 
with  his  theories.  I  mentioned  his  name,  because  I  would  like 
to  get  your  permission  to  introduce  him  to  our  patient.  He  is 
very  high  authority  on  surgery,  and  always  eager  to  augment 
his  stock  of  experience.  It  was  on  that  account  only  that  he 
accepted  a  commission  from  the  Dutch  Dictator  to  inspect  and 
report  to  him  the  condition  of  our  hospital-prison.  And  as  I 
accompanied  him  on  his  round,  I  happened  to  mention  the  ease 
of  our  captain,  here,  which  presents  some  points  of  interest, 
on    account   of  the  marvelous  readiness   with   which   a  badlv 


726  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

fractured  knee-joint  yielded  to  surgical  treatment,  after  a  neg- 
lect of  so  many  hours.  He  naturally  wished  to  see  for  himself 
a  patient  of  such  vigorous  coustitutioji ;  and  if  no  one  objects,  I 
mean  to  bring  him  with  me  this  afternoon." 

"  Fetch  him  along!  "  assented  the  patient.  "  I  am  curious 
to  see  the  king  of  a  card-club  and  the  boss  of  the  Medical 
Society." 

"Yes,  bring  him  with  you!  "  said  Uncle  Auf  dem  Busch. 
"  But  look  you  out,  how  he  will  wash  your  head,  if  he  finds 
out  that  you  have  cured  the  captain  not  by  his  rule.  He  will 
scold  you  like  a  fish-woman  when  you  won't  buy  her  stale 
fish." 

"  Never  fret  about  Doctor  McDonald's  getting  a  tongue 
lashing!  "  said  Leslie,  with  a  merry  twinkle  of  his  eye.  "  If 
there  is  to  be  any  clapper-clawing,  I  will  back  Doctor  McDon- 
ald at  liberal  odds.  Let  the  Hammer-Doctor  look  to  his 
laurels." 

"  Then  it  shall  be  the  clash  of  flint  and  steel,"  the  old  gen- 
tleman remarked,  "  and  we  shall  see  the  sparks,  fly.  Better 
Pauline  have  some  cotton  ready  for  the  captain  to  put  in 
his  ear,  if  the  doctor's  consultation  be  too  caustic  for  his 
nerves." 

Pauline  Waldhorst  has  listened  to  the  conversation  with 
anxious  ears.  Her  heart  is  heavy.  The  doctor's  amused 
smile  over  Auf  dem  Busch's  remarks  has  not  deceived  her. 
She  suspected  at  once  that  his  object  in  mentioning  Leslie's 
case  to  Dr.  Martell  had  been  to  obtain  the  opinion  of  the  latter 
touching  Leslie's  wound,  and  the  casual  mention  by  her  uncle 
of  the  word  consultation  struck  terror  into  her  heart.  But  she 
did  not  hint  to  any  one  the  suspicion  that  troubled  her,  for 
fear  that  if  the  patient  became  aware  of  it,  he  might  take  alarm, 
Avhich  would  affect  him  injuriously. 

Her  worst  fears  proved  too  well  founded  when,  in  the 
early  afternoon,  the  two  doctors  jointly  visited  the  patient. 
There  was  no  scolding  or  (piarreling  between  them,  nor,  indeed, 
the  slightest  difference  of  opinion :   but  Pauline  turned  deathly 


A  BEBEL   DOCrOB.  727 

pale,  when  she  saw  the  eager  look  on  Doctor  McDonald's  face 
as  Doctor  Martell  examined  the  wound  on  the  patient's  knee, 
and  noticed  the  swift  glance  of  intelligence  between  them  that 
followed  the  examination. 

"  I  think  you  are  jjerfectly  correct  in  your  diagnosis,"  said 
Doctor  Martell,  "  and  I  believe  there  is  no  time  to  lose,  if  his 
life  is  to  be  saved." 

Doctor  McDonald  looked,  with  a  sober  face,  first  at  his 
patient,  then  at  Miss  Waldhorst.  "  You  are  a  brave  woman," 
he  said.  "And  you  know  the  captain  to  be  a  brave  man. 
He  is  going  to  give  you  a  higher  proof  of  genuine  manhood 
than  is  required  to  court  the  death  of  a  hero  on  the  battle  field, 
by  submitting  to  the  inevitable  with  courageous  grace." 

"  What  do  you  mean?  "  Leslie  exclaimed,  belying  the  doc- 
tor's praise  of  his  fortitude  by  the  alarm  depicted  in  his  paling 
features. 

"He  means,"  said  Doctor  Martell,  with  cruel  precision, 
' '  that  we  are  going  to  perform  an  operation  in  preservation  of 
your  life." 

"  To  save  my  life  !  "  cried  Leslie,  in  genuine  horror,  looking 
from  one  of  the  doctors  to  the  other.  "  You  don't  tell  me, 
that  there  is  any  danger  to  my  life  from  that  scratch  on  my 
knee?" 

Pauline's  pallor  increased,  if  possible,  but  she  neither 
screamed   nor  fainted. 

"  That  scratch  on  your  knee,"  said  Doctor  McDonald,  "  is 
the  puncture  made  by  a  miunie  ball  which  has  fractured  a  part 
of  the  kneepan  and  torn  its  way  through  the  ligaments  and 
tendons.  It  is  possible  that  an  overworked  surgeon  put  on 
the  bandage  a  little  too  tightly,  or  awkwardly,  — at  any  rate, 
necrosis  has  set  in  and  must  prove  fatal,  unless  the  affected 
part  be  removed.  ^Ve  can  do  this  without  much  pain  to  you 
by  putting  you  under  the  influence  of  an  auiesthetic." 

"  Amesthetic  be  d — d!"  the  patient  exclaimed  angrily. 
"  Am  I  a  puling  babe,  that  I  should  faint  at  sight  of  the  sur- 
geon's knife?     Cut  away  to  your  heart's  content,  if  you've  got 


728  TEE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

to  remove  that  necrosis,  as  you  call  it,  but  don't  you  dose  me 
with  your  chloroform,  as  I've  seen  you  do  with  some  of  the 
poor  fellows  at  the  hospital." 

Doctor  Martell  stepped  up  to  the  bedside  and  spoke  in  a  calm 
but  authoritative  voice:  "  Of  course,  sir,  you  shall  do  as  you 
please.  But  I  give  it  as  my  opinion,  that  you  had  better 
follow,  our  advice  about  the  anaesthetic.  I  am  quite  sure  that 
you  are  too  brave  to  flinch  on  the  application  of  the  scalpel ; 
but  the  men  are  rare  indeed  with  nerve  enough  to  stand  the  use 
of  the  saw." 

Doctor  McDonald,  who  had  been  keenly  watching  the  patient, 
nodded  approvingly,  while  Pauline,  shuddering,  covered  her 
face  with  both  her  hands. 

But  Leslie  bolted  into  a  sitting  posture.  "Saw?"  he 
screamed,  regarding  the  doctors  with  indignant  surprise. 
' '  What  do  you  want  with  a  saw  ? ' ' 

"Think,  sir!  "  said  Doctor  Martell.  "  We  cannot  sever 
the  femur  with  the  scalpel." 

"  But  why  do  you  want  to  sever  the  femur?  There  is  noth- 
ing the  matter  with  the  bone,  is  there?  " 

"  There  is  this  the  matter  with  the  bone,"  the  doctor  an- 
swered, incisively,  "  that  unless  we  sever  it  above  the  knee- 
joint,  the  mortification  will  extend  until  it  reaches  some  artery 
or  vital  part,  and  human  skill  will  not  avail  to  save  your  life." 

Doctor  McDonald  took  his  eyes  from  the  patient,  and  re- 
garded Pauline,  who  stood  as  if  petrified  with  horror. 

On  Leslie,  the  doctor's  words  had  a  different  effect.  The 
color,  which  had  for  a  moment  forsaken  his  face,  returned  with 
double  intensity.  "There  shall  be  no  amputation!"  he 
shouted,  with  angry  emphasis.  "You  doctors  are  a  set  of 
unmitigated  humbugs!  I  don't  believe  a  word  of  your  cock- 
and-bull-story  about  mortification  and  necrosis*.  There  is 
neither  pain,  nor  fever,  nor  inflammation,  about  that  wound." 

' '  That  is  the  most  alarming  sympton  of  your  danger !  ' ' 
said  Doctor  McDonald,  a  tinge  of  regret  audible  in  his  voice 
in  spite  of  his  effort  to  appear  composed. 


Pauline,  kneeling  by  the  bedside,  took  one  of  his  hands 
in  both  her  own. 


A   BE  BEL   DOC  TOE.  729 

"  Miss  Waldhorst,"  said  the  patient,  in  a  voice  that  blended 
entreaty  with  peremptory  command,  "  please  bring  me  my  re- 
volver. I  give  yon  fair  warning,  that  I  will  shoot  the  first 
man  that  approaches  to  take  off  my  leg.  Look  out  for  other 
shambles  to  do  your  butchering  in  !  " 

"  Miss  Waldhorst,"  Doctor  McDonald  addressed  the  young 
lady,  "  I  am  certain,  and  so  is  my  colleague,  that  a  delay  of  a 
few  hours  must  prove  fatal  to  the  patient.  If  I  am  not  very 
much  mistaken,  his  life  lies  in  your  hands.  Persuade  him  to 
submit  to  the  operation,  and  his  recovery  is  assured,  a  human 
life  rescued,  a  future  full  of  promise  to  the  world  and  of  honor 
and  distinction  to  our  young  friend  here  redeemed  from  the 
clutches  of  the  fell  destroyer !  Will  you  use  your  influence  to 
bring  about  so  desirable  a  result?  " 

"  Don't  give  yourself  any  trouble,  Miss  Waldhorst!  "  said 
Leslie,  his  eyes  beginning  to  show  the  sparkle  of  feverish  ex- 
citement. "  Ha,  ha,  ha,"  he  broke  into  derisive  laughter. 
"  The  irony  of  fate,  that  you,  of  all  persons  on  earth,  should 
be  selected  to  impress  upou  me  the  necessity  of  having  me 
made  a  cripple !  I  imagine  myself  hobbling  into  a  drawing- 
room  on  a  wooden  peg,  making  lopsided  bows  to  Miss  Shannon, 
or  Miss  Matlack,  or  some  other  gushing  beauty,  smiling  super- 
cilious contempt,  or  even  pity  —  faugh!  Don't  —  don't!" 
he  cried,  waving  her  off  with  energetic  motion  of  his  hand,  as 
Pauline  approached,  pale  as  death,  but  nerving  herself  bravely 
for  the  effort  to  be  made.  "  I  tell  you  I  will  not  submit !  You 
might  with  better  grace  ask  me  to  commit  suicide !  ' ' 

"  That  is  precisely  what  you  are  doing,  sir!  "  said  Doctor 
Martell,  with  deliberate  emphasis:  "You  are  committing 
intentional,  cowardly  suicide  by  your  puerile  obstinacy.  Yes, 
cowardly,  I  say,"  he  repeated  as  Leslie  winced  at  the  stinging 
reproof.  ' '  Who  but  a  coward  would  slink  away  from  a  post 
intrusted  to  his  keeping,  and  shirk  duty,  because  it  is 
irksome." 

Pauline,  kneeling  by  the  bedside,  took  one  of  his  hands  in 
both  her  own,  and,  looking  into  his  eyes  with  pathetic  appeal. 


730  THE  EE BEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

made  eloquent  by  the  unspoken  love  that  moved  her,  said : 
"  Oh,  Mr.  May!  Why  do  you  deny  your  own  noble  nature? 
Why  let  strangers  suspect  your  fortitude  and  lion-like  courage  ? 
I  know  you  better.  I  know,  that  but  a  thought  of  your  father 
and  mother,  to  whom  you  are  dearer  than  life,  or  of  your 
sister,  who  idolizes  you,  will  brace  your  will  to  smile  at  the 
trial  before  you.  Because  you  know  that  your  death  would 
cast  a  shadow  on  their  lives  far  darker  than  the  fanciful 
troubles  you  are  conjuring  up  for  yourself." 

"Oh,  Pauline!  What  a  woman  you  are!  "  said  Leslie, 
with  a  look  and  voice  that  thrilled  her  to  the  soul.  "  What  a 
hero  you  make  of  me,  and  what  a  cur  I  have  been  to  you ! 
But,  woman  as  you  are,  you  would  learn  to  despise  me,  if  I 
were  base  enough  to  profit  by  your  generous  sympathy,  and 
most  of  all  I  would  have  to  despise  myself  for  the  rest  of  my 
life.  No,  no,  Pauline!  Give  yourself  no  further  trouble  in 
this  matter:  if  I  cannot  be  a  whole  man, — why,  then  it  is 
better  all  round  that  I  should  make  room  for  one  who  is." 

Notwithstanding  the  patient's  peremptory  negative,  the 
doctors  interchanged  a  look  of  encouragement,  as  if  to  say  that 
the  prospect  was  improving.  And  it  is  not  improbable  that 
the  united  efforts  of  Pauline  and  the  physicians  might  have 
succeeded  finally,  even  without  the  powerful  influence  brought 
to  bear  upon  him  by  the  appearance  of  a  new  guest  at  Busch 
Bluff. 


XLV. 

SISTERS   AND   BROTHERS. 

NCLE  AUF  DEM  BUSCH  had  absented  himself  from 
the  sick  room  when  Dr.  Martell  entered  it.  He  sat  in  the 
library,  reading  an  interesting  article  on  the  war,  when 
the  sound  of  approaching  carriage  wheels,  stopping  just  in 
front  of  the  grounds,  caught  his  ear.  On  looking  up  he  recog- 
nized the  gi'acef ul  figure  of  Nellie  May  as  she  stepped  from  the 
carriage  door,  and,  followed  by  the  girl  Cressie,  who  carried  a 
formidable  satchel,  hurried  up  the  gravel  path  toward  the 
house.  The  old  gentleman  rose  alertly  and  met  them  at  the 
door,  his  face  beaming  a  cheerful  welcome. 

"  Ah,  Miss  May!  "  he  exclaimed,  seizing  her  hand  in  both 
his  own  and  giving  it  a  cordial  squeeze.  "  It  makes  me 
great  joy  that  you  honor  us  with  your  visit.  I  am  happy  to 
see  you  safely  here,  but  it  frightens  me  to  think  how  you  were 
in  danger  to  travel  through  all  the  military !  ' ' 

"How  very  kind  you  are,  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch !  "  said 
Nellie,  smiling  gratefully,  "  You  cannot  imagine  how  glad  I 
am  to  be  here,  at  last,  after  such  a  journey!  I  was  fully  a 
week  on  the  way  from  Brooklield,  and  it  will  take  me  a  week 
to  recount  all  the  adventures  we  ran,  the  rebuffs  we  met  from 
the  soldiers,  the  difficulties  we  encountered  among  our  friends 
as  well  as  among  our  enemies!  Many  of  the  latter  were,  in- 
deed, more  considerate  and  courteous  toward  us  than  our  own 
people.  And  oh,  how  relieved  I  felt  when  they  told  me  at  that 
horrid  hospital  that  my  brother  had  been  brought  here  among 
such  kind  friends  !  ' ' 

"  Yes,"  the  old  gentleman  replied,  with  a  smile  and  a  sly 
wink,  "  Pauline  is  good  to  him.  She  cares  that  he  misses 
nothing.     She  is  up  in  his  room  now,  with  the  doctors." 

(731) 


732  THE  BEBEU8  DAUGHTER. 

"Doctors?"  Nellie  repeated  in  great  alarm.  "  Oh,  tell 
me,  is  he  so  badly  off  as  to  require  more  than  one  physician?  " 

"  Fear  you  nothing!  "  Uncle  Auf  dem  Busch  assured  her. 
"  It  is  some  nonsense  of  Doctor  McDonald.  He  is  so  proud  of 
his  patient,  and  how  soon  he  made  him  well,  that  he  would 
show  him  to  his  colleague,  the  boss  surgeon.  I  guess  you  will 
like  to  see  your  brother  ;  I  will  call  my  wife  to  show  you  your 
room,  and  then  Pauline  shall  take  you  to  the  captain,  and  the 
doctors,  if  they  be  yet  there." 

"  Oh,  please  take  me  to  his  room  at  once!  "  Nellie  begged 
of  him ,     "I  am  so  anxious  to  see  him  !  ' ' 

"  Of  course!  "  said  Uncle  Auf  dem  Busch.  '•'  Just  excuse 
me  a  moment ;  I  will  call  a  servant  to  take  Cressie  to  your 
room.  Cressie,"  he  added,  turning  to  the  octoroon,  who 
stood  waiting,  "  it  joys  me  to  see  you  in  my  house,  so  I  can 
thank  you  for  your  kind  waiting  on  us  last  year." 

Nellie  entered  the  sick-room  just  after  Leslie's  answer  to 
Pauline's  appeal.  A  glance  sufficed  to  make  the  situation  clear 
to  her.  Her  cheeks  paled  as  she  advanced  to  the  bedside,  but 
she  smiled  bravely  as  she  embraced  the  patient,  and  then,  after 
tenderly  kissing  him,  inquired,  in  a  cheerful  voice,  how  he  was 
doing. 

-'  Why,  Nell,"  the  patient  answered,  "  you  have  come  jp.st 
in  the  nick  of  time !  Save  me  from  the  clutches  of  these 
butchers  !  They  Avant  to  mutilate  me  —  stop  them  !  Miss 
Waldhorst  —  can  you  believe  it  ?  —  has  gone  over  to  my 
enemies!  "  And  with  an  attempt  at  a  reproachful  smile  he 
added,  casting  a  pathetic  glance  toward  Pauline,  "  that  is  the 
most  unkindest  cut  of  all!  " 

"I  am  afraid  you  have  been  a  naughty  boy!  "  said  Nellie, 
lighting  down  the  tears  that  made  her  eyelids  heavy.  "  If 
Miss  Waldhorst  has  scolded  you,  you  surely  deserved  it." 
Then,  turning  a  cheerful  look  on  the  latter,  she  added,  "  now, 
hasn't  he,  Pauline?  " 

But  Pauline's  heart  was  too  heavy  to  make  it  possible  for  her 
to  answer  in  the  vein  of  badinaoe.     She  threw  her  arms  about 


SISTEBS  AND   BROTHERS.  733 

Nellie's  neck  and  impulsively  kissed  her.  "  Save  him!  "  she 
sobbed  ;  '•  oh,  Nellie,  save  him !  The  doctors  say  that  nothing 
but  an  amputation  will  save  him  from  certain  death!  " 

''  Tlie  young  lady  is  right,"  said  Doctor  McDonald,  in 
answer  to  the  swift  look  of  interrogation  Nellie  cast  in  tlie 
direction  of  the  physicians.  "  Nothing  but  innnediate  ampu- 
tation can  arrest  the  progress  of  mortification,  which  is  swiftly 
destroying  him." 

"  Is  that  all?  "  said  Nellie,  regarding  her  brother  with  a 
look  so  cheerfully  bright,  that  it  seemed  as  if  she  had  heard 
a  piece  of  gpod'news.  "  Why,  Leslie,  I  am  sure  that  you 
don't  mean  to  give  these  two  gentlemen  the  impression  that 
you  are  afraid  of  a  surgeon,  or  even  of  two  of  them !  Some- 
how I  got  the  notion  from  your  letter,  that  a  whole  regiment 
of  hostile  skirmishers  bearing  down  on  you  could  not  scare 
you.  You  can't  imagine,  how  proud  that  letter  made  me  of 
my  brother !  Now  you  are  not  going  to  make  me  feel  that  I 
ought  to  blush  for  you?  " 

''  Confound  these  women!  "  exclaimed  the  patient  irritably, 
"  They  are  all  alike!  Can't  you  understand  that  it  is  not  the 
surgeon's  knife  that  I  am  afraid  of,  —  nor  even  of  their  saw, 
confound  them  !  —  but  —  " 

"Yes,  Leslie,  I  can,  and  do,  understand!  And  so  does 
Pauline,  I  know.  We  both  understand  that  it  is  not  the  pain 
you  are  afraid  of,  but  the  contemplation  of  the  figure  you 
would  cut  in  a  ball  room.  But  we  also  know  that  your  gal- 
lantry will  never  permit  you  to  grudge  your  country  the  sac- 
rifice it  exacts  from  a  true  hero.  The  courage  to  look  death 
in  the  face  on  the  battle-field  you  have  proved:  I  know,  that 
as  a  true  Virginian  you  will  not  shrink  from  the  far  greater 
sacrifice  of  your  personal  vanity.  Think,  my  brother,  that  it 
is  your  duty  to  preserve  your  life  for  the  protection  of  the 
bleeding  South!  And  if  it  is  any  comfort  to  you,  i-emember, 
that  your  appearance  even  in  a  ball  room  with  an  artificial 
limb  will  win  you  the  admiration,  the  gratitude,  and  the  heart  of 
everv  true  Southern  woman,  whose  smile  is  worth  the  courting !  " 


734  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

Whether  it  was  that  Nellie  had  touched  the  right  key  to 
which  Leslie's  soul  responded,  or  whether  Pauline's  pathetic 
face  was  softening  his  heart,  or  whether  his  firmness  gave  way 
before  the  combined  assault  upon  him  by  the  physicians  and 
the  ladies,  —  the  patient  no  longer  resisted.  "  Yes,"  he  said, 
smiling  faintly,  "  a  redhot  she-rebel  might  smile  at  me  for  the 
loss  of  my  leg  in  the  service  of  the  Confederacy.  Miss  Mat- 
lack  would,  I  guess;  and  perhaps  Miss  Shannon.  But,"  he 
added,  "what  chance  would  I  stand  before  a  Northern 
belle  ?  ' ' 

Pauline,  though  the  latter  words  were  addressed  squarely  to 
her,  and  accompanied  by  an  eager,  though  smiling  look,  made 
no  reply,  but  dropped  her  eyes  before  his,  blushing  violently. 
He  seemed  to  accept  her  silence  as  a  sufficient  answer,  how- 
ever ;  for  he  turned  upon  both  the  ladies  with  a  stern  look  and 
cried,  in  a  voice  of  mock  severity,  "  Clear  out,  now!  Let  the 
doctors  begin  their  bloody  work.  But  I  don't  want  you  hanging 
around,  haunting  me  with  your  looks  of  pity  and  regret.  Go, 
now !  Clear  out !  When  the  doctors  are  through  with  me, 
you  may  come  back,  both  of  you,  and  coddle,  to  your  heart's 
content,  what  will  be  left  of  me." 

"  When  we  return,"  said  Nellie,  regarding  him  with  a  look 
of  sisterly  affection  and  pride,  "  it  will  be  to  pay  homage  to  as 
gallant  a  soldier  as  ever  drew  sword  for  the  glorious  South." 

Pauline's  heart  was  buoyant  with  newly  found  hope  and 
joy.  Her  eyes  beamed  with  a  new  light  as  they  fondly  rested, 
for  a  moment,  on  the  sufferer's  face,  before,  hand  in  hand,  the 
two  left  the  room. 

"  By  Jupiter  and  all  the  goddesses!"  Doctor  McDonald 
exclaimed,  as  soon  as  the  door  closed  behind  them.  "  If  I 
were  as  young  a  man  as  I  once  was,  I  believe  1  would  storm 
a  hostile  battery  for  such  a  look  and  such  a  kiss." 

"That  sister  is  a  superb  woman,"  said  Doctor  Martell. 
"No  wonder  that  the  impressible  hotheads  of  the  South  are 
incited  to  fierce  enthusiasm  by  such  alluring  sirens  I  " 

"  Aha  !  a  superb  woman  indeed  !  "  the  rebel  doctor  chuckled. 


SISTERS  AND  BROTHERS.  735 

rubbing  his  hands  and  smiling  triumphantl3^  "  She  is  a  fair 
specimen  of  the  kind  of  women  the  South  produces.  But  that 
Northern  belle,  as  our  young  friend  here  called  his  sweet- 
heart,—  you  don't  mind  my  calling  her  your  sweetheart?  — 
(addressing  this  remark  to  the  patient,  then  continuing  to  his 
colleague)  takes  my  fancy.  Our  gallant  captain  had  his  wits 
about  him  when  he  laid  siege  to  so  fair  a  fortress  of  the 
enemy." 

"  Come,  gentlemen,  get  to  your  work,  if  you  are  going  to 
do  it!  "  the  patient  growled,  frowning,  as  if  not  pleased  with 
the  conversation,  and  disdaining  to  conceal  his  feverish  im- 
patience. 

*  *  * 

The  operation  had  been  successfully  performed.  The  doc- 
tors remained  with  the  patient  until  late  in  the  evening,  pre- 
scribing an  opiate  when  they  left,  and  returned  early  next 
morning,  bringing  a  professional  sick-nurse  with  them,  whom 
they  installed  as  commander  in  charge  of  the  sick-room.  Con- 
versation with  the  patient  was  strictly  inhibited,  even  his  sister 
and  Pauline  were  not  to  be  admitted  to  the  sick-chamber.  All 
the  inmates  of  the  house  had  been  given  to  understand  that  it 
would  be  well  for  the  patient  if  they  avoided  it  altogether. 

Nellie  had,  at  her  own  request,  been  quartered  in  Pauline's 
room  ;  and  the  two  girls  utilized  to  the  utmost  the  leisure  thus 
afforded  for  an  interchange  of  experiences  and  confidences. 
Nellie  learned  many  facts  about  the  war  that  were  new  to  her. 
Some  of  Pauline's  statements  and  opinions  she  received  with 
skeptical  smiles  ;  and  in  turn  Pauline  opened  wide  her  eyes  on 
hearing  Nellie's  views  on  the  military  successes  of  the  bellig- 
erent armies,  and  the  probable  outcome  of  the  war.  But  though 
both  maintained  strong  faith  in  the  justice  of  their  resjjective 
causes,  there  was  perfect  accord  between  them  in  respecting 
each  other's  motives,  and  the  sincerity  of  each  other's  convic- 
tions. Pauline  was  astonished,  on  one  occasion,  to  hear  Nellie 
regret  that  she  had  ever  been  secretly  pleased  at  the  outbi'eak 
of  actual  hostilities,  just  because  she  had  been  so  thoroughly 


736  THE  REBEL'S  DAUQHTEB. 

sure  of  the  superiority  of  the  South,  and  wished  to  see  the 
North  humiliated  before  the  world. 

Conversation,  of  course,  touched  upon  the  respective 
brothers  of  the  friends.  Pauline  was  eloquent  in  praise  of 
Victor's  improved  bearing  in  consequence  of  his  military 
training,  and  Nellie  skillfully  drew  her  out,  so  as  to  obtain 
from  her  the  most  minute  circumstances  regarding  his  sur- 
roundings, occupation  and  prospects,  so  far  as  they  were 
known  by  the  sister ;  and  she  did  this  without  in  the  least 
betraying  the  dej)th  of  her  own  feelings.  Pauline  was  equally 
eager  to  hear  about  Leslie  May,  and  never  wearied  of  asking 
questions ;  but  she  did  not  possess  Nellie's  skill  to  conceal  the 
passion  that  engrossed  her  heart.  The  latter  read  her  secret 
as  in  an  open  book,  displayed  in  glaring  capitals.  The  only 
point  on  which  she  remained  in  the  dark  was  how  far  her 
brother  might  have  committed  himself ;  and  this  she  failed  to 
learn,  because  Pauline  herself  did. not  possess  the  information. 

Pearly  in  the  afternoon  their  conversation  was  interrupted  by 
the  entrance  of  Cressie,  who  handed  her  mistress  a  card. 
Pauline  observed  a  nervous  agitation  in  the  octoroon's  be- 
havior, and  a  swift  change  in  Nellie's  face, — the  faintest 
touch  of  a  blush,  and  only  for  half  a  second  —  before  she 
turned  smilingly  to  Pauline,  her  eyes  still  on  the  card. 

"  It  is  your  brother,  Pauline,"  she  said.  "  I  suppose  you 
must  go  down  to  receive  him." 

"  I?  "  Pauline  exclaimed,  emphasizing  the  pronoun.  "  The 
idea!     As  if  Victor  would  send  in  a  card  to  me !  " 

"  Major  Waldhorst  asked  expressly  to  see  Miss  May,"  the 
octoroon  explained. 

"  Of  course!  "  added  Pauline.  "Run  down,  Nellie,  and 
don't  grieve  him  by  letting  him  see  that  his  visit  annoys  you." 

"Annoys  me!  "  the  young  lady  repeated,  smiling  signifi- 
cantly at  the  slave  gii'l. 

Major  Waldhorst,  meanwhile,  measures  the  parlor  floor  with 
impatient  step.  He  had,  on  hearing  of  the  presence  of  Nellie 
May  at  Busch  Bluff,  presumed  upon  the  favor  of  the  command- 


SISTERS  AND   BROTREBS.  737 

iug  geueitil  to  tlie  extent  of  coercing  from  him  leave  of  absence 
for  the  rest  of  the  day,  by  threatening  open  insubordination  in 
case  of  refusal,  "  Go,  then,"  the  general  had  finally  said; 
"you  are  bent  on  a  fool's  errand;  go,  and  reap  a  fool's 
reward."  And  Victor,  though  hurt  at  what  seemed  to  him  the 
general's  cynical  mood,  was  too  deeply  engrossed  by  the  pros- 
pect of  meeting  Xellie  to  ponder  on  the  meaning  of  the  strange 
remark,  and  had  set  out  on  his  visit  without  a  moment's 
delay. 

Nellie's  step  was  light  as  she  descended  the  staircase,  and 
noiseless  the  touch  of  her  fingers  in  opening  the  parlor  door. 
But  Victor's  ear  was  quick  to  catch  the  rustle  of  her  dress. 
On  turning  his  head  she  stood  before  him  in  the  panoply  of  her 
wondrous  beauty. 

' '  Eleonora  !  " 

A  vivid  blush  for  a  brief  moment  suffused  her  neck  and  face. 
This  man  standing  before  her  is  he,  — Victor,  whom  she  had  last 
seen  in  conflict  with  his  enemies  at  fearful  odds,  whose  deadly 
peril  had  Avrung  from  her  that  outcry,  which  must  have  betrayed 
to  him  her  love.  Yes  ;  he  has  divined  her  secret !  She  sees  it 
written  in  his  face,  — in  that  triumphant  joy  that  blazes  from 
his  eyes  ;  —  in  the  proud  bearing  with  w^hich  he  a23proaches 
her !  This  is  not  the  timid  lover,  who  adored  and  worshiped 
from  afar ;  not  the  despairing  wooer,  whom  an  unkind  word 
abashed,  and  whom  her  refusal  had  precipitated  into  the 
agonies  of  cruel  torture.  He  comes  with  the  air  of  a  conquer- 
ing hero,  demanding  as  his  due,  submission  and  homage. 
And  the  haughty  lady,  accustomed  to  rule  as  a  queen  of 
society,  feels  a  strange  delight  in  the  thought  of  belonging  to 
this  proud  man,  and  being  ruled  by  him,  and  submitting  her- 
self to  him  in  all  things.  And  she  is  dangerously  near  forget- 
ting that  the  uniform  worn  by  this  audacious  3'oung  warrior  is 
that  of  the  enemy  of  her  country  ;  and,  in  her  forgetfuluess,  to 
compromise  her  dignity  and  betray  her  country's  cause  by 
treasonable  desertion  to  the  enemy. 

But  the  blush  recedes   swiftly,  and  with  it  the  momentary 

47 


738  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

weakness  is  conquered.     She  frankly  holds  out  her  hand   to 
him,  smiling  a  glad  welcome. 

Her  candor  delights  Victor,  who  associates  it  with  the  blush 
that  has  beautified  her  face  on  seeing  him. 

' '  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you.  Captain  —  ah,  pardon  me,  Major  — 
Waldhorst!  "  she  says,  withdrawing  the  hand  which  he  had 
pressed  until  it  ached.  "It  is  so  good  of  you  to  remember, 
and  take  the  trouble  of  calling  on,  an  old  friend." 

She  points  with  an  inviting  gesture  to  a  chair,  and  is  about 
to  occupy  one  herself,  some  little  distance  away.  But  Victor 
ignores  the  hint.  He  recaptures  the  hand  before  she  has  time 
to  seat  herself,  and  repeats,  in  a  tone  of  ineffable  tenderness, 
the  one  word :   ' '  Eleanora !  ' ' 

It  has  a  magical  effect.  Or  perhaps  it  is  the  look  accom- 
panying the  word  —  that  look  of  deep,  unutterable  love  —  that 
thrills  her  soul  and  calls  back  the  color  in  a  mighty  flood  to 
her  face.  She  drops  her  eyes  before  that  intense  gaze  —  for  an 
instant  only :  for  she  is  fully  aware  that  to  be  off  her  guard  for 
a  single  moment  would  make  him  master  of  the  situation  and 
insure  him  an  easy  victory.  So  she  bravely  fights  back  the 
mighty  impulse  to  throw  her  arms  about  his  neck  and  rest  her 
head  upon  that  manly  breast.  Summoning  all  her  skill  in 
conversational  fence,  she  forces  her  features  into  a  playful 
expression. 

"Why  do  you  call  me  by  that  long,  formal  name?"  she 
says.  "  Once,  you  told  me  you  thought  the  name  Nellie  the 
sweetest. ' ' 

"  The  sweetest  in  the  vocabulary  of  love!  "  he  replies.  "  It 
is  the  synonym  to  me  of  all  that  is  lovable." 

"  So,  so  !  "  she  jDOuts,  in  playful  reproach.  "  That  accounts 
for  your  using  the  other  to  address  me  by." 

' '  But  Eleonora  is  the  woman  whom  I  worship  !  "  he  declares 
eagerly.  "  Tell  me,  idol  of  my  soul,  that  you  will  accept  my 
adoration,  —  that  you  will  be  mine,  to  reverence,  as  the  lode- 
star of  my  destiny  !  ' ' 

The  passionate   earnestness  of  her  lover  makes  .it  hard  for 


SISTERS  AND  BROTHERS.  739 

her  to  keep  up  the  baiiteriug  tone  with  which  she  hopes  to 
keep  him  at  a  distance.  But  she  returns  valiantly  to  the 
charge. 

"I  should  like  to  compliment  you,  Major  Waldhorst,  on 
your  courageous  gallantry ;  for  that  is  a  quality  on  which  you 
soldiers  pride  yourselves  —  do  you  not?  —  only  to  me  it  seems 
thoughtless  temerity :  Does  it  not  occur  to  you  that  you  are 
addressing  a  rebel  ?  ' ' 

"  I  am  addressing  a  woman!  "  he  asseverates,  vehemently. 
"  The  one  woman  in  all  the  world  to  me.  What  if  you  are  a 
rebel  'i  I  worship  in  you  none  the  less  your  divine  womanhood . 
Though  you  out-Davised  Jefferson  Davis,  I  would  kneel  to  you 
as  the  embodiment  of  sublimest  loyalty  —  the  loyalty  to  all 
that  is  pure,  and  just  and  true !  " 

"  It  is  well,  Major,"  she  responds,  still  holding  herself  well 
in  hand,  "  that  we  are  alone.  Such  laudation  of  a  dyed-in- 
the-wool  secessionist  might,  if  reported  by  some  zealous  loyal 
spy,  procure  you  the  honor  of  a  lettre  cle  cachet  from  your  pro- 
vost marshal,  and  quarters  indefinitely  in  Doctor  McDonald's 
Bastile." 

"  This  levity.  Madam,"  he  retorts,  frowning  sternly,  "•  ill 
befits  the  woman  who  braved  the  fury  of.  a  midnight  tempest  to 
warn  against  the  assassin's  blow  the  man  whom  she  loves!  " 

Nellie  starts.  Her  auger  rises  at  Victor's  words.  But  she 
quickly  recovers  herself. 

"  It  strikes  me.  Major  Waldhorst,"  she  replies  saucily, 
"  that  you  are  relapsing  into  your  old  trick  of  magnifyiug  my 
virtues.  Surely  I  have  given  you  no  cause  to  believe  me 
capable  of  practicing  the  Christian  injunction  to  love  my 
enemy?  " 

"  Your  enemy!  "  he  repeats,  his  eyes  flashing  with  indigna- 
tion. "How  can  you,  how  dare  you,  Nellie  May,  speak  of 
me,  — to  me,  or  to  yourself,  as  j'our  enemy?  " 

His  earnest  words,  and  the  searching  look  accompanying 
them,  have  called  a  swift  flush  to  Nellie's  face,  which  ought  to 
have  shown  Victor  how  deeply  she  feels   the  sting  of  his  re- 


740  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

proach.  But  he  misiuterprets  the  emotion,  and  hears  only  the 
flippancy  which  she  has  made  a  strong  effort  to  infuse  into  her 
voice  as  she  answers  : 

"  Why,  —  does  not  your  uniform  proclaim  you  such?  " 

"  My  uniform!  "  he  iterates,  now  with  scathing  sarcasm. 
' '  Since  when.,  does  Nellie  May  read  a  friend  by  the  color  of 
his  uniform?  And  how  must  you  judge  that  woman  who, 
though  as  pure,  and  as  proud,  and  as  redhot  a  rebel  as  you, 
challenged  the  venomous  gossip  of  her  rebel  friends  by  inter- 
posing her  own  person  in  protection  of  the  wearer  of  this  same 
uniform?  " 

He  drops  his  iierce  tone  and  continues  in  pathetic  suppli- 
cation : 

"  Cease  this  unworthy  trifling  with  what  is  most  sacred  in 
your  life  and  mine!  I  love  you,  Eleonora!  How  deeply,  is 
no  secret  to  you.  That  you  love  me,  I  have  long  known, 
though  your  lips  have  ever  disdained  to  utter  the  admission. 
For  the  eye  reveals  what  the  hypocrite  tongue  would  conceal  ^ 
and  there  is  a  language  that  speaks  in  bugle  blasts,  though 
the  lips  may  not  move.  Soul  of  my  life,  we  have  bartered  our 
heai-ts:  Why  grudge  me  the  sweetness  of  the  admission?  " 

The  smile  has  vanished  from  Nellie's  face  :  Love,  triumphant, 
for  a  moment,  transfigures  her  radiant  features.  Victor,  trans- 
ported beyond  his  power  of  self-control,  catches  her  in  his  arms 
and  strains  her  to  his  breast.  She  is  powerless  to  resist. 
Their  lips  meet :  her  soft,  responsive  kiss  thrills  through  and 
through  him  with  ecstatic  rapture. 

For  a  brief  time  they  hold  one  another  in  blissful  embrace. 
Then  Nellie  disengages  herself,  —  softly,  though  resolutely. 

"  You  have  seen  me  weak,  my  Victor,"  she  says  in  low,  but 
distinct  accents.     "  Forgive  me!  " 

"Forgive  you!"  he  cries,  "forgive  you,  —  for  crowning 
my  life  with  heavenly  joy?"  And  again,  in  the  exuberance 
of  his  newly  found  happiness,  he  presses  her  to  his  heart. 
But  again  she  puts  him  away  ;  gently,  but  firmly. 

As  she  does  so  her  eves  seek  those  of  her  lover  with  a  look 


"  Soul  of  my  life,  why  grudge  me  the  sweetness  of  the  admission' 


SISTERS  AND  BBOTHEBS.  741 

of  passionate  entreaty.  "Forgive  my  cruel  weakness,"  she 
says,  "  which  seemed  to  promise  what  I  do  not  mean  to  grant. 
For,  indeed,  it  cannot,  must  not  be !  " 

"  Cannot  be?  What  cannot  be?  "  he  questions,  bewildered, 
with  paling  cheeks. 

"  You  and  I  cannot  belong  to  one  another,  Victor,"  she 
answers,  the  calmness  of  her  manner,  even  more  cruelly  than 
the  bitter  content  of  her  words,  casting  chilling  doubt  upon 
the  brightness"  of  his  hope.  "For  your  people  are  not  my 
people.  What  we  claim  as  Right,  is  to  yours  an  Abomination. 
Between  you  and  me  flares  in  lurid  flame  the  wrath  of  two  na- 
tions, consuming  all  within  its  reach.  Pause,  Victor,  lest  we 
fall  victims  to  its  fury  !  ' ' 

"  Wherein  have  you  or  I  to  fear  the  nation's  wrath!  "  he 
exclaims,  in  a  desperate  attempt  to  assail  her  resolution,  which 
yet,  in  his  inmost  heart,  he  feels  to  be  unalterable  as  the  de- 
cree of  Fate.  "  Nor  you  nor  I  have  challenged  it,  nor  in 
aught  transgressed  the  strictest  military  code  of  either 
1  )elligerent !  ' ' 

"  Nay,  Victor,  you  surely  forget  that  I  am  a  daughter  of 
the  South  I  "  she  urges,  sadly,  yet  not  without  a  touch  of  gen- 
tle pride.  "  And  you  know,  that  I  have  never  attempted 
to  conceal  my  partisanshijj ;  and  also,  that  I  could  not, 
were  I  even  base  enough  to  desire  it,  forswear  my  creed. 
Is  not  my  presence  in  this  very  house  a  menace  to  the  peace 
of  its  inhabitants?  Or  tell  me,  what  would  be  my  fate,  were 
some  craven  wretch  to  denounce  me  as  a  Southern  spy,  con- 
spiring, uuder  guise  of  a  visit  to  my  wounded  brother,  to  fur- 
nish information  to  the  Confederate  generals  ?  Are  you  quite 
sure,  that  even  your  eloquence  and  zeal  in  my  behalf,  backed, 
if  3-0U  please,  by  the  influence  of  General  Seele,  or  Generak 
Rauheufels,  would,  in  such  case,  suffice  to  bar  a  sentence  of 
incarceration,  or  of  death  at  the  gallows,  at  the  hands  of  some 
truculent  court-martial  ? ' ' 

Victor  Waldhorst  shuddered,  in  spite  of  himself.  "You 
rave !  "  he  cried.     "  You  cruelly  defame  our  time  and  country  ! 


742  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

How  cau  you  conceive  of  such  barlmrity  as  i:»ossible  in  tlie 
nineteentli  century,  among  a  Christian  nation!  " 

"  How  near  was  my  brother  to  fall  a  victim  to  just  such  a 
piece  of  barbarity?  "  she  says,  and  adds,  with  a  look  of  proud 
admiration:  "  And  I  might  not  have  a  Victor  Waldhorst  as 
my  judge  advocate,  nor  a  General  Seele  to  preside  over  the 
court." 

He  is  about  to  answer ;  but  she  puts  up  her  hand  in  gentle 
deprecation. 

"  If  your  judgment  reject  my  reasoning,"  she  continues, 
"let  me  appeal  to  your  gr6at-hearted  generosity.  See:  You 
have  read  the  secret  of  my  heart ;  nor  do  I  grudge  you  the 
victory  you  have  obtained  over  me.  Your  love  is  the  most 
precious  boon  of  my  life,  as  my  love  for  you  is  the  highest  and 
best  part  of  my  nature.  Knowing  this,  my  Victor,  press  me 
no  further.  You  once  taught  me,  proud  man,  how  far  nobler 
it  is  to  renounce,  than  to  possess  unworthily.  1  would  prove 
myself  worthy  of  your  love  by  renouncing.  Then,  oh  Victor, 
urge  me  not  to  abase  myself  in  my  own  estimation.  If  I 
yielded  now,  how  could  you  trust,  how  honor  a  woman  who 
proves  faithless  to  her  family,  her  people  and  her  country ! 
Disgust  would  supplant  your  love,  merited  contempt  be  my 
reward.  And,  dearest  Victor,  I  could  not  survive  the  loss  of 
your  esteem  !  ' ' 

Victor  listened  with  sinking  heart.  He  felt,  to  a  painful 
degree,  his  utter  inability  to  refute,  by  any  argument,  what 
appeared  to  him  as  the  distorted,  exaggerated  patriotism  of 
this  young  enthusiast,  or  to  shake  her  purpose  by  supplication 
or  entreaty. 

There  was  a  soft  knock  at  the  parlor  door,  and  Pauline 
entered,  pale,  in  evident  distress.  She  took  no  notice  of  the 
I'vusence  of  her  brother,  but  walked  straight  up  to  Leslie's 
sister. 

"  He  is  sinking,  Nellie!  "  was  all  she  said,  as  she  embraced 
her  friend. 

"Do  you  come  from  his  roomr"  Nellie  inquired,  and,  as 


SISTERS  AND  BROTHERS.  743 

Pauline    simply    nodded,  the    sister   left   the  parlor,   without 
apology  to  Victor.     Pauline  was  alone  with  her  brother. 

'•  Is  there  danger  for  Leslie  May?  "  Victor  inquired,  as  soon 
as  Nellie  was  gone. 

"  Oh,  Victor,  he  is  about  to  die!  "  Pauline  faltered  out,  the 
tears,  which  she  had  so  valiantly  fought  back,  streaming  from 
her  eyes. 

"  That  is  sad,  indeed,"  said  Victor,  shocked  by  the  sudden 
information.  "I  thought  he  was  doing  so  well!  How  did 
this  come  about  ?  ' ' 

' '  I  am  afraid  that  Doctor  McDonald  waited  a  little  too  long 
before  he  insisted  on  the  operation,"  Pauline  explained,  inter- 
rupted by  frequent  sobs.  "  He  was  so  fond  of  Captain  May, 
and  hated  so  to  grieve  him  by  the  amputation.  When  he 
brought  Doctor  Martell  along  they  knew  at  once  that  the  cap- 
tain had  taken  the  gangrene,  and  that  mortification  was  kill- 
ing him.  —  Oh,  Victor,  is  it  not  dreadful?  So  young,  so  full 
of  vigorous  hfe,  so  bright,  and  grand  and  brave !  And  now, 
to  die!  " 

"It  is  very  sad  for  his  sister,"  Victor  observed.  "How 
do  you  think  Nellie  will  take  it  ?  " 

"  She  loves  him  to  idolatry!  "  Pauline  exclaimed,  drying 
her  tears  as  if  the  contemplation  of  her  friend's  grief  revived 
her  own  courage.  "  But  she  will  be  brave  and  quiet  about  it. 
She  is  almost  as  brave  and  cheerful  in  her  disposition  as  her 
brother.     I  wish  that  I  were  as  good  and  courageous  as  she !  " 

Further  conversation  between  the  brother  and  sister  was  cut 
off  by  the  entrance  of  Cressie,  who  informed  them  that  Captain 
May  would  take  it  as  a  favor  if  Major  and  Miss  Waldhorst 
would  trouble  themselves  by  calling  on  him  in  his  room. 

The  patient  had  fully  recovered  his  consciousness  when  th 
entered  the  sick  chamber.     Victor  noticed  even  the  old,  charn^ 
ing  smile  —  a  mere  shadow,  now,  of  its  former  brightness,  bu 
oh !  so  touching  in  its  winsome  loveliness !  — as  in  greeting  his 
visitors  he  extended  a  hand  each  to  Pauline  and  her  brother. 

"This  is  so  good  of  vou  to  humor    the  whim   of  a  dvine 


744  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

mau,"  be  said,  iu  a  clear,  cheerful  voice,  though  much  en- 
feebled by  his  late  suffering.  "  For  old  Sawbones,  there,  has 
had  the  manliness  to  tell  me  that  he  had  made  a  botch  of  my 
cure,  and  that  at  the  next  roll-call  I  would  be  reported  '  miss- 
ing, but  accounted  for.'  " 

"Accounted  for,  indeed!"  said  Victor.  "It  will  be  a 
glorious  account ;  and  your  absence  will  leave  a  great  void  that 
will  be  slow  in  filling." 

"  Yes,  I  dare  say,"  the  patient  replied,  "  that  the  sutler  of 
my  company  will  sadly  miss  my  patronage  on  pay-days  ;  and  I 
suspect  that  Miss  Waldhorst  will  sigh  a  sigh  of  deep  gratitude 
to  the  skill  of  Dr.  McDonald  in  ridding  her  of  her  most  persist- 
ent tease  and  torment.     Will  you  not.  Miss  Waldhorst?  " 

' '  A  most  sad  riddance  !  ' '  Pauline  forced  herself  to  say  in 
the  tone  of  badinage  suggested  by  the  patient,  although  it  was 
difficult  for  her  to  repress  the  tears  that  were  making  her  eyes 
heavy.  "  But  you  know  that  I  am  not  one  to  sigh  vainly  for 
what  I  cannot  have." 

"Ah!  then  you  will  consider  my  death  a  loss?"  Leslie 
asked,  regarding  her  with  a  look  of  such  tender  affection  as  he 
had  never  before  bestowed  upon  her. 

Pauline  made  a  brave  effort  to  appear  unmoved.  A  pathetic 
smile  enwreathed  her  lips  —  a  writhing,  tremulous  smile,  more 
agonizing  than  heart-breaking  sobs  —  as  she  answered  : 

"  I  shall  never  lose  you,  my  friend,  though  Death  claim  you 
for  his  own  !  " 

"Why,  Pauline,"  the  sick  man  remarked,  "that  sounds 
almost  like  some  of  the  Dutch  Dictator's  iDhilosophy."  His 
eyes  softened  as  he  feasted  them  on  her  love-beaming  face, 
thinking,  perhaps,  of  what  might  have  been.  But  with  sudden 
resolution  he  turned  to  his  sister. 

"  You,  Nellie,"  he  said,  his  face  brightening  visibly,  "  will 
shed  a  tear  to  my  memory  when  1  am  gone.  For  we  have  been 
good  comrades,  have  we  not?  But  it  is  mama  that  will  be  in- 
consolable over  my  shortcomings.  She  will  never  forgive  me 
for  failing  in  my  mission  to  smash  the  old  Union  and  establish 


SI  ST  BBS  AND  BEOTIIEBS.  745 

the  uew  Confederacy ;  or  at  least  to  come  back  from  the  war 
with  the  shoulder-straps  of  a  major-geueral." 

Nellie  took  and  pressed  his  hand  with  an  encouraging  smile. 
"  I  will  conciliate  her,  Leslie,  when  I  make  her  understand 
that  she  is  mother  to  as  brave  and  gallant  a  hero  as  any  the 
Confederacy  can  boast." 

'^If  you  tell  her  so,  maybe  she  will  believe  it,"  Leslie  re- 
joined. "She  has  the  greatest  regard  for  your  judgment, 
though  I  was  always  her  pet.  And  you  will  comfort  the  dear 
old  governor?     No  one  would  he  take  comfort  from  but  you." 

"  Such  comfort,  Leslie,  as  a  fond  daughter  can  give,  be 
sure,  shall  be  his  !  " 

Then  Leslie  turned  again  to  Victor,  a  faint  smile  recalling  to 
the  latter  the  merry  twinkle  that  was  wont  to  light  up  his  eye 
when  about  to  utter  some  pleasantry. 

"  You  and  I,  Victor,"  he  said,  "  ought  to  feel  honored  in 
our  sisters.'  They  have  more  profoundly  impressed  the  enemy, 
than  either  of  us,  with  all  our  prowess.  Nellie's  witchery  has 
enslaved  one  blue-coat,  while  the  most  rabid  rebel  worships  at 
Pauhne's  shrine.  Nay,"  he  continued,  as  Victor  blushed  in 
deep  embarrassment,  "I  am  not  alluding  to  either  you  or 
myself.  We  both  surrendered  to  the  fair  ones  long  before 
Pauline  could  class  me  as  an  enemy,  or  Nellie  became  a  rebel. 
I  speak  of  higher  game  and  victories  more  recent.  What  do 
you  say  to  Doctor  Martell  as  a  conquest  of  NeUie's,  and  Doc- 
tor McDonald  as  an  admirer  of  Pauline  ?  ' ' 

"  You  exaggerate  perfunctory  politeness  into  serious  atten- 
tions,' '  said  Nellie  ;  and  then  to  Victor :  ' '  You  know  my  brother 
well  enough,  to  appraise  his  assertions  at  their  market-value. 
Major  Waldhorst ;  do  you  not?  " 

"  Oh,  but  Victor  knows  that  I  never  prevaricate  —  never  to 
him,  at  least,"  the  patient  asserted  with  mock  solemnity.  "  I 
am  speaking  the  gospel  truth.  The  learned  humbugs  declared 
themselves  on  this  very  spot,  when  alone  with  me,  and  thinking 
I  did  not  hear.  At  a  moment,  too,  when  they  were  preparing 
to  Immolate  me  on  the  altar  of  science." 


746  THE  BEBEUS  DAUGHTER. 

The  effort  in  speaking  seemed  to  have  exhausted  his  strength. 
He  sank  back  on  his  pillow.  For  a  while  he  closed  his  eyes  as 
if  in  slumber.  Suddenly  he  raised  himself  into  a  sitting  posture. 
His  eyes  glittered  in  feverish  excitement  as  they  sought  out  and 
rested  upon  Victor. 

"  Major,"  he  exclaimed,  "  do  you  hear  that  bugle  call? 
It  is  the  signal  for  retreat !  We  have  been  doing  nothing 
but  retreat!  Old  Ciper  is  emulous  of  Xenophon's  famous 
Retreat  of  the  Ten  Thousand.  His  name  will  go  down  in 
history  as  the  Great  Cunctator  for  action,  and  a  second 
Xenophon  for  Retreat.  But  it  will  hardly  survive  the  Con- 
federacy. Retreat  is  not  the  way  to  win  in  battle,  nor  to 
vindicate  a  cause.  To  retreat  is  to  run  ;  and  we  rebels  are  not 
good  at  running.  And  yet  they  are  running  —  running!  The 
fools  think  they  can  save  the  Confederacy  by  running !  But  I 
can't  help  them  in  that.  I  was  never  good  to  run  from  an 
enemy  ;  and  now  —  ' ' 

A  faint  smile  creeps  into  his  wan  features,  and  a  scarcely 
audible  chuckle  interrupts  his  words.     Then  he  continues: 

' '  —  Now  they  have  stopped  my  running  for  good  and  all !  " 

Presently  he  beckoned  Pauline  to  his  bedside.  "Miss 
Waldhorst  —  let  me  say  Pauline  to  you,  — it  is  such  a  sweet 
name  —  Pauline,  you  will  love  my  sister,  —  for  ray  sake  —  will 
you  not?  Because  I  loved  you  —  you  know  it,  though  I 
never  told  you.  And  because  I  loved  you,  Nellie  loved  you. 
Pauline,  I  dreamed  sometimes,  before  this  foolish  war,  of  you 
as  Nellie's  sister.  But  we  were  proud,  we  rebels,  and 
foolish." 

A  fond  admiring  look  now  rested  on  his  sister. 

"  Your  pride  becomes  you,  sissy  mine,"  he  said,  "  and  l' 
see  it  reflected  on  another  face.  Our  cause  may  triumph, 
Nellie,  and  out  of  the  ashes  of  the  old  Union  may  arise  the 
Phoenix  of  the  new  Confederacy ;  ot  it  may  perish,  like  a 
sinking  meteor  in  the  sky :  But  your  pride  will,  carry  you 
safely  through  the  din  of  victory,  or  the  dirge  over  a  Lost 
Cause.     Oh,  that  Pauline  and  you  were  sisters!  " 


SISTERS  AND  BBOTIIERS.  747 

"If  Nellie  will  let  me!"  said  Pauline,  embracing  her 
friend. 

"  We  are!  We  shall  be !  "  said  Nellie,  folding  Pauline  to 
her  bosom. 

"  And  you,  Victor,"  said  the  dying  man,  "  will  you  l>e  my 
brother?  " 

"Yours  in  heart,  in  soul,  and  in  spirit!  "  said  Victor, 
grasping  Leslie's  hand,  and  cordially  pressing  it. 

A  smile  flitted  over  the  patient's  face,  as  he  sank  back  into 
his  pillows. 

After  a  brief  pause,  during  which  his  features  composed 
themselves  into  an  expression  of  profound  rest,  he  said  : 

' '  Ah !  Do  you  hear  the  bugle  sound  the  tattoo  ?  How 
mournful,  and  yet  how  restful,  its  cadence  charms  my  ear !  It 
means  rest,  rest!  Rest  for  me,  but  it  is  the  dirge  of  the  Con- 
federacy. No,  not  yet!  It  will  die  hard.  There  is  more 
running  to  do ;  there  are  more  ditches  to  occupy  before  it 
reaches  the  last ;  and  then  ' '  —  again  there  was  the  semblance 
of  a  smile  about  his  pale  lips  as  he  added :  ' '  We  always 
boasted  that  we  would  die  in  the  last  ditch,  before  we  sur- 
rendered !  But  I  will  not  be  there.  I  have  listened  to  my 
last  tattoo.  Put  out  the  lights  —  they  will  give  the  signal 
directly  —  we  need  no  lights  after  tattoo.  When  they  sound 
that  signal,  it  will  be  the  knell  of  the  Confederacy :  They  will 
put  out  the  lights  on  a  Lost  Cause !  " 


XL  VI. 

BEFORE   THE   DAWN. 

'O  the  sable  descendants  of  the  curse-laden  race  of  Ham 
has  come  the  Yeai-  of  Jubilee.  That  "  peculiar  insti- 
tution," that  once  piped  so  shi'ill  a  discord  to  the 
American  Hymn  of  the  Equality  of  Men  is  now  relegated  to 
the  past  forevermore.  At  May  Meadows  the  negro  cabins 
stand  untenanted  ;  the  negroes  themselves  have  left.  Of  all  of 
them  once  owned  by  Senator  May,  but  three  —  the  sturdy 
Xerxes,  feeble  Cassandra  and  gentle  Cressie  —  have  resisted 
the  temptation  to  follow  the  Federal  soldiers  into  freedom. 
Their  absence  is  not  regretted  of  Nellie  May.  For  when  she 
was  left  in  sol^  charge  of  the  i)lantation,  having  dismissed  the 
overseer  for  want  of  funds  to  pay  him  further  wages,  she  found 
it  quite  a  relief  to  be  rid  of  the  hungry  mouths  of  useless  field 
hands.  The  scant  crops  they  had  raised  had.  been  regularly 
carried  off  by  the  soldiery  of  either  army,  or  plundered  by 
marauding  camp  followers  of  friend  and  foe.  To  provide 
food,  with  purse,  larder  and  granary  equally  empty,  had  be- 
come a  harassing  problem.  Maj'  Meadows,  in  the  dark  days 
before  the  final  collapse  of  the  Confederacy,  bore  a  painful 
resemblance  to  the  depleted  South.  Xerxes'  skill  with  snare 
and  angle  had  furnished  many  a  welcome  meal  to  mistress  and 
servants,  and  oftentimes  the  mistress  sought  her  couch  not 
knowing  where  next  day's  meal  was  to  come  from. 

When  the  end  came,  it  brought  new  trials  and  a  grief  more 
harrowing  than  any  she  had  yet  experienced. 

The  dcath-bloAv  to  the  cherished  cause  of  the  South  was 
itself  a  disappointment  hard  to  bear.  But  far  keener  was  the 
anguish  of  the  uncertainty  as  to  her  father's  fate. 

For  well  she  knew  that  indictment  and  trial  for  high  treason 
(748) 


BEFORE    THE  DAWN.  749 

awaited  bini  ou  his  return  home.  For  did  not  Senator  May 
offer  a  shining  mark  to  the  pharisaical  patriots,  who  loudly 
paraded  their  untempted  loyalty  in  justification  of  their  zeal 
"  to  make  treason  odious  "  by  vindictively  hunting  down  all 
who  had  participated  in  the  rebeUion  ? 

But  she  bore  up  bravely,  keeping  her  eyes  open  to  note  the 
trend  of  public  opinion,  and  to  feed  hope  on  the  slightest  cir- 
cumstance indicating  a  change  in  her  father's  favor.  There 
was,  in  those  days,  much  talk  about  President  Johnson's 
views  in  regard  to  the  reconstruction  of  the  seceded  States.  He 
Avas  known  to  look  on  secession  as  an  utter  nullity,  in  no  wise 
changing  the  relation  of  the  States  to  each  other,  or  to  the 
Union,  so  that,  legally,  no  one  of  them  had  ever  ceased  to  be 
a  co-equal  member  of  the  Union,  and  that  while  each  indi- 
vidual rebel  had  made  himself  guilty  of  high  treason,  it  was 
impossible  to  deal  with  such  multitudes  according  to  the  crim- 
inal laws.  It  would  follow,  that  a  general  amnesty  to  the 
political  offenders  was  the  only  solution  to  the  problem  con- 
fronting the  victorious  government. 

Here  again,  bitter  disappointment  awaited  her.  The  Am- 
nesty Proclamation  in  terms  excluded  senators,  congressmen 
and  civil  otticers  of  high  rank  from  the  benefit  of  its  pro- 
visions ;  all  such  were  to  be  turned  over  to  the  criminal 
courts  of  the  land ! 

She  took  new  hope  on  learning  that  the  President  had  granted 
special  pardons  to  some  of  the  rebels  that  ranked  high  in  the 
list  of  the  proscribed.  It  occurred  to  her  that  if  the  President 
were  made  acquainted  with  the  true  facts  in  her  father's 
case,  —  if  he,  the  firm  champion  of  an  unbroken  Union,  could 
be  made  to  understand  that  Senator  May  was  in  reality  a  com- 
patriot, who,  like  himself,  had  devoted  his  life  to  the  vindica- 
tion of  a  sacred  principle,  he  would  surely  interpose  executive 
clemency.     But  how  convince  the  President? 

Victor  Waldhorst  would  do  all  in  his  power,  if  she  asked  his 
assistance.  He  would  enlist  the  co-operation  of  General  Seele  ; 
and    Governor   Rauhenfels  might   not   refuse  his   aid.     They 


750  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

would  prove  powerful  support  iu  a  petition  to  the  President  for 
the  pardon  of  Senator  May,  But  —  could  she  appear  before 
Victor  to  solicit  so  great  a  service?  She  had  peremptorily 
rejected  his  suit  on  the  ground  that  he  was  the  enemy  of  her 
people.  What  would  he  think  of  her,  if  now  she  came  to  him 
as  a  supplicant !  The  humiliation  and  shame  of  such  a  course 
would  be  more  than  she  could  bear.  Her  proud  nature 
rebelled  at  the  very  thought  of  such  a  thing ;  every  fibre  of 
her  being  rose  up  in  protest. 

And  yet  —  her  father's  liberty,  perhaps  his  life,  was  at 
stake.  And  it  would  be  such  a  happiness  to  Victor  —  of  this 
she  was  perfectly  sure  —  if  he  were  permitted  to  serve  her,  or 
her  father,  or  both !  It  was  this  conviction  that  finally  de- 
cided the  fierce  conflict  between  her  love  and  her  pride.  She 
resolved  to  ask  Victor's  help  in  soliciting  the  President's 
clemency. 

But  the  letter  she  addressed  to  "  Major  Victor  Waldhorst, 
in  care  of  Governor  Rauhenfels  "  etc.,  came  back  to  her  un- 
opened, with  the  indorsement  "  not  in  the  city."  She  had 
been  waiting  for  an  answer  from  Victor  with  feverish  impa- 
tience ;  the  return  of  her  letter,  though  a  grave  disappointment 
to  her  hopes  in  one  direction,  was  yet  a  relief  in  another:  it 
settled  for  her  the  doubt  as  to  the  propriety  of  invoking  assist- 
ance from  others.  Her  resolution  Avas  promi:)tly  carried  into 
effect.  The  pledge  of  her  jewelry  enabled  her  to  raise  suffi- 
cient funds  for  her  journey  to  Washington,  accompanied  by 
Cressie.  She  was  sorely  tempted,  in  passing  through  the 
metropolis,  to  stop  at  Busch  Bluff  for  a  talk  with  Pauline  ; 
but  an  instinctive  dread  that  Pauline  would  urge  her  to  enlist 
the  aid  of  her  brother  in  the  enterprise  prevented  her. 

It  was  no  easy  matter,  in  those  excited  times,  to  gain  access 
to  the  President,  But  Nellie  had  not  in  vain  lived  in  Wash- 
ington, and  moved  in  the  circles  that  were  no  strangers  in  the 
White  House.  She  remembered,  too,  the  deference  paid  to 
her  sex,  and  counted  on  the  effect  of  a  little  hauteur  and 
aristocratic   bearing  in  dealing  with  waiters  and  ushers ;  nor 


BEFOBE    THE   DAWN.  751 

was  she  ignorant  of  the  magic  shibboleth  stamped  on  silver  or 
gold,  before  which  servants  cringed  and  doors  sprang  open. 

The  President  received  her  courteously,  when  she  was 
ushered  into  his  presence.  "  This  is  not  the  first  time  1  have 
had  the  pleasure  of  seeing  you,"  he  said  rising,  with  the  card 
she  had  sent  in  his  hand.  "  We  have  met  before;  do  you 
remember.  Miss  May?  " 

"  How  should  I  forget  the  honor  accorded  me  by  an  intro- 
duction to  the  lion  of  Washington  society,  set  agog  by  the 
boldness  of  the  Senator  from  Tennessee?  The  marvel  is,  that 
your  Excellency  should  remember  insignificant  me!  " 

"  I  have  cause  to  remember  that  introduction,"  said  the 
President,  smiling  playfully.  "  I  had  some  vigorous  elbowing 
to  do  in  escorting  our  hostess  through  the  crowd  of  your 
admirers  to  obtain  it.  And  when  I  made  bold  to  ask  the  star 
of  the  evening  for  the  honor  of  a  dance,  I  came  away  with  a 
graciously  worded,  but  flat  refusal.  And  think,"  he  added, 
with  smiling  pathos,  "  you  were  the  only  lady  I  asked  to  dance 
with  me  that  evening !  ' ' 

"I  remember  well,"  said  Nellie,  a  little  puzzled  by  the 
meaning  smile  of  the  President.  "  It  was  at  the  ball  given  by 
the  Spanish  ambassador  in  honor  of  the  birth  of  Alphonso, 
Prince  of  Asturia.  My  disappointment  surely  exceeded  your 
own,  when  I  found  no  open  space  on  my  programme  for  your 
name." 

"So  you  graciously  sugared  the  pill,  Miss  May.  And  I 
fear  that  even  now  your  conversational  skill  will  make  it  hard 
for  me  to  refuse  your  petition.  For  you  have  come  to  inter- 
cede for  your  father,  have  you  not?  " 

"Indeed,  sir,  I  have!  "  she  said,  regarding  the  President 
with  a  look  of  appealing  solicitude  which  he  seemed  to  enjoy. 
' '  And  I  hope  that  you  will  accord  to  me  the  same  magnanimous 
grace  with  which  you  have  listened  to  so  many  petitioners  for 
your  mercy." 

"  So  many!  So  many!  "  he  said,  a  shadow  of  sombre  re- 
gret passing  over  his  face. 


752  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

As  he  said  nothing  more,  she  continued :  "  It  is  your  Excel- 
lency's divine  privilege  to  temper  the  vengeful  rigor  of  the  law 
with  heaven-born  Mercy,  and  to  transmute  the  bitter  tears  of 
wives  and  children  into  sweeter  drops  of  joy  and  gratitude." 

"Ah!  "  he  exclaimed,  "you  have  varied  slightly  Portia's 
panegyric  to  Mercy,  '  that  droppeth  like  the  gentle  rain  from 
heaven.'  It  has  been  dinned  into  my  ears  uutil  I  know  it 
quite  by  heart,  as  well  as  any  actress.  You  will  not  think  me 
flinty-hearted,"  he  said,  again  regarding  her  with  that  strange 
smile  that  to  Nellie  seemed  almost  as  if  he  were  secretly  laugh- 
ing at  her,  "  will  you,  if  I  put  myself  on  guard  against  your 
seductive  eloquence?  It  is  my  duty,  you  know,  to  give  justice, 
also,  a  hearing,  besides  listening  to  clamorous  demands  for 
nlercy." 

"  Clamorous  demands?  "  Nellie  repeated,  with  a  little  pout 
of  reproach.  "  I  fear  that  my  words  have  offended  you. 
Portia  would  more  skillfully  have  reminded  you  that  '  Mercy 
is  an 'attribute  to  God  himself,  and  that  earthly  power  doth 
then  show  likest  God's,  when  mercy  seasons  justice.'  " 

"  But  remember,"  he  answered,  "  that  the  same  great  poet 
who  spoke  these  immortal  words,  also  warns  us,  that '  Nothing 
emboldens  sin  so  much  as  mercy.'  I  knew  your  father  well. 
He  is  an  able  man,  and  was  a  shining  light  in  his  party.  It 
pained  me  deeply  to  see  him  make  common  cause  with  the 
traitors  who  conspired  to  disrupt  the  Union.  Many  other  wise 
good  men  have  been  misled  by  his  example.  To  condone  his 
crime  would  be  to  share  his  guilt." 

"  Guilt!  "  the  daughter  repeated  with  quivering  lips  and 
blenching  cheeks.  "  Can  that  be  guilt  which  springs  from 
the  purest  of  motives  and  involves  the  most  unselfish  sacrifice  — 
staking  life,  liberty  and  sacred  honor,  on  the  attainment  of  a 
high  and  noble  purpose?  Oh,  sir,  I  will  not  clamor  for  mercy, 
since  the  word,  by  too  much  iteration,  has  grown  offensive  to 
your  ears  ;  but  I  demand  the  pardon  of  my  father  as  an  act  of 
justice." 

"  Of  justice?  "  the  President  asked  wonderingly. 


BE  FOBS    THE  DAWN.  753 

"  Of  justice!  "  Nellie  repeated  iu  a  llrm  voice,  with  retuni- 
iug  color  and  growing  courage.  "He  is  not  guilty  of  the 
crime  of  Avhich  you  accuse  him.  He  has  never  conspired  to 
disrupt  the  Union,  but  devoted  the  energy  of  his  life  to  its 
preservation.  Sir,  if  my  father  be  guilty,  then  is  your  Excel- 
lency guilty  likewise.  You  have  been — you  are  at  this 
moment  —  committing  what  in  him  you  designate  a  crime." 

"  Ah  ?  "  spoke  up  the  President  with  a  show  of  amused 
curiosity.     "  How  do  you  propose  to  make  that  out?  " 

Nellie  continued  unabashed:  "  You  are  waging  war  against 
the  Congress  —  are  you  not  ?  With  all  the  vigor  of  a  man 
who  knows  that  he  is  right  you  combat  their  attempt  to 
accomplish  what  your  victorious  armies  have  prevented  these 
States  from  doing." 

"  And  that  is —  ?  " 

"  The  accomplishment  of  secession  !  " 

"  Indeed?  Do  you  assert,  then,  that  to  treat  these  seceded 
States  as  conquered  provinces  would  in  itself  involve  the  viola- 
tion of  the  constitution  ?  ' ' 

"I  do,  your  Excellency!  It  would  be  no  more  lawful  for 
Congress  than  for  a  State,  to  deprive  a  single  State  of  its 
constitutional  equality  in  the  government." 

' '  And  what  follows  ? ' ' 

"  That  your  Excellency  is  right,  and  your  Congress 
wrong." 

' '  Well !  And  does  not  that  distinguish  my  case  from  that 
of  your  father  ?  ' ' 

"  Sir,  I  am  a  woman,  unskilled  in  questions  of  statecraft; 
and  I  must  not  forget  that  my  sympathies  in  this  quarrel  are 
with  the  South.  But  your  Congress  asserts  emphatically  that 
you  are  wrong.  If  this  were  so  —  pardon  me  for  positing  such 
a  possibility  —  and  that  some  tribunal  should  authoritatively 
so  decide,  —  then  would  you  not  be  in  the  predicament  my 
father  is  in?  With  a  high  and  noble  purpose,  actuated  by 
motives  whose  purity  not  even  your  enemies  dare  impugn  — 
yet  are  you  accused  of  betraying  the  interest  of  your  country !  " 

48 


754  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

' '  True  —  that  is  what  their  contention  amounts  to !  "  said 
the  President.  "  But,  my  dear  young  lady,  it  is  fortunate  for 
me  that  there  is  no  tribunal  that  can  so  decide." 

' '  Not  even  a  High  Court  of  Impeachment  ?  ' '  Nellie  ventured 
to  suggest. 

' '  Hah !  Let  them  try  that  on !  "  President  Johnson  ex- 
claimed, his  eyes  flashing  proud  defiance.  "The  attempt  to 
impeach  me  would  be  but  their  own  impeachment  before  that 
still  higher  tribunal,  the  American  people,  and  the  verdict  of 
impartial  history !  No,  Miss  May,  they  will  never  dare  drag 
their  absurd  contention  before  a  tribunal  presided  over  by  the 
Chief  Justice  of  the  United  States." 

"  But,"  Nellie  went  on,  gathering  new  hope  from  the  resent- 
ment shown  by  the  President  on  the  mere  mention  of  a  i:)Ossible 
impeachment,  "  if  the  Congress  did  persist  in  their  tyrannical 
course,  to  the  extent  of  using  this  weapon  against  you,  — how 
would  you  then  defend  yourself  ?  ' ' 

"  Defend  myself?  "  he  ejaculated,  almost  fiercely.  "  What 
defense  is  there  against  fanatical  party  zeal?  Where  prejudice 
holds  the  balance,  there  Justice  is  blinded  indeed,  or  sees  with 
but  one  eye,  and  lets  vengeful  passion  be  thrown  into  the  scale 
to  weigh  down  innocence  itself  !  " 

"  Oh,  sir!  "  pleaded  Nellie  with  an  earnestness  that  might 
have  had  its  effect  upon  a  more  obdurate  judge,  "  such  fanat- 
ical accusers  are  they  who  thirst  for  my  father's  blood ! 
They  who  are  zealous  to  pronounce  a  predetermined  sentence 
against  him !  They  will  do  this  cruel  thing  unless  your 
strong  arm  succor  feeble  Justice  ! ' ' 

"How  speciously  you  identify  your  father's  case  with 
mine!"  said  the  President  with  undisguised  approval. 
"Well,"  he  continued,  regarding  her  with  that  strange  smile 
that  had  puzzled  her  before,  "  suppose  I  grant  your  reasoning, 
if  your  premises  be  correct.  You  wish  me,  —  do  you  not?  — 
to  accord  mercy,  rather  than  law,  to  your  father?  " 

"  I  wish  your  Excellency  to  be  just  to  him,  even  as  you 
desire  posterity  to  do  justice  between  you  and  the  Congress. 


BEFORE    THE  DAWN.  755 

Mercy  is  justice  ;  and  justice  is  the  soul  of  the  law.  Even  as 
the  new  commandment  of  love  taught  by  the  Savior  from  the 
Mount,  is  not  the  undoing  of  the  law,  or  the  prophets,  but  the 
fulfilling  of  the  law,  so  is  mercy  the  glorious  crowning  of  the 
law!  " 

The  President  looked  at  the  fair  petitioner  admiringly,  but 
with  a  smile  for  which  Nellie  was  at  a  loss  to  account,  and 
which  seemed  to  her  hardly  in  keeijing  with  the  earnestness  of 
her  appeal.  "  Your  reasoning  is  unassailable.  But  how  about 
the  premise?  "  he  said.  "  How  am  I  to  know  that  you  have 
not  deceived  me,  being,  perhaps,  deceived  yourself?  Ought  I 
to  base  my  official  action  on  the  unsupported  assertion  of  a 
daughter  pleading  for  the  life  of  a  father?  What  welcome 
proof  my  enemies  might  find  in  it,  that  I  prostituted  my  office 
for  the  smiles  of  a  beautiful  woman  I  ' ' 

For  a  moment  the  color  forsook  Nellie's  face.  How  bitterly 
she  regretted  at  this  moment  that  she  had  not  waited  for  Vic- 
tor's return,  and  enlisted  his  co-operation  in  this  undertaking. 
But  she  rallied  quickly. 

"  Your  Excellency  will,  of  course,  judge  for  yourself  what 
credence  to  give  to  my  statement,"  she  said.  "  But  of  this  I 
am  sui"e,  that  the  man  whom  neither  the  frowns  or  threats  of  a 
fanatical  mob,  nor  the  yelps  of  mischievous  curs  could  turn 
aside  from  his  course  is  not  to  be  intimidated  by  the  needle- 
pricks  of  base  slander." 

"  But  have  you  no  friends  who  could  verify  the  accuracy  of 
your  statements  ?  ' ' 

Nellie  was  about  to  mention  Victor's  name,  flushing  deeply 
as  she  thought  of  him,  when  the  President,  who  had  closely 
watched  her,  said:  ''  You  are  slow  to  remember  friends,  Miss 
May,  to  ask  service  of  them.  Or  is  Major  "Waldhorst  less  than 
a  friend  in  your  estimation  ?  ' ' 

Nellie  resented  the  implied  doubt  of  her  loyalty  to  the  young 
soldier.  Her  voice  rang  out  clearly,  as  she  said  with  exultant 
pride  and  sparkling  e^^es :  "  He  is  my  true  and  steadfast  friend, 
vour  Excellency !  " 


756  THE  BE  BE  US  DAUGHTER. 

The  President's  smile  broadeued  into  the  expression  of 
hearty  good  will  as  he  ansAvered :  "  A  right  devoted  knight  to 
you,  I  should  think,  and  a  warm  admii-er  of  Senator  May." 

"  Yes,  your  Excellency,  he  adores  my  father,"  Nelhe 
assented.     "  You  have  seen  him?  " 

"  It  may  be  as  much  to  the  point  to  say  that  he  has  seen 
me,"  the  President  answered,  '•  Nor  did  he  come  alone.  Do 
you  not  remember  among  your  friends  one  General  Seele?  " 

"  I  would  be  proud  to  be  allowed  to  call  him  so,"  said  Nellie 
soberly.  ''  I  became  acquainted  with  him  under  tragic  cir- 
cumstances. He  presided  over  the  court-martial  that  tried  my 
brother." 

"And  acquitted  him,"  the  President  added.  "General 
Seele  has  told  me  all  about  it.  But  you  are  better  acquainted, 
perhaps,  with  General  Rauhenfels,  who  once  was  Governor- 
General  over  your  State  ?  ' ' 

'     "  Rather  so,   sir.     He  is  a  staunch  friend  of  Major  Wald- 
horst." 

"  And  of  your  father,  the  senator.  All  of  these  gentlemen 
have  interceded  for  him,  and  their  statements  so  fully  corrobo- 
rate your  own,  that  for  once,  Miss  May,  I  take  unalloyed 
pleasure  in  exercising  my  constitutional  prerogative,  assured 
that  in  pardoning  Senator  May  I  am  not  defeating  but  vindi- 
cating the  law,  as  you  have  so  earnestly  urged.  In  this  case, 
I  am  happy  to  believe,  Mercy  —  glorious  Mediatrix!  — blends 
Justice  and  Law  into  divine  harmony.  You  may  go  home. 
Miss  May,  and  carry  with  you  the  pardon  that  is  to  restore  to 
your  father  his  liberty  and  his  civil  rights.  And  please  say  to 
him  for  me,  that  I  congratulate  him  upon  the  possession  of  such 
friends  as  have  spoken  for  him,  —  and  on  such  a  daughter!  " 


XLVII. 

AFTER  THE   WAR. 

IROOKFIELD  is  in  a  whirl  of  excitement.  It  is,  for  the 
time  being,  the  Western  terminus  of  the  great  national 
railway  that  is  to  weld  together  Atlantic  and  Pacific 
States.  Thus  far  Pacificward  it  has  been  completed,  and  the 
auspicious  event  is  now  to  be  celebrated  by  a  gi-aud  festival. 
The  preparations,  so  far  as  they  have  leaked  into  public  notice, 
are  on  a  magnificent  scale.  The  citizens  are  decorating  their 
houses  with  silk  and  bunting  in  the  brightest  of  the  national 
colors  :  banners  bearing  proudly  patriotic  legends  meet  the  eye 
on  every  side,  and  red,  white  and  blue  flags  float  from  windows 
and  housetops.  A  parade  has  been  planned,  in  which  old  and 
young  are  going  to  participate  to  give  public  expression  to  the 
universal  joy  over  the  preservation  of  the  Union,  and  at  the 
same  time  to  impress  themselves,  as  well  as  any  outsider  that 
may  happen  to  look  on,  with  the  grandeur  and  vast  resources 
of  the  booming  young  city,  promising  a  yet  greater  future. 
For  Brookfield  has,  during  the  last  few  years,  leaped  into 
prominence  with  truly  astonishing  suddenness,  and  is  now  pos- 
ing as  the  future  greatest  inland  city  of  the  State. 

After  the  parade  there  is  to  be  a  banquet  to  which  the  most 
prominent  people  of  the  community  are  to  be  invited  ;  and,  to 
add  lustre  to  the  occasion,  the  whole  is  to  conclude  with  a 
grand  civic  and  military  ball,  at  which  the  veterans  of  both  the 
Confederate  and  Federal  armies  are  to  appear  in  full  uniform, 
to  shake  hands  and  congratulate  their  common  country  on  the 
auspicious  event. 

The  banquet  is  to  be  spread  in  the  spacious  dining  hall  of 
Smith's  Hotel,  erected  on  the  site  of  the  old  building  that  once 
faced  the  court  house  where  the  Boonville  Road  debouched  into 

(757) 


758  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

the  Square.  The  cupola,  with  its  shrill  bell,  that  ouce  per- 
formed the  functious  of  summoning  the  hotel-guests  to  their 
meals,  is  no  more  ;  it  has  fallen  a  victim  to  the  spirit  of  inno- 
vation that  is  busily  transforming  the  good  of  yesterday  into 
the  better  of  to-day :  the  town  has  grown  into  a  city,  and 
loftier  towers  over  its  many  churches,  boasting  tuneful  belfries 
of  their  own,  have  shamed  the  saucy  little  dinner  bell  out  of 
existence. 

Burden's  barroom,  however,  has  maintained  its  proximity  to 
the  hotel;  though  it,  too,  has  succumbed  to  the  vivifying  in- 
lluence  of  the  city's  onward  march.  It  is  no  longer  the  dingy 
little  groggery,  whose  chief  stock  in  trade  had  been  rum  and 
whiskey;  but  a  smart  looking  "  Sample  Room,"  wherein  Bob 
Rountree  serves  its  patrons  with  the  choicest  of  liquors  and 
the  most  fanciful  of  fashionable  mixed  drinks.  But  chief 
among  its  attractions  may  still  be  mentioned  the  readiness 
with  which  the  chatty  barkeeper  retails  spicy  morsels  of  gossip 
to  all  who  are  willing  to  listen.  Just  now  he  is  charged  to 
overflowing  with  special  items  of  interest  touching  the  salient 
features  of  the  procession  —  of  the  various  inscriptions  and 
devices  to  be  displayed  on  the  banners ;  the  tableaux  and 
scenic  representations  on  the  floats  to  be  paraded  on  the  mor- 
row. He  knows  and  is  willing  to  confide  to  his  customers,  the 
names  of  the  illustrious  guests  who  have  been  invited  to  the 
banquet,  and  of  the  orators  who  are  going  to  make  the  after- 
dinner  speeches. 

One  of  the  most  steady  customers  now  is  the  ex-honorable 
Ralph  Payton ;  for  the  unappreciated  statesman  has  much 
leisure  on  hand,  and  he  likes  to  listen  to  the  barkeeper's  recital 
of  the  glorious  times  before  the  war.  But  the  friendship 
between  these  two  is  not  so  firm  as  of  yore.  Bob  Rountree 
begins  to  suspect  that  the  ex-congressman  is  patterned  for  a 
chronic  failure.  He  has  never  forgiven  him  the  miscarriage  of 
the  projected  capture  of  Captain  Waldhorst  and  his  Dutch 
companions  at  Shackleford's  Inn,  —  so  brilliantly  conceived, 
and  so  miserably  bungled  in  the  attempted  execution.     The 


AFTER    THE    WAB.  750 

projected  alliance  with  Senator  May's  family  —  confidently 
expected  at  one  time  —  has  come  to  naught,  owing,  as  Bob 
Rountree  diagnoses,  to  the  statesman's  astuteness  in  dodging 
military  service  in  the  Southern  cause.  He  has  met  with  alike 
rebuff  from  the  lovely  Hettie  Shannon,  who,  it  transpires,  pre- 
fers bashful  Orlando  Jones  to  the  prudent  stay-at-home,  be- 
cause Orlando  has  been  to  the  war  and  has  come  back  with  a 
trophy  in  the  shape  of  a  permanently  lamed  limb.  He  might, 
perhaps,  have  tried  his  luck  with  Miss  Emily  Matlack,  but 
that  this  young  lady  is  openly  encouraging  the  advances  of 
Bob  Rountree  himself,  —  not,  to  be  sure,  for  the  patriotic  rea- 
son moving  her  friend  Hettie  to  prefer  the  warlike  Orlando, 
since  Bob  is  as  much  of  a  stay-at-home  as  the  ex-congress- 
man ;  but  then  she  has  looked  kindly  on  Bob  ever  since  she 
played  him  off  against  Hettie  and  Leshe  May  at  that  barbecue 
on  the  Fourth  of  July,  long  before  the  war.  It  really  looks 
as  if  it  was  going  to  be  a  love-match  between  these  two. 

The  aggressive  business  spirit  of  the  thriving  young  city 
has  not  spared  our  old  friends  of  the  rival  stores.  Mr.  Barnes, 
the  Pioneer  Merchant,  has  retired  upon  a  well  earned  com- 
petency, being  unwilling  to  enter  the  lists  against  new  men 
with  new  business  methods,  whose  restless  activity  in  forcing 
trade  has  put  him  out  of  breath.  —  Mynheer  Van  Braaken, 
too,  has  found  his  favorite  maxim  "  Competition  is  the  life  of 
Trade  ' '  a  little  too  much  for  him  when  applied  with  the  vigor 
now  in  vogue  in  the  feverishly  busy  city.  He  has  moved  the 
"  Dutch  Store  "  into  an  adjacent  county  to  which  railroads 
have  not  penetrated  as  yet.  The  sturdy  Yahkop,  still  ruler  of 
a  stately  team  of  six,  supplies  the  new  Dutch  Store  with 
goods,  as  of  old  ;  only  he  hauls  them  from  —  no  longer  to  — 
Brook  field. 

One  more  change,  wrought  by  the  vigorous  growth  of  the 
self-asserting  city,  we  are  to  notice.  If  one  were  in  search 
now  of  May  Meadows,  that  so  gracefully  nestled,  once,  on  the 
edge  of  a  grove  of  majestic  forest  trees,  reached  by  a  pleas- 
ant walk  from  the  Brookfield  Square,  it  might  trouble  him  to 


760  THE  BEBEVS  DAUGBTEB. 

locate  the  old  mansion.  Though  it  is  still  there,  as  well  as  the 
tastefully  kept  gi'ounds  surrounding  it  like  a  miniature  park, 
yet  the  rural  walks  over  green  fields  and  shady  groves  are 
found  no  more.  The  daisy-gemmed  fields  Jiave  been  wiped 
out  by  streets  and  houses  ;  brick  pavements  and  macadamed 
avenues  have  effaced  the  foot-paths  through  the  meadows 
studded  with  butter-cups  and  blooming  clover,  that  left  no 
trace,  now,  save  the  name  by  which  the  May  place  is  still 
known. 

But  if  one  take  suflicient  interest  in  the  May  family  to  per- 
severe in  the  search,  it  will  be  found  infected  by  the  general 
excitement  produced  by  the  anticipated  railroad  festival.  Mrs. 
May,  to  be  sure,  is  not  pleased  with  the  political  coloring  taken 
on  by  the  celebration.  She  has  not  yet  forgiven  the  North  for 
so  mercilessly  defeating  the  South,  and  the  jubilation  she  heard 
on  all  sides  over  the  regenerated  Union  was  not  to  her  ta"ste. 
But  then  it  is  such  an  honor  to  her  family,  that  upon  her 
daughter  has  fallen  the  choice  of  the  Committee  of  Arrange- 
ments to  open  the  ball  as  the  partner  of  Major-General  Seele. 
The  pompously  worded  invitation,  conveyed  in  an  official-look- 
ing document  bearing  the  seal  of  the  railroad  corporation  and 
the  signature  of  its  president,  operates  like  a  soothing  balm 
upon  her  wounded  patriotism  and  predisposes  her  to  receive 
the  general  and  any  friend  he  may  bring  with  him  in  the  spirit 
of  her  accustomed  hospitality, — the  more  so,  as  the  general 
has  supplemented  the  official  invitation  directed  to  all  the  mem- 
bers of  the  May  family  with  a  neatly  phrased  note  to  Senator 
and  Mrs.  May,  soliciting  permission  to  address  their  daughter, 
and  a  deferential  request  to  the  young  lady  herself  to  grant 
him  the  honor  of  escorting  her  to  the  banquet,  and  for  her 
hand  at  the  opening  dance  of  the  ball. 

The  senator  is  touched  by  the  mark  of  respect  paid  to  his 
family  by  the  Federal  general,  whom  he  holds  in  high  esteem, 
notwithstanding  their  political  differences  in  the  past.  He  had 
accepted  with  serene  composure  the  outcome  of  the  war,  though 
it  involved  the  discomfiture  of  his  own  theory  of  rehabilitating 


AFTER    THE    WAR.  761 

the  Union.  Nor  did  he  conceal  to  himself  that  now  it  stands 
firmer, — grander  and  more  glorious  than  ever.  The  war  has 
devastated  the  South  —  yes  !  And  laid  low  the  towering  am- 
bition of  those  of  its  leaders,  who  had  dreamed  of  strength  in 
division,  and  of  prosperity  to  grow  out  of  the  unremunerated 
labor  of  slaves.  Now,  the  slaves  have  been  liberated ;  the 
lands  lay  fallow,  and  in  a  hundred  thousand  homes  there  is 
mournuig  for  departed  heroes.  But  for  those  who  love  their 
country  well  enough  to  welcome  its  prosperity  at  the  cost  of 
recognizing  their  own  error,  the  future  beckons  with  rich 
promise. 

In  Senator  May's  home,  too,  there  stands  an  empty  chair  at 
table,  and  an  unused  plate  lies  on  the  cloth.  A  face  that  once 
shed  sunshine  around  the  board  shines  there  no  more.  In  its 
stead  a  hero  is  enthroned  in  the  hearts  of  parents  and  sister 
whom,  it  comforts  them  to  know,  a  weeping  nation  mourns, 
and  friend  and  foe  honor  as  an  exemplar  of  exalted  chivalry 
and  devotion  to  his  country's  cause.  In  no  one  respect  are 
father,  mother  and  sister,  in  more  thorough  accord,  than  in 
the  adoration  paid  to  the  deified  shade  of  the  departed  son  and 
brother.  No  wonder,  then,  that  the  senator,  in  his  proud  sor- 
row, attributes  to  a  sentiment  of  reverence  in  the  breast  of  a 
gallant  soldier  for  an  honored  fallen  enemy  the  attentions  paid 
by  General  Seele  to  his  daughter.  And  thus  the  railroad 
festival  has  peculiar  significance  for  the  family  at  May 
Meadows. 

Nellie  May  is  in  high  spirits.  Even  her  parents  notice,  with 
secret  rejoicing,  the  return  of  something  like  her  former 
sprightliness. 

"  Can  this  be  the  effect  of  the  invitation  to  the  ball,  and  the 
prospect  of  a  dance  with  a  major-general?  "  so  wonders  Sena- 
tor May. 

"  What  is  the  matter  with  Nellie?  "  her  mother  inquires. 
"  I  hope  she  is  not  going  to  throw  herself  away  by  flirting 
with  an  enemy,  if  he  is  a  major-general !  " 

But  Cressie  knows  better  what  is  the  source  of  the  blushes 


762  THE  BEBEU8  DAUGHTEB. 

that  so  frequently,  now,  enrich  her  color  without  apparent 
cause.  She  traces  it  to  a  letter  which  she  herself  had  taken 
from  the  postman  and  handed  to  her  mistress.  The  brightness 
beaming  from  her  face  as  she  opened  it  had  betrayed  to  the 
sympathetic  maid  that  it  contained  pleasant  news. 

"Is  it  from  Busch  Bluffs?  "  Cressie  had  suggested. 

A  pleased  nod  had  been  the  answer. 

"  Is   she  coming?  "  the  octoroon  had  ventured  to  inquire. 

Nellie  had  looked  up  from  the  letter,  and  smiled  as  her  eye 
had  fallen  on  the  expectant  face  of  the  maid.  "  You  mean, 
Is  he  coming?  "  she  had  said ;  and  on  the  impulse  of  the  glad 
tidings  she  had  added,  in  a  confidentially  playful  mood: 
"Yes,  Cressie,  he  is  coming!  He  will  attend  the  banquet, 
his  sister  writes,  — and  I  shall  see  him,  Cressie!  I  shall  hear 
his  voice,  if  even  he  does  not  speak  to  me!  " 

"Not  speak  to  you!  "  Cressie  had  said  reproachfully. 
"  Now,  you  know  better  than  that.  As  if  anything  on  earth 
could  stop  Major  Waldhorst  from  coming  to  see  you,  the  first 
thing  after  he  reaches  Brookfleld !  ' ' 

"  Do  you  think  so,  really,  Cressie?  " 

"  Of  course  I  do!  "  had  been  the  prompt  reply,  given  with 
an  emphasis  of  conviction  tliat  delighted  her  mistress. 

Nellie  had  tried  hard  to  control  the  ebullition  of  her  feelings, 
for  the  mere  sake  of  decorum  before  her  servant.  But  she 
had  not  quite  succeeded  in  sui)pressing  the  note  of  triumph 
that  stole  into  her  voice  as  she  replied :  "I  believe  you  are 
right,  Cressie.  And  what  do  you  want  me  to  say  to  him  Avhen 
he  does  come  ?  ' ' 

A  smile  of  singular  sweetness,  tinged  with  a  hint  of  resigna- 
tion, had  accompanied  the  octoroon's  answer.  "  You  know 
well  what  you  are  going  to  say  to  him.  And  so  do  I.  You 
ought  never  to  have  said  anything  else." 

"But,  Cressie,"  the  mistress  had  replied,  the  glow  of  joy 
that  still  brightened  her  face  softening,  as  if  put  on  the 
defensive  by  her  servant's  gentle  reproach,  "  it  would  have 
been  wrong  for  me  to  say  before,  what  you  want  me  to  say  to 


AFTER    THE    WAR.  763 

liiiu  now.  He  would  have  taken  me  away  with  him  to  the 
North.  And  think  —  what  trouble  there  would  have  been  for 
him  and  me  during  the  war!  " 

"  Yes,  to  be  sure,"  the  octoroon  admitted.  "  He  and  you 
on  one  side,  and  all  your  people  on  the  other.  It  would  have 
been  an  awful  mess.  But  the  Good  Book  says  that  you  shall 
leave  father  and  mother  and  cling  to  your  husband.  That  is 
Avhat  you  would  have  done," 

"  Yes;  that  is  what  I  would  have  done,  if  I  had  followed 
him.  But  oh,  Cressie  '  He  so  hates  renegades  and  apostates  ! 
And  so  do  I  —  so  do  I !     He  would  have  despised  me  !  ' ' 

"  Well,  you  are  all  on  the  same  side  now." 

"  Yes,  we  are  all  on  his  side  now.  And  isn't  it  strange, 
Cressie,  that  it  seems  so  natural  to  me  to  be  on  his  side?  " 

"  Of  course  it's  natural!  That  is  where  you  belong.  You 
are  sure  to  be  right,  when  you  are  on  his  side." 

Nellie  had  smiled  and  nodded  her  head  approvingly,  and 
presently  said:  "  I  believe  you,  Cressie.  In  fact,  I  am  quite 
sure  of  it." 

The  weather  smiles  propitiously  on  the  railroad  festival. 
One  of  those  glorious  autumn  days  has  come,  that  are  enjoyed 
in  such  perfection  nowhere  but  in  the  southwesterly  regions  of 
the  United  States :  The  bracing  Ijreezes  of  October  add  zest 
to  the  golden  sunshine  and  the  Italian  blueness  of  the  sky, 
accelerating  the  pulse  to  a  healthful  beat  and  toning  up  the 
system  to  a  joyful  sense  of  life  and  vigor.  The  inhabitants 
of  Brookfield  attune  themselves  to  the  serene  glory  of  the 
autumn  day,  and  in  festive  mood  assemble  at  the  new  rail- 
road station  to  await  the  arrival  of  the  first  passenger  train  that 
is  to  bring  the  railroad  officials  and  invited  guests.  Visitors 
have  poured  in  from  near  and  far  to  be  eye-witnesses  to  the 
momentous  event.  Even  the  little  railroad  stations  along  the 
line  of  the  road  are  gay  with  green  garlands  and  festive  flags. 
The  Brookflelders  have  a  brass  band  in  attendance  and  a  bat- 
tery of  cannons  placed  in  the  neighboring  heights,  ready  to 


764  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

announce  to  the    surrounding  country  the  precise  moment  of 
the  arrival  of  the  train,  that  is  now  long  overdue. 

The  Reception  Committee,  composed  of  notable  citizens  dis- 
tinguishable on  this  occasion  by  badges  and  rosettes  in  red, 
white  and  blue,  form  a  not  inconsiderable  part  of  the  waiting 
throng.  Among  them  stands  a  group  of  gentlemen,  all  simi- 
larly decorated,  earnestly  discussing  the  merits  and  demerits 
of  the  Honorable  Ralph  Payton  as  a  candidate  for  appointment 
to  a  subordinate  clerkship  in  the  railroad  otRce.  Mr.  Huffard, 
of  the  Ozark  Argus,  advocates  his  claim  ;  so  Mr.  Farmer,  of 
the  Brookfield  Banner,  must  necessarily  oppose  it.  They  are 
talking  at  Senator  May,  who  is  supposed  to  rule  the  local  board 
of  directors  in  all  sucli  matters. 

The  discussion  serves  to  while  away  the  time  while  the  multi- 
tude impatiently  wait  for  the  train,  that  ought  to  have  been  in 
an  hour  ago,  but  leads  to  no  other  immediate  result ;  for  the 
senator  has  not  expressed  an  opinion,  pro  or  con,  when  the 
shout  is  heard  :  ' '  There  comes  the  train !  ' '  Almost  simul- 
taneously therewith  the  boom  of  the  cannon  resounds  from  the 
hillside ;  then  the  ear-piercing  shriek  of  the  locomotive  greets 
the  waiting  ci'owd,  the  brass  band  plays  "  Hail  Columbia  "  and 
the  train  thunders  into  the  depot. 

A  lively  time  ensues  as  the  passengers  disembark,  and  the 
reception  committee  take  charge  of  the  guests  amid  much 
shaking  of  hands  and  promiscuous  introductions.  Senator 
May  accosts  a  party  from  the  metropolis,  the  particular  guests 
he  has  insisted  on  quartering  in  his  own  house.  General 
Seele  and  Rauhenfels  readily  accept  his  invitation.  "  And 
these  gentlemen,"  he  addresses  himself  to  the  Auf  dem  Busches, 
father  and  son,  "  will  be  generous  enough  to  afford  us  the 
opportunity  —  not  of  paying  off,  for  that  were  out  of  the  ques- 
tion —  but  of  simply  showing  our  appreciation  of  the  deeji 
obligations  for  their  kindness  to  me  and  mine." 

"  Senator  May,"  is  the  answer  of  Auf  dem  Busch  Senior, 
"  I  hold  for  a  grand  senator  and  wise  statesman,  when  he  is 
in  the  Senate.     But  for  a  merchant  I  fear  he  would  soon  make 


AFTER    THE    WAR.  765 

bankrupt,  if  he  keep  not  better  book.  He  should  know  that 
he  is  not  in  our  debt;  contrary,  we  in  his.  But  Woldemar 
and  I  understand  business  better:  we  take  all  we  can  get 
under  the  market  price  :  and  so  we  thankfully  accept  your  offer. 
What,  Woldemar?  " 

"So  it  seems,"  says  General  Rauhenfels,  "  that  we  are  all 
bound  for  Senator  May's  house.  Unless,"  he  adds  with  a  sly 
wink,  "  my  adjutant,  here,  should  prefer  to  stay  at  a  hotel. 
What  say  you.  Major  Waldhorst?  " 

"  I  have  followed  you  too  long.  General,  while  I  was  your 
adjutant,  to  hang  back  now,"  is  the  prompt  answer,  "  Count 
me  in  for  May  Meadows,  if  Senator  May  will  include  me  in  the 
invitation." 

"That  goes  without  saying,"  the  senator  answers.  "  But 
will  we  not  stay  to  see  the  parade  first  ?  I  see  that  they  are 
impatient  to  start.  It  is  a  pity  that  the  ladies  are  not  here  ; 
but  if  we  wait  until  you  can  pay  your  respects  to  them  at  the 
house,  we  shall  all  miss  the  sights.  So  we  had  better  take  our 
seats  on  the  platform  erected  for  the  guests." 

The  party  sets  out  to  view  the  procession.  *  All,  except  Major 
Waldhorst.  He,  in  shameful  disregard  of  his  pledge  to  follow 
his  old  commander,  slips  away,  and  starts  off  in  a  different 
dlrectiou. 

The  boom  of  the  cannon  announcing  the  arrival  of  the  train, 
had  been  heard  at  May  Meadows.  To  the  ladies  there,  the 
belating  of  the  train  beyond  the  scheduled  time  had  been  most 
welcome  ;  an  earlier  arrival  of  the  guests  would  have  found 
them  not  ready,  as  wall  sometimes  happen  to  ladies.  Not  but 
that  Nellie,  on  this  occasion,  had  ample  excuse  for  tardiness: 
she  had,  in  honor  of  the  festival  at  which  she  was  to  be 
General  Seele's  partner  (and  whereat  Victor  Waldhorst  was 
expected  to  be  present)  arrayed  herself  in  a  spick-and-span- 
new  costume,  fresh  from  the  hands  of  her  modiste  ;  and  had 
been  assisted  at  her  toilet  by  her  mother  and  the  maid  Cressie. 
Under  such  circumstances  it  could  hardly  be  expected  that  the 
ladies  should  be  ready  at  the   appointed  time.     It  must  be 


766  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

admitted,  however,  that  Nellie  felt  ill  at  ease  when  the  hour 
arrived  at  which  the  guests  might  be  expected  before  she  had 
half  finished  her  toilet,  and  correspondingly  elated  when  she  had 
put  on  the  finishing  touches,  and  they  had  not  yet  shown  up. 
"It  would  have  been  too  bad,"  she  said  to  her  mother,  "  if 
General  Seele  had  come  sooner,  and  been  made  to  wait.  He 
^would  have  set  me  down  for  a  dawdle,  and  wanting  in  proper 
respect  toward  him.  Now,"  she  added,  as  she  complacently 
nodded  toward  the  elegantly  gowned  figure  in  the  mirror,  "  I 
have  got  safely  through  with  primping ;  and  I  dare  say  that 
not  even  a  major-general  of  the  victorious  army  need  be 
ashamed  to  appear  with  me  on  the  street  or  at  the  banquet." 

"  I  don't  see  what  makes  you  so  crazy  about  this  major- 
general  !  "  the  mother  growled.  "  Time  was,  when  my  daugh- 
ter scorned  all  bluecoats  ;  now  it  seems  as  if  there  was  not 
finery  enough  in  all  Brookfield  for  you  to  do  honor  to  one  of 
them." 

"  To  several  of  them,  Mama,  unless  I  am  mistaken,"  Nellie 
remarked,  exchanging  a  meaning  glance  with  Cressie.  '•  Yes  ; 
time  was.  But  time  has  changed  and  bluecoats  have  come 
into  fashion.  You  would  not  have  me  be  behind  the  fashion? 
Besides,"  she  said  more  soberly,  "  think  what  these  bluecoats 
have  done  for  us  all !  Could  we  do  too  much  honor  to  any  of 
them?  " 

Mrs.  May  was  proud  of  her  daughter,  and  it  pleased  her  to 
indulge  in  the  fancy  that  she  would  be  envied  as  the  finest 
dressed  lady  at  the  banquet.  For  the  combined  skill  of  her 
dressmaker  and  Cressie's  deft  fingers,  directed  by  Nellie's 
exquisite  taste,  had  produced  a  dream  of  loveliness  in  the 
shape  of  a  ball  dress  that  even  Worth  of  Paris  might  have 
been  proud  of  as  a  chef  d'oe^ivre  of  his  art.  So  she  forgave 
her  daughter's  misguided  respect  for  Union  officers,  and  mur- 
mured a  reply  in  so  low  a  voice  that  Nellie,  whose  attention 
had  been  caught  by  the  sound  of  the  door  bell,  did  not 
hear  it  at  all. 

"  There  is  the  general !  "    she   exclaimed   a   little  excitedly. 


AFTER    THE    WAR.  767 

"  He  has  made  good  time  from  the  depot  here.  Run,  Cressie, 
and  show  him  into  the  reception  room.  Tell  him  that  I  will  be 
down  immediately." 

Then  thi'owing  another  glance  at  the  mirror,  adjusting  a 
ribbon  here  and  there,  and  giving  a  last  affectionate  pat  to  her 
coiffure,  she  followed  the  maid,  composing  her  features  on  the 
way  into  a  radiant  expression  of  cordial  welcome. 

But  the  hand  so  cheerfully  extended  was  grasped  in  a  dif- 
ferent fashion  from  what  she  expected  of  General  Seele.  It 
was  Victor  Waldhorst  who  stood  there,  and  who  was  trans- 
ported with  joy  by  the  eager  welcome  he  read  in  Nellie's 
face." 

"Eleonora!"  he  exclaimed  in  jubilant  voice,  and  was 
about  to  embrace  the  ravishingly  beautiful  apparition,  when  the 
sudden  change  in  Nellie's  features  and  the  withdrawal  of  her 
hand  arrested  his  motion. 

"I  —  oh,  —  I  thought  it  was  General  Seele  !  "  she  gasped. 
"  I  expected  him." 

' '  And  it  is  only  I !  "  he  said  in  tones  of  gentle  reproach 
and  regret,  "  And  I  have  startl  d  you.  Am  I,  then,  so  little 
welcome  ? ' ' 

"Oh,  pardon  me.  Major  Waldhorst!  "  said  Nellie,  quickly 
recovering  her  composure.  "  It  was  such  a  quid  pro  quo  to 
find  you  here  instead  of  General  Seele,  whom  I  was  so  sure  of 
meeting." 

"  And  are  you  disappointed  that  it  is  not  he  whom  you  wel- 
comed so  cordially?  "  he  asked,  in  a  voice  trembling  with 
eager  expectation,  yet  triumi^haut  in  his  hopeful  assurance  that 
her  answer  would  be  a  negative. 

"  Disappointed?  Yes.  I  fully  expected  to  meet  General 
Seele,  who  is  to  take  me  to  the  banquet.     But —  " 

"Yes?     But  —  " 

A  vivid  blush  dyed  Nellie's  cheeks  as,  for  a  moment,  she 
cast  down  her  eyes ;  then  raising  them  and  regarding  Victor 
with  a  look  that  electrified  him,  she  said : 

"  But  I  have  been  expecting  yon,  —  oh,  so  long!  " 


768  THE  REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

Victor  caught  her  iu  his  arms,  aud  was  uot  repulsed.  His 
lips  sought  hers,  and  she  turned  not  away.  In  a  kiss  of 
mutual  rapture  they  plighted  their  troth, 

"  You  will  be  mine,  Nellie?     Mine —  my  very  own?  " 

"Yes,  Victor,  yours  —  if  you  want  me.  Oh,  how  my  heart 
has  yearned  to  tell  you !  ' ' 

"  Aud  at  last  you  have  told  me,  and  all  is  well !  But  have 
you  not  been  cruel,  mj^  Nellie,  to  deny  me  so  long?  " 

"You  will  forgive  me,  Victor,  now  that  you  know  howl 
love  you.  I  believe  I  always  did  love  you,  only  I  did  not 
know  it,  until  — ' ' 

"  Well,  dearest,  until  —  " 

"  Until  I  read  in  your  face  contempt  for  the  coquette  you 
thought  me." 

"  Coquette?" 

"  You  believed  me  a  coquette  —  did  you  not? — when  Mr. 
Payton  asserted  over  me  a  protectorship  which  you  thought  I 
had  authorized." 

"  He  was  not  worthy  of  you,"  said  Victor,  sternly,  though 
in  a  low  whisper. 

"  No!  " 

"  Nor  am  I,  dearest,  but  for  your  sweet  grace  in  according 
me  your  love  !  ' ' 

'*  Is  it  not  strange,  Victor,  that  not  your  sterling  qualities, 
nor  even  your  passionate  devotion  to  me,  had  impressed  me? 
You  see,  you  hid  your  merits  under  a  mountain  of  modesty  and 
diftideuce.  In  rare  moments  only  did  you  permit  a  flash  of 
your  true  nature  to  pierce  my  dull  perception.  It  was  not 
until  you  turned  from  me  in  disgust  at  my  Ingratitude  and 
shallowness, — flirting,  as  you  believed,  with  a  man  so  far 
beneath  you  —  that  I  woke  up  to  the  knowledge  that  I  could  not 
bear  your  contempt,  and  that  I  should  never  love  any  man  but 
you !  And  now,  Victor,  you  understand  how  hard  it  was  for 
me  to  give  you  up  when  you  wooed  me  so  stormily  —  just 
before  my  brother's  death  ;  and  for  the  sake  of  my  love  you 
will  forgive  me  !  ' ' 


AFTEB    THE    WAB.  769 

"  Forgive  you,  oh  Idol  of  my  soul?  Why,  this  moment's 
rapture  outweighs  au  age  of  heartache,  and  richly  compensates 
for  a  lifetime  of  waiting.  In  giving  me  yourself,  you  have 
enriched  me  beyond  appraisement.  For  not  another  gem  in 
all  the  universe  compares  with  you.  Though  sun  and  stars 
dropped  from  the  firmament,  your  radiant  smile,  your  lustrous 
eyes  were  sun  and  stars  to  me !  " 

"Hush,  Victor!"  she  commanded,  playfully  laying  her 
rosy  fingers  on  his  mouth.  "Your  extravagance  puts  me  to 
the  blush.  But  now  that  you  have  forgiven  me,  let  me  make 
confession  how  meek  and  humble  my  great  love  for  you  has 
made  me.  And  yet  how  proud  !  For  while  my  life  henceforth 
shall  but  reflect  your  own,  my  task  and  joy  to  honor  and  obey 
you  in  all  things  as  my  lord,  —  I  would  not  yield  m}^  place  at 
your  side  to  share  a  monarch's  throne!  " 

"  Would  I  had  a  kingdom  to  lay  at  your  feet !  But  as  the 
planet's  light  is  borrowed  from  the  sun,  so  all  my  wealth  is  but 
reflection  of  your  own  :  the  crowning  merit  of  my  life  being 
that  you,   my  Nellie,  have  given  me  your  love." 

"Yes,  Victor,  you  have  conquered  that.  And  let  me  tell 
you,  sir,"  she  added  archly,  "  that  is  something!  For  I  hold 
myself  not  cheap." 

"  So  precious  do  I  hold  you,  that  my  life  shall  be  one  unre- 
mitting effort  to  prove  not  ungrateful.  Your  own  appraise- 
ment of  yourself  falls  short  of  your  worth  to  the  full  extent 
in  which  your  regard  exceeds  my  merits." 

Nellie  pursed  her  mouth  into  a  pout  of  mock  severity,  which 
Victor  thought  exquisitely  droll.  "  How  dare  you,  sir!  "  she 
scolded,  "  impugn  my  good  taste  in  such  fashion,  and  belittle 
the  man  whose  name  I  am  to  bear?  Don't  you  know,  sir,  that 
that  is  very  bad  form?  " 

"  But  this  is  the  divinest  form  !  "  he  exclaimed,  attempting 
to  clasp  her  in  a  new  embrace. 

"Nay,  sir,  have  done!  "  she  said,  warding  him  off  with 
both  hands.  "  Have  you  no  regard  for  my  lovely  new 
dress  ?     What  will  General  Seele  think  of  me  when  he  comes 


770  THE   REBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

for  his  i)artner    to   the   banquet  aud    tinds   her    in   a   tousled 
dress?" 

Victor  looked  in  vain  to  discover  the  damage  he  had  wrought 
on  the  wonderful  dress,  and  gave  it  as  his  judgment  that  the 
general  would  be  the  proudest  man  in  the  county  to  be  allowed 
the  privilege  of  atten'ding  her.  "But,"  he  inqnired.  crest- 
fallen, "  are  you  to  be  his  partner?  " 

"  With  my  lord's  gracious  permission,"  she  answered, 
courtesying  before  him  with  a  mischievous  smile,  '-For  this 
once  the  major  will  yield  precedence  to  his  superior  in  com- 
mand. But  don't  look  so  woebegone  about  it.  If  you  behave 
SAveetly,  I  dare  say  that  I  may  manage  to  keep  one  place  open 
on  my  dance  programme  for  you  to  write  your  name  in.  What 
say  you ,  shall  it  be  a  waltz  ? ' ' 

"  A  waltz  let  it  be,  by  all  means!  "  Victor  decided,  as  the 
memory  of  the  heavenly  hour  at  the  Governor's  Inauguration 
Ball  set  him  aglow  and  threw  a  dazzling  light  on  his  present 
happiness.  The  piquant  face  of  Nellie,  upturned  to  his  with 
so  roguish,  yet  loving,  a  smile,  was  too  tempting  for  Victor's 
power  of  resistance.  He  rushed  forward  aud  was  about  to 
repeat  the  offense  for  which  he  had  l)eeu  chidden,  when  a  knock 
at  the  door  arrested  him  in  his  rash  purpose,  and  for  the  time 
being  rescued  the  "  Dream  of  Loveliness  "  from  further  peril. 

Cressie  ushered  in  the  visitors,  who  were  followed  by  Senator 
and  joined  by  Mrs.  May. 

General  Seele  happened  to  be  the  lirst  to  enter.  Nellie 
stretched  out  both  her  hands  to  him,  greeting  him  with  her 
brightest  smile. 

"  Welcome  to  May  Meadows!  "  she  exclaimed.  "  Though 
you  have  honored  this  house  but  once  before  with  your  pres- 
ence, your  generous  deeds  and  kind  words  have  made  you 
familiar  to  our  hearts  and  memories." 

"  To  be  so  kindly  remembered  of  you,  fair  lady,  were  rich- 
est recompense  for  any  service,  if  even  it  had  been  my  privi- 
lege to  render  you  such,  and  leave  me  still  your  debtor." 

"Look  here.  General,"  said  Governor  Rauhenfels,  taking 


AFTER    THE    WAE.  771 

forcible  possessiou  of  one  of  the  lady's  hands,  ''  you  are  abus- 
ing good  nature  to  an  unwarrantable  extent !  The  lady  cer- 
tainly meant  one  of  these  hands  for  me.  Now  did  you  not, 
Miss  May  ?  ' ' 

"  Why,  Governor,  the  welcome  certainly  extends  to  you!  " 
she  said,  cheerily,."  and  you  may  take  both  of  my  hands  for 
a  friendly  shake,  if  you  like,  to  make  you  even  with  General 
Seele." 

"  Oh,  I  have  the  advantage  of  him,"  the  governor  retaliated. 
' '  We  have  had  the  thrilling  ex2)erience  of  a  quarrel  with  each 
other.     Do  you  remember?  " 

"  Don't  I!  "  she  answered  saucily,  and  turned  to  the  Auf 
dem  Busches,  father  and  son.  "  But  here  are  two  gentlemen 
that  are  more  at  home  with  us  ;  and  we  have  never  quarreled, 
have  wer"  After  shaking  hands  with  Woldemar,  her  eyes 
rested  for  a  moment  on  the  benevolent  features  of  the  old  gen- 
tleman beaming  with  heartfelt  pleasure  on  seeing  Nellie,  and 
then  stepped  forward,  put  her  arms  about  his  neck  and  hid  her 
face  upon  his  shoulder.  When  she  raised  her  head,  she  dashed 
a  tear  from  her  eyes. 

"  Pardon  me,  gentlemen,"  she  said,  making  a  strong  effort 
to  regain  her  composure,  "  for  giving  way  to  my  emotion. 
You  have  all  been  good  to  ray  brother,  and  will  understand 
my  grief  for  his  loss.  He  died  in  the  house  of  Mr.  Auf  dem 
Busch.  It  was  through  his  kindness  that  I  was  permitted  to 
perform  for  him  the  last  kind  offices,  —  that  he  died  among 
those  whom  he  loved  ;  and  from  his  house  he  was  carried  to 
his  silent  home.  And  now,  when  I  wished  to  thank  him  for 
his  great  kindness,  to  my  brother  and  me,  the  memory  of  those 
sad  days  overcame  me." 

Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch  was  visibly  affected.  He  took  the  hand 
she  offered  him  and  gently  patted  it.  "I  loved  your  brother, 
Miss  May,"  he  said.  "  He  was  a  whole  man.  And  I  have  all 
esteem  and  honor  for  you,  because  you  loved  him,  and  sweet- 
ened his  last  days  for  him  like  a  loving  sister." 

General  Seele  stepped  up  to  the   two   and  said :   ' '  We  all 


772  THE   BEBEL'S  DAUGHTER. 

honor  Miss  May,  and  we  honor  friend  Auf  dem  Busch  for  his 
kindness  toward  her  and  her  brother.  They  were  both 
enthusiasts  in  the  Southern  cause ;  but  we  appreciate  the 
sincerity  of  their  conviction.  And  we  admire  the  fortitude  with 
which  Miss  May  bears  up  under  the  burden  of  her  sorrow. 
Let  us  not  grudge  her  a  tear  wept  to  the  jnemory  of  a  dearly 
beloved  brother,  as  well  as  to  the  memory  of  a  lost  cause." 

"  I  thank  you  for  these  words.  General  Seele,"  said  Nellie 
regarding  him  with  a  grateful  look.  "  And  I  wish  to  tell  you, 
that  your  generosity  as  an  enemy  went  far  to  help  me  under- 
stand the  lesson  which  you  said  the  war  would  teach  me.  The 
star  of  our  beloved  South  has  set ;  the  god  of  war  has  pros- 
pered our  enemies.  But  I  am  trying  hard  to  believe  that  what 
Might  has  established,  is  Right." 

"  That  is  a  lesson,  my  dear  young  lady,"  said  Rauhenfels, 
"  which  your  father  has  thoroughly  learned,  though  he  must 
have  found  it  infinitely  harder  than  it  can  possibly  be  for  you. 
Am  I  right.  Senator?  " 

"  No  one  knows  better,  perhaps,  than  you,  how  hard  the  les- 
son has  been,"  the  senator  admitted.  "  But  the  logic  of 
events  is  unanswerable,  and  fortune  has,  after  all,  dealt  gently 
with  me.  It  has  left  me  the  partner  of  my  bosom,  the  respect 
of  highly  prized  friends,  and  a  daughter  whose  love  is  dearer 
to  me  than  all  earthly  possessions." 

"  You  may  well  be  proud  of  her,"  said  the  whilom  pro- 
fessor. "  But  if  you  count  on  keqjing  her,  you  are  doomed  to 
disappointment.  There  stands  a  youngster  —  I  mean  my  old 
adjutant.  Major  Waldhorst  —  who  is  going  to  teach  her  that 
lesson  that  you  found  so  hard.  And  she  will  find  it  delightful 
and  easy,  under  his  tuition,  for  he  is  deeply  interested  in  the 
job,  and  will  put  his  whole  heart  into  it."  Then,  turning  to 
the  major,  he  commanded:  "Report,  now,  you  rascal,  why 
you  gave  us  the  slip  this  afternoon  ;  and  what  progress  you 
have  made  in  your  siege  upon  this  fair  citadel." 

Saluting  in  military  style,  the  major  a'.iswered :  "The  gar- 
rison is  able  to  report  for  itself." 


AFTER    THE    WAR.  773 

"  Well,  Miss  May,"  the  governor  demanded,  "  what  is  your 
report  in  the  matter?  " 

A  rosy  blush  suffused  her  cheeks.  But  a  roguish  smile 
brightened  her  features  as  she  answered :  "I  followed  the 
impressive  example  set  me  at  Appomattox  Court  House.  It 
would  have  been  a  reproach  to  General  Lee,  if  I^had  held  out 
against  a  Northern  soldier,  when  he  surrendered  the  whole 
Southern  array  to  the  Federal  commander.  And  I  had  not  the 
heart  to  shame  him."  Running  to  her  father,  she  looked  into 
his  face  with  appealing  solicitude  and  said,  "  Did  I  right,  dear 
father  ?  ' ' 

He  pressed  her  close  to  his  heart.  "•  You  could  not  have 
given  me  a  dearer  son  to  fill  the  void  left  in  my  heart  by 
Leshe's  death,"  he  said.  Then,  beckoning  to  Victor,  he  laid 
her  hand  into  his  and  continued:  "  Take  her,  my  sou,  and  be 
as  loyal  to  her  as  you  have  been  to  all  that  is  true  and  right 
and  noble." 

Mrs.  May  was  wiping  a  tear  from  her  eye  when  Nellie 
approached  her  and  said:  "Mama,  you  will  give  me  your 
blessing  ?  ' ' 

"  God  bless  you,  my  child,"  the  lady  responded.  "  I  hope 
you  will  do  well ;  though  you  might  have  done  so  much 
better." 

"Madam,"  said  Governor  Rauhenfels,  bowing  courteously 
before  Mrs.  May,  "  you  have  given  birth  to  your  daughter, 
and  thus  entailed  upon  her  the  honor  of  descent  from  one  of 
the  first  families  of  Virginia.  Now  Miss  May  is  about  to 
square  the  account  by  allying  you  with  one  of  the  first  families 
of  the  American  Renascence,  —  a  Renaissance  more  truly 
epochal  than  was  that  of  the  medieval  Europe.  You  will  lose 
no  prestige  by  smiling  upon  the  new  Union." 

Mrs.  May  was  at  a  loss  how  to  take  the  Governor's  sarcastic 
words.  But  Mr.  Auf  dem  Busch  felt  really  uncomfortable  at 
the  prospect  of  a  disagreement,  and  essayed  to  pour  oil  upon 
the  troubled  waters  by  cutting  off  further  parley  between  him 
and  Mrs.  May.     So  he  pulled  out  his  watch  and  exclaimed : 


774  THE  BE  BEL'S  DAUGHTEB. 

"  It  is  the  highest  time  that  we  break  up  for  the  bauquet!  If 
we  start  not  soon,  we  will  be  too  late  for  the  soup!  " 

General  Seele  also  consulted  his  watch.  "  Our  friend  is 
right,"  he  said.  "  We  should  be  going.  However,  it  grieves 
me,  Miss  May,  to  interfere  between  you  and  Major  Waldhorst, 
I  must  remind  you  of  our  duty  to  Society.  We  are  expected 
at  the  banquet.  Nor  can  I  abate  one  jot  of  the  privilege,  ac- 
corded me  liy  your  kind  promise  and  the  official  program,  to 
your  company  for  the  rest  of  the  day.  The  major  will  not,  I 
hope,  grudge  me  this  pleasure." 

"I  do  envy  you  every  minute  of  her  society!  "  said  Victor. 
"But  I  know  how  ample  you  have  earned  her  gratitude,  and 
how  eager  she  is  to  show  it ;  and  shall  not  complain." 

"  Oh,  you  need  not  mind  him,"  said  Nellie,  taking  the  gen- 
eral's arm  with  a  mischievous  smile  at  Victor.  "  I  have  bought 
,him  off  with  the  promise  of  a  dance.  You  won't  mind  my 
giving  him  a  waltz?  "  she  added,  turning  her  bi'ight  face  to 
the  general.     "  Waltzing  is  the  delight  of  his  life." 

"  I  believe  it,"  said  the  general.  "  With  you  for  a 
partner." 

The  company  had  filed  out,  on  their  way  to  the  banquet. 
Woldemar  lagged  behind  ;  he  looked  at  Cressie,  whose  gaze 
was  fixed  upon  the  door  through  which  Nellie  had  disappeared, 
on  the  arm  of  General  Seele,  but  talking  animatedly  with  Vic- 
tor, who  walked  at  her  other  side.  There  was  a  wonderful 
expression  on  the  octoroon's  face.  Eager  longing,  radiant  joy, 
blissful  resignation  —  Woldemar  thought  that  he  read  them  all 
in  that  singularly  beautiful  countenance,  gazing  at  the  door 
through  which  Victor  had  gone  by  the  side  of  her  mistress. 

Woldemar  wondered  at  the  girl's  strange  behavior.  But  he 
had  come  to  speak  to  her,  and  now  was  the  opportunity. 

He  softly  spoke  her  name  ;  there  was  no  answer.  She  stood 
as  if  in  a  trance.     Then  he  repeated  it,  a  little  louder. 

Cressie  started  and  blushed  scarlet. 

''  Miss  Cressie,''^  he  addressed  her,  ''  I  have  never  properly 


AFTER    THE    WAR.  tlh 

thanked  you  for  your  devoted  kindness  and  attention  to  luy 
father  and  me,  when  we  were  invalids  in  this  house.  I  wish 
to  do  so  now  —  ' ' 

"Oh,  sir,  please  do  not!"  she  begged  with  such  eager 
earnestness  as  surprised  Woldemar,  and  increased  his 
wonderment. 

He  did  not  complete  the  sentence  she  had  interrupted,  l)ut 
asked  her  instead:  "  Are  you  quite  happy  here.  Miss 
Cressie  ?  " 

"Happier  here,  with  my  mistress,  and  as  the  servant  of 
Major  Waldhorst,  than  I  could  be  anywhei'e  else    on  earth  I  " 

She  spoke  in  a  voice  of  such  sincere  conviction,  that  Wolde- 
mar could  not  doubt.  Whatever  else  he  had  wished  to  say  to 
the  octoroon  remained  unsaid.  Her  words,  and  the  rapt  look 
on  her  face,  brought  a  revelation  that  sealed  his  mouth. 

' '  Then  let  me  say  good-bye  !  ' ' 

"  Good-bye,  and  let  me  thank  you  for  your  generosity!  " 
said  Cressie. 


RARE  BOOK 
COLLECTION 


THE  LIBRARY  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF 

NORTH  CAROLINA 

AT 

CHAPEL  HILL 


